There comes a time upon the start of every review where a reviewer has to check their biases, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t, whenever I don’t I feel I declare as such, however I bring this up once more in this case because this is a clear situation where my biases may or may not have affected my opinions on a show that features ultimately many of the things I may spent my past four reviews it seems rallying against. That is to say that after loving the first season, albeit not reviewing at the time, I have once again deeply loved the latest season of Steve Martin and John Hoffman’s murder mystery comedy drama creation Only Murders in the Building, despite time and time again the show featuring many elements I normally can’t stand. This show however manages to crack the code.
The biases are obvious. “Oh Tom, you really love the murder-mystery show with two of your idols Steve Martin and Martin Short, with a knowing New York setting, with a recurring cast populated by Broadway regulars, and beyond that even more of your idols in guest roles (Shirley MacLaine, not Amy Schumer), and overall has a dry, witty sensibility about it”. It’s obvious I feel why I love this show, but what I feel is more surprising is to what extent I do whole heartedly love it, despite it featuring many of the elements I have been rallying against time and time again of recent, specifically it seems with murder mysteries... A winking eye. The same repeated self-deprecating, self-referential meta-textual cr*p that has slowly driven me mad over the course of the last five years or longer it feels. “Oh you can’t critique us for doing this, because we just made a joke about doing it ourselves”. But there is something about Martin and Hoffman’s creation here that although it wears this winking eye on its sleeve, never ever leans in too much or leans with any cringe. It’s subtle. And it’s subtlety in fact that marks the best attribute of this whole show, everything is done with a softness and deftness of touch that make the whole affair not only immensely watchable and bingeable (despite one’s best efforts to parse out the episodes), but also frequently a show of surprising delicateness, warmth and sincerity. No matter how many winks there are here and there Only Murders has at its core a tremendous warmth, that incredibly is pulled off without a touch of saccharin in sight.
And beyond this, for a second season now, the mystery is fun, solid and surprising with constant wonderful twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, which again is of course the most exciting and refreshing element of all. But of course the chief reason to watch is of course the plethora of wonderful performances. For as much as this is naturally Martin and Short and Selena Gomez’s show, this is at its heart and core a joyous celebration of ensemble. Whether they be suspects, hilarious or frightening in nature, or whether they be residents of the Arconia, again hilarious or frightening, or for that matter, both. The show populates every scene and every room of its residence setting with great characters very well cast. Overall one really can’t understate that for me Only Murders is the most fun, fresh and delightful show on TV currently, or at least in my rotation.
Another 8/10 season of a top class show. The comedy, heart, warmth, mystery and comfort of this show has made some sort of perfect concoction that defies cynicism and honours only complete sincerity. Does it do this still with a wink here and there, yes. Are these the moments that work less well for me, on brand I must say, yes. But in this glut of winking, constantly self-deprecating farces of big budget fodder I have been viewing recently. One can’t help but gush over this beautiful piece of work that although not breaking the mould in any way, is a show I hope goes on for a very long time. If the performances are always there, which they undoubtedly will be, and if the mysteries remain fun and intriguing, which I too have a feeling they will, then you’ve got me for as long as you want me.
SOMEWHAT SPOLIER P.S. Do I wish that every season from this point takes the Naked Gun opening credits approach of bringing in a high class celebrity only to kill them off? I most certainly do. This one was great fun and in typical cliff-hanger fashion will have me writhing in annoying patience until I receive the new season.
- - Thomas Carruthers
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