Well, that was a much stronger season! I'm really happy that the third season of Only Murders in the Building managed to pull itself together after that much weaker second season. I had fears that I may end up dropping the show due to how off the rails it ended up. But season three ended on quite a strong note. Removing all of the flaws that were evident in the second season and pursuing a really fun and interesting murder mystery story this time around. I binged through it in just about two days, and I had plenty of assumptions that this season might end up being the final one. I even read hints from the creators on how there might be another season, how the crew and actors still had a lot of fun working with each other and had plenty of ideas. And with that ending, it is certain that season four is just around the corner.
In fact, I was a little sad to see the season go, knowing I didn't have another to immediately jump into and see where the characters went. This season felt a lot more fleshed out, with more details and depth added to the characters. Making them far more human and giving them purpose. The first season didn't do this so much, as it introduced them all as lost, elderly (aside from Selena Gomez) wealthy individuals with little to look forward to. The second season focused far too much on side characters that had no real purpose or weight to the story, removing itself from much of the mystery aspect. And, this third season, it felt like everything had been turned to eleven. Though with season four, I really do suspect it'll be the final season.
There will be spoilers in this post, so don't read this if you haven't finished it or perhaps are interested in watching the show!
Only Murders in the Building
Season three removed a lot of the bloat and went for a really fun character-driven idea that led to us feeling more for the characters we had seen for two seasons already. As mentioned above, their initial introductions intentionally displayed them as relatively grumpy, empty people with little drive. Though with the introduction of the murder mystery podcast, and its inevitable success, each of them finally has something to look forward to, leading to a really meaningful look into each of the characters and their flaws. Each of our characters were ultimately hiding and running from something, whether it was their financial struggles and career failures, or their inability to hold a relationship as a result of prior heartbreak, or even just the lack of purpose just from not knowing what to do.
While the character played by Selena Gomez still felt a little void of development, much of the drive came from the characters of Steve Martin and Martin Short. Sort of an epiphany over their age and limited time left, but also one that displayed the truth that there isn't really an age too late to change; and that you can always try again and accept failure. This is the main idea of season three, as their characters put their time and effort into creating a play for theatre, which brings up all of their prior insecurities. The theatrical side of the season also contributes to the mystery, a literal sense of the show must go on in order for them to find out the truth as to who killed one of their actors, a prestigious superhero performer played by Paul Rudd. In the prior season I mentioned that actor cameos sort of lost me, but Rudd was the main one here in season three, and I felt his performance actually contributed to the fun elements of the show.
One thing I really liked about this season was how it introduced so many new characters, and this really played into the curiosity of the mystery. So many characters had motives, and it constantly took us on a ride around the idea of who could've been responsible. Yet it kept the truth a secret until the very end, and it wasn't an easy thing to spot either. I really liked how many twists and turns this season has and how effective it actually was. I won't say who the killer was in this season, but that reveal was actually quite a surprise to me compared to the previous seasons. With the theatrical side of the season, it felt the budget got a huge boost also. Everything felt bigger, but that may have been a result of the show moving from the Arconia apartment building and to a literal theatre with lots of different rooms and a stage. The constant mixing between these two locations certainly added to the grand feel of it all. It also gave us that character depth from potential killers in the Arconia to those who may be part of the production.
With my last post I wrote about how Selena Gomez was a bit of a weak actress. I recently read that she has a medical condition, which makes the lack of expression a lot more understandable. Knowing that, I don't feel she was as weak as I implied. Her character definitely got the shorter stick this season with less to do and say, but she added to the story and actually managed to figure things out while the two others focused on their private lives. I'm curious as to where her character will go going into season four, as she has definitely had the least development. Her character lives in the apartment owned by her aunt and should be renovating it. And that's about the full extent of her character outside of the podcast. Though I can't say I'm all that surprised, her character is more of a supporting role to mix things up given the two main characters are older actors that a younger generation may not know a lot about. But I'd say Meryl Streep absolutely stole the show this season, had performance was incredible. She really pulled off the fragile, almost suspicious character that has so much to lose and would be willing to do anything for her work. Again, adding to the twists and turns the season offered.
One last thing to add is that it's nice to see both Steve Martin and Martin Short both in such good shape. I hope this continues and they can keep working on fun shows together. Their chemistry is amazing even in their later years.
