Plot: Following the shocking death of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger, Charles, Oliver & Mabel race to unmask her killer. However, three (unfortunate) complications ensue – the trio is publicly implicated in Bunny’s homicide, they are now the subjects of a competing podcast, and they have to deal with a bunch of New York neighbors who all think they committed murder.
Review: Less than a year ago, Only Murders in the Building premiered to critical acclaim. The blend of true crime podcasts and the irreverent comedy of Steve Martin and Martin Short was a win with audiences who tuned in from week to week to discover who the murderer was. The finale set up the concept for the sophomore season in which the three main characters are themselves the main suspects in a second murder. Now, less than a year later, the second season is here to pose a new set of clues with different stakes that make the Arconia even more mysterious than before. With the same style of comedy, bigger guest stars, and an equally engaging mystery to solve, the second season of Only Murders in the Building is just as good as the first without retreading the same jokes that made the first work so well.
Picking up immediately from the cliffhanger ending of season one, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are in police custody after being discovered with the murdered corpse of Bunny Folger. The prime suspects in the investigation, the trio begin to look into the crime themselves to prove their innocence. As the story unfolds, backstories for all three characters come to light that changes the dynamic of this series in intriguing ways. At its core, Only Murders in the Building retains the same formula as the first season, but season two manages to shift the focus slightly while still developing the three main characters more than before. In light of their newfound fame, everyone has new opportunities in their careers and personal lives. But, will that success be enjoyed or will they end up in prison for Bunny’s murder?
Because of the whodunit nature of Only Murders in the Building, to reveal any twists or character roles this season would be unfair to viewers looking forward to tuning in. The ten-episode season, of which eight episodes were made available for this review, do not hesitate to introduce the big names in the cast this season. Michael Rapaport, Cara Delevigne, Amy Schumer, and Shirley MacLaine all appear early in the season with plenty of surprises left for viewers to discover as the story unfolds. Cara Delevigne, who plays Alice, is a substantial addition to the cast and offers a nice performance I did not expect. Amy Schumer is great as she plays a fictionalized version of herself similar to Sting’s appearance in the first season. I cannot say much about Shirley MacLaine’s role other than the 88-year-old steals every scene she appears in.
What I appreciate most about Only Murders in the Building is that the second season feels organically built off of the first. Whether there is an overall plan for where this series will go over multiple seasons, the structure of the story is so tightly written that I would be shocked if there weren’t breadcrumbs being left through each episode for seasons beyond this one. At some point, the concept that only murders occurring within the Arconia will be part of the story may wear out its welcome, but this season manages to make it believable enough that what happened in season one could have been followed by the events of this season. The new cast additions seamlessly work their way in and all three main actors get to explore their roles even more. Selena Gomez’s Mabel seems far less jaded this season and Martin Short’s Oliver is still wonderfully kooky and the funniest of the main characters. Season two is an even bigger showcase for Steve Martin who continues to balance the dramatic and the hilarious in equal measure and proves to be the MVP of this show.
It is worth noting that Steve Martin, who co-wrote the first episode of the first season alongside John Hoffman, did not script any of the second season episodes. While Martin, Short, and Gomez are all executive producers on the series, the second season features multiple new writers and directors who all maintain the tone and style that made the first season so successful. The comedic elements this season are well structured and capitalize on characters introduced in the first season and develop plot threads we didn’t see coming. There are also multiple references to second seasons of shows and podcasts, jokes about reboots, and a lot more that manage to be both self-referential and hilarious.
Only Murders in the Building could have easily repeated what it did in season one for ten more episodes without changing anything and it still would have been wonderfully hilarious. This season manages to improve upon everything that made the first season great with a bigger cast and even more clues to uncover. As long as Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are willing to perform together, I say let this show stay on the air even if the characters have nothing to do but sit around and make fun of each other. Only Murders in the Building is a prime example of what you get when you cast three talented performers and give them top-notch writing. This show is as funny as it is fun and I had more fun with season two than I did with the first.
Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building premieres on June 28th on Hulu.
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