I am absolutely addicted to Only Murders in the Building (OMITB), the Hulu Original series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Hulu is currently releasing an episode every Tuesday. I’ve watched eight of the ten episodes, and I’m impatiently waiting for the last two to drop like I used to finish Agatha Christie novels in a couple days. I need to know who did it!
If you’re not familiar with it, the show is about three strangers (Martin, Short, and Gomez) who live in the same exclusive building in New York City. They’re all true crime buffs, and when they find out fellow resident Tim Kono has died and get a look at the body, they decide it’s a murder and start their own true crime podcast as they investigate. In the long tradition of comedic mysteries, like The Pink Panther (1963), Clue (1985), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), and Knives Out (2019), OMITB is one of the best. Here are five reasons to love Only Murders in the Building:
Steve Martin and Martin Short’s easy chemistry
This is the obvious one, so let’s get it out of the way first. Steve Martin and Martin Short are great together. I can’t tell when they’re sticking to the script and when they’re riffing, but they’re always funny and sweet and just a little off their rockers. Especially Short — he’s delightfully weird in this show. Martin’s character has a lovely melancholy that slowly lifts as the show progresses, due in large part to his new friendships with Short’s Oscar and Gomez’s Mabel, along with the excitement and interest that the Tim Kono investigation brings to him.
Selena Gomez’s dry wit
Gomez is a master of sarcasm and has a beautifully dry delivery, and I love it. I never saw her on Disney shows and don’t know her music, so this is my first exposure. I absolutely love her style. The character Mabel is tough and direct, not a people pleaser. She’ll never smile just because she’s expected to (unless it’s necessary to get away with Hardy Boying). I respect that. Gomez’s interactions with Martin and Short are remarkable; she holds her own and is never upstaged by the two of them. It’s a really good, low-key but commanding performance.
It’s a solid mystery
I love mysteries. I grew up devouring Ruth Rendell and Agatha Christie novels, and I still love a good new whodunit. OMITB is a good, well-written mystery. For the first few episodes I had no idea who the killer was, but now with almost each episode my theory changes. I still have no idea who killed Tim Kono. In most TV mysteries it’s obvious from the second a character appears on screen that they did it because the actor plays it so guilty, but I love that I still don’t know because everyone seems to be acting suspicious. Maybe all New Yorkers just act guilty all the time…
Word play
There are some great puns and quality word play throughout the series. Martin and Short have some great scenes going back and forth that showcase their chemistry, like in the car while they’re following Mabel in episode five and they riff on catching various diseases in Long Island. And then there’s Jan, the professional bassoon player. I mean, come on — “I’ll see you bassooner or later” is brilliant. Mabel teaching Charlie and Oscar modern slang is always funny and just adds to the realism and depth of their inter-generational friendship. I’m a word nerd, so word play always makes me happy.
The tone
My favorite thing about OMITB is its tone and the writers’ willingness to experiment. The show has poignant moments and sad scenes (it’s about a murder, after all), but overall the characters seem to be having fun despite their ups and downs. The relationships between Charlie, Oscar, and Mabel are sarcastic and kind and funny, their antics as they investigate are completely not CSI-approved, and the performances are wonderfully low-key and quiet (mostly). Martin and Short have the ability to go big and broad but they keep their energy toned down in their roles, which makes for a far more interesting and intriguing show. The writers and actors keep a delicate balance between comedy and tragedy without being ridiculous or pathetic. Only Murders in the Building is beautifully written and beautifully acted, and I can’t wait to see where it ends up.