Only Murders In The Building: 10 Thoughts From Season Five's Initial Musky Frames And Gory Twists
The first three episodes of the Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin starrer, feel like a return to the roots, with the witty one-liners wrapped in a blanket of nostalgia.
Only Murders In The Building season five is here and it brings another murder in the courtyard of the Arconia. After a season spent chasing Hollywood dreams, the new season brings us back to a murder close to home and heart.
Here are ten thoughts I had while watching (without any spoilers):
The theme song still gets under your skin. Siddhartha Khosla, who also worked on This Is Us, knows how to deliver an eerie melody that will haunt you into humming along.
Phew, we're back in the Arconia, the (infamous) building where the action happens in the first three seasons! Interestingly, this is an actual building in New York on the 86th Street and Broadway. Gone are the crazy, creative twins, the movie sets, and the theater troubles from season four.
With a return home, the original awkwardness between the three leads — Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin — is also back. A refreshing return to the gloriously loved second hand embarrassment.
The awkward podcasters and make-shift detectives have started finding some questionable clues this season. Murder is definitely back on the menu, folks.
Thankfully, the form of the series, which has been highly appriciated, has been retained. The familiar creaks of secret doors and underground passage ways. And Charles (Steve Martin) knows more than he lets on, good for him!
(Image source: Onlymurdershulu/X)
Jeez, the nostalgia is hitting with all the old faces and flashbacks. The showrunners have executed that time juggle so seamlessly. Mr. Nolan would be proud.
A dead loved character reappears. No, we are not going supernatural. There's always more to people than what we see, gotta remember that!
So many new faces. Do we need to remember all their names? Are they important? The one name we are waiting for is Loretta (Meryl Streep). Need I explain more?
We're not dealing with one murder this time? As if the stakes needed to be higher in that building.
(Image source: Onlymurdershulu/X)
The snappy Oliver (Martin Short) just won his place back as my spirit animal the second he said "First, we must nap." Need that printed on a tee-shirt.
The first three episodes hint at a tone shift? Is the series getting darker and sadder? Expect rotten secrets to tumble out this season.
Honourable mentions:
Still, managed to pull the curtains on some deeper mental health things too, huh? Note to self: Comparison is the killer of joy.
I know it's a fall season drop this time but did they plan their frames to be musky themed? Also, Mabel's (Selena Gomez) power suits, another big win!
Humour feels more easy here. Did I mention it felt so strained in the past season? Thank God, the sharp, witty one liners are back.
To summarise, the first three episodes of Only Murders In The Building, so far feel refreshingly sharp and charming, even as they hint at things getting gory. Ultimately, this season feels like a return to the roots, with its witty core, season one parallels and crime-solving that's wrapped in a blanket of nostalgia.
Show: Only Murders In The Building
Streaming Platform: Disney+ Hotstar and Hulu
