True crime has become a cultural phenomenon, whether it be the smash successes of podcasts like “Crime Junkie” (2017–) or “My Favorite Murder” (2016–), or even the rising view-counts on YouTube crime series such as “Buzzfeed: Unsolved”(2016–). “Only Murders in the Building” (2021–) attempts to comment on this rising cultural sentiment, using comedy to portray the solving of a true crime mystery itself. Using standard sitcom tropes and often-overplayed generational humor, the show in no way reinvents the wheel. Still, it takes a lot of energy to critique the quaint dad-humor of the series. Rather, it’s much easier to sit back, get wrapped up in the mystery, and allow the world to pass you by.
“Only Murders in the Building” follows three residents of the Arconia, an apartment building in the Upper West Side. There’s Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), a former television detective; Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), a musical theater director; and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), a young artist renovating her unit for her aunt. The three residents first meet in an elevator with Tim Kono (Julian Cihi) and immediately go their separate ways. However, when Tim Kono is found dead, the three bond over true crime podcasts and decide to solve the supposed murder.
The show, at first glance, is a bit cringe-inducing. Much of the comedy hinges on generational humor, with the two older men not being able to understand the millennial way of life. One episode includes an extended joke about the way that young people text each other, with Savage and Putnam signing off their texts like formal letters. After one too many jokes about Mora’s generation being strange, I began to lose connection with Savage and Putnam’s characters. It became clear that I, and mainly younger people, may not be the intended audience of the show. The jokes seem to be so specifically skewed toward an older generation, almost to the point where one could imagine their parents loving the show. Maybe that’s intentional, though — to be fair, I was the one who did not know who Steve Martin was before the show (a somewhat embarrassing flaw). Nonetheless, the humor of the show provokes a visceral reaction: sometimes laughing hard, sometimes cringing even harder.
Still, at some point the show becomes wonderfully intoxicating. Maybe it's the humor that eventually becomes quaint and easily digestible. Maybe it's the pull of true crime itself and the desire to solve the murder with the podcasters. Whatever the reason, the show soon becomes a mindless binge in the best possible way. Episodes are short and bleed into each other, and new clues in the murder present themselves in a somewhat even stream. In my personal viewing, I watched the first three episodes over three days, and then the following seven episodes over the course of a single morning. This viewing schedule reflects just how deeply the show hooks you in: Once the plot overwhelms you, it becomes a joyous free fall to the end.
Likewise, the show succeeds in one of the most crucial elements of a murder mystery: It provides a satisfying ending. The series sticks the landing in providing an unexpected-but-realistic conclusion, one that leaves the viewer questioning why they hadn’t yet thought of it. It leaves the viewer feeling accomplished and satiated, almost like they had done the work themselves. You are a detective with the podcasters, and thus finding a true and evident solution feels oh so satisfying.
This series also has an incredible supporting cast, with the show serving almost as a who’s who of big name comedians. Part of the joy of the show was watching an episode and realizing that the one-off episode feature was Tina Fey, Nathan Lane or Jackie Hoffman. The show also pulled from the theater community of New York, featuring favorites like Ali Stroker and Jayne Houdyshell. In all, whoever cast the show deserves a round of applause. Not only does it feature big-name leads, but it also includes fun side characters with which you can play the IMDb game while watching.
In all, “Only Murders in the Building” may be meant for another generation, but it was fun regardless. The show was joyful and stress-relieving, serving to be almost mind-numbing in just the right way. The plot clearly leaves the door open for a season 2, ending with a small cliffhanger in the final episode.Season 2 will likely function in the same way, and serve the same goal. You tune in, and you turn off. It’s just that simple.
