By George & Josh Bate
The following is a NON-SPOILER review of Only Murders in the Building – Season 5, Episodes 1-9
Half the appeal of Only Murders in the Building comes from its sense of humor. The other half comes from its mystery. For four seasons, both the humor and mystery have proven similarly compelling and made the Hulu series one of television’s coziest, most enjoyable watches. With its fifth season, premiering on September 9, Only Murders in the Building retains its trademark sense of witty, delightful humor but misses the mark with a dry and uninspired, albeit still engaging, murder mystery.
Season 5 picks up where Season 4 left off. The doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca) has been found dead in the courtyard of the Arconia, leading neighbors-turned true crime podcasters-turned best friends Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) to undertake yet another murder investigation. The winding whodunnit the team find themselves in the middle of sees them intersect with mob affiliate (Bobby Cannavalle), a trio of dangerous billionaires (Christoph Waltz, Logan Lerman, and Renee Zellweger), a pop sensation (Beanie Feldstein), an intrusive mayor (Keegan-Michael Key), and even an AI doorman.
Before diving into the season itself, Only Murders in the Building must be commended for having its fifth season debut in five consecutive years. This is a stark contrast to an unfortunate trend in modern television in which new seasons take years and years to release (looking at you, Stranger Things). In doing so, the series feels like a nice, comfortable place to return to each autumn. Every year, at least for the past few years, viewers have been granted entry into the illustrious Arconia and get to tag along with amateur (or maybe not-so-amateur anymore) sleuths for yet another whodunnit. Some may find this pattern of yearly murder mystery in a single building with the same characters to be a bit repetitive at this point, but, for us, it’s always a delight to revisit this show.
In keeping with the last few seasons, Season 5 kicks off with a mystery that the Season 4 finale left us with. And, like some of the other seasons as well, this mystery has emotional stakes. Unlike many whodunnits whose victim remains largely unknown to the audience, Only Murders in the Building intelligently chooses to kill off someone we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the years. Although he never featured too prominently, Lester was an endearing elderly man, who added to the Arconia’s charm. Over the course of the season, audience care for Lester will grow even more as facets of his past are uncovered, especially in an excellent flashback episode.
Marking a change from previous seasons, however, is Season 5’s relative emotional hollowness. For four seasons, Only Murders in the Building has been known for its wacky humor and intriguing mysteries but the genuinely emotional exploration of aging, loneliness, and found family remained an undervalued strength of the show. Disappointingly, apart from a few passing comments from Charles about his melancholy or loneliness, Season 5 explores these themes far less than previous seasons. In doing so, the new crop of episodes aren’t as moving nor do they really go above and beyond entertaining into to become something contemplative and reflective.
The central mystery similarly falls short of its predecessors. Only Murders in the Building has a tradition of mysteries filled to the brim with suspects (many of whom are played by some pretty big stars), red herrings, clues, and a twist at the end of each episode. All of these qualities carry over into Season 5, although the whodunnit simply doesn’t come together as well. In only watching episodes 1-9, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of the mystery by the end of season finale, but, based on what we’ve seen so far, the suspects are less interesting, the twists and turns are less impactful, and, arguably for the first time, the mystery feels cobbled together, as opposed to the more naturally unfolding investigations of the past.
Where Season 5 doesn’t backslide is with its sense of humor and tone, arguably the series’ greatest features. Little of novelty can be said of the chemistry between Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, but, for what it’s worth, the sleuthing trio are phenomenal once again. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel effortlessly banter and trade lines with one another, making even the most routine of scenes enthralling. Although none of the characters undergo any substantial development this season, the three nail the dramatic beats just as well as they do the humor. As has always been the case with the show (and comedies more generally), not every joke lands – and that’s okay. The jokes that do land work great and, even the jokes miss, they still feed into an undeniably wacky, self-indulgent, and fun tone.
VERDICT: 7/10
Only Murders in the Building returns for a fifth season that retains the series’ trademark brand of humor, despite lacking the heart and compelling mystery we’ve come to expect from the Hulu show. Commendably releasing its fifth season in as many years (a stark contrast to an unfortunate trend in modern television of too many years between seasons), Season 5 overcomes issues with narrative repetiveness in being yet another cozy, autumnal adventure in the illustrious Arconia side-by-side with a trio of amateur (or maybe not-so-amateur anymore) sleuths. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are predictably phenomenal as these sleuths, effortlessly trading blows and elevating even the most routine of scenes into something enthralling. Less successful, unfortunately, is the mystery this season, which feels uncharacteristically cobbled together, spoon fed to the audience, and lacking in intrigue. Season 5 also lacks the heart of previous seasons in puzzlingly overlooking themes of aging, loneliness, and found family that made the previous seasons so emotionally resonant. Despite these issues, however, Only Murders in the Building continues to entertain and, if you’re five seasons deep into show, is unlikely to lose you with this new season. Even when the mystery falters, the cozy atmosphere and electric chemistry between its stars will make it a great watch this autumn.
Only Murders in the Building Season 5 premieres Tuesday September 9th on Hulu. New episodes stream Tuesdays.
