The finale of Only Murders in the Building season two aired on August 23, and fans are already excited about what the new season might bring to these unlikely protagonists. The first season was a massive success last year, receiving various Emmy Award nominations, including Best Actor oi a Comedy Series, for both Steve Martin and Martin Short, and the second season is expected to receive award nominations as well.
With a new year comes a new murder, and that can only mean one thing: a new podcast season. It is inevitable to compare both murder cases since they could've only been imagined for the show. Creating an intelligent and compelling murder case is hard. Creating two (and now three with the announcement of a third season) is extremely difficult. There have been some improvements and some setbacks in the new season, which is something that was expected to happen.
Only Murders in the Building tells the story of an unlikely trio of friends that come together because of their shared love of true-crime podcasts. After a murder happens in their building, they quickly realize there is more than what it seems underneath and decided to pursue the investigation themselves, and of course, create their true-crime podcast on the process. Here is how the seasons compare and what the fans might expect from next year.
Season 1 of Only Murders in the Building
Season one of Only Murders in the Building was a fantastic way of starting a show. With an unlikely trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and pop singer Selena Gomez, playing Charles, Oliver, and Mabel respectively, the series had great chemistry from the start. They captivated the audience from the first time they meet, all the way to when they figure out who Tim Kono’s killer was. Set mostly within the walls of the Arconia, the building they all live in, this murder investigation is detailed, well grounded into the reality of the show, funny, and incredibly entertaining to watch. Some secondary characters received delightful attention (and continued to be developed in the second season of the show), but the focus was deeply set on the protagonists.
The main focus of the season was the murder plot, but because it was so directly correlated with one of the main characters, Mabel, it made sense that they would walk hand in hand. The growth of the characters is very well constructed in a way that, by the end of the season, who they are is completely established.
The pace of the show is quite quick and that leads to a lot of information being given to the characters and audience at the same time. While that kind of exposition overload doesn't always work, it's a great decision here (that was a bit different in season two) which enhanced how high the stakes were as well as creating an excellent atmosphere for the comedic part of the show.
Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building
Second seasons are sometimes more challenging to make than the first ones. Now, the characters and their main dynamics are set, so there is a need for new ways to make them grow and show their different sides. An exciting aspect of the new season was the focus on the family aspect of all the characters. Charles and his stepdaughter, Oliver and his relationship with his son and ex-wife, and Mabel and her difficult childhood with her dad. This new focus had a refreshing feel to the narrative and gave the characters a new layer.
The new characters that appeared were not the highlight of the season. Most of them felt lacking a backstory or strong motivation and were mostly a plot device to move the story forward. This appears to be an already apparent change in the next season: due to the last scene of the finale.
The murder case plot got a bit messy at times, especially with the plot line of Mabel not remembering what happened. This led to a more slow-paced season than the previous one. However, the killer reveal (which happened live on Instagram) was funny in a smart way that really tricked the audience until the end. The scene showcased some of the best aspects of the show and was able to finish entertainingly a somewhat not-so-engrossing murder case. The resolution to who did it and how they did it was still intelligent and well put together. Overall, the series did a solid job at continuing with the comedic podcast show and made the audience want to spend more time with the main trio.
Hopes For Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building
After watching both seasons of the show, there is much anticipation about what might come next. Especially after the ending of the second season, which hints at a lot of new conflicts and, of course, a murder to solve. What might be expected from the new season is that the writers and producers found more stable ground and understand better what works and what doesn’t for the characters and the overall structure of the series. Season three should further develop old and new relationships that started in the previous years.
The third murder plot started strong and is very different from the other ones. It is nice to see how much the characters have grown personally and professionally, and that will most likely impact how they will deal with what appears to follow them everywhere they go: murder. Also, since the murder was not set in the Arconia, this may lead to one of the biggest changes, one that dictates various creative choices for the next season.
The two first seasons of Only Murders In The Building are available to watch on Hulu. The third season has not yet received an official release date, so there is plenty of time to binge and solve two murders before the next one occurs.