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‘Only Murders in the Building’ (Season 5) Review

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ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING - After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident. Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge. (Disney/Patrick Harbron) STEVE MARTIN, MARTIN SHORT, SELENA GOMEZ

Hulu provided me with Episodes 1-9 of Only Murders in the Building (Season 5) in advance of release to complete this review.

It’s rare that a series of the caliber of Only Murders gets five seasons in the streaming era. It’s even rarer that those seasons release on an annual basis. But, come hell or high water, showrunner John Hoffman will trek stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez out to the chilly streets of New York to deliver yet another mystery to remind viewers that, yes, this is the single best show on TV right now.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (Disney/Patrick Harbron) RENÉE ZELLWEGER, MARTIN SHORT

The fifth season of Only Murders adds a politically-adjacent dimension to the show; as Charles says in the opener, “We’re apolitical,”, but watching it felt like a genre-defying mystery-comedy-crime show. Think Good Girls crossed with National Treasure, where there are secret messages that lead through unopened doors, run-ins with the mob, and an extremely lovable set of protagonists that continue to flex their chemistry with whomever they share a scene.

As is typical with this show, guest stars are plentiful, with recurring powerhouse Meryl Streep taking a slightly more relaxed approach to attendance this season to make way for the show’s most exciting lineup yet. Beanie Feldstein, who plays a childhood friend of Mabel, is a particular highlight due to the conflict she presents. Season 5 of Only Murders also delivers on the Téa-se Leoni from the end of Season 4 as she plays the wife of missing mobster Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale). In a few episodes, we see Keegan Michael-Key in a role that has to be a parody of former mayor Eric Adams. But, the show’s main trio face some competition from the mysteriously-monikered “Billionaires”.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (Disney/Patrick Harbron) SELENA GOMEZ, LOGAN LERMAN

Renée Zellweger, Christoph Waltz and Logan Lerman are a formidable (read: wealthy) group of individuals whose sights remain set on the Arconia for the duration of the season. Individually, they’re difficult to read; together, they make a compelling trio with how well they bounce off one another. Zellweger’s Gwenyth Paltrow-esque aloofness, Waltz’s tech-daddy eccentricity, and Lerman’s SoCal-rich kid persona make a magnetic combination that locks you in every time they’re onscreen.

But, what about the mystery? Obviously, this season focuses heavily on the death of Lester (Teddy Coluca), and is so intricately woven that it forces you to pay attention to every single detail or passing mention. Lester is a character that’s been in the show since the first season but, if his death didn’t make you feel anything, the second episode of this season gives life to him in a real tearjerking way. Most seasons of Only Murders have what I call a special episode:

  • The first season had “The Boy From 6B”, which was told entirely from Teddy’s perspective and thus no audible dialogue was heard;
  • The second season had “The Last Day of Bunny Folger”, where we got to know Bunny beyond the veneer of unpleasantness;
  • The third (and weakest) season did not have one;
  • The fourth season had “Blow-Up”, shot entirely as found footage.

The second episode of Season 5 of Only Murders is similar to Season 2’s, in that it proffers a warming backstory of the victim, but it also gives way to introduce the second mystery of the season which is the follow-up on the mob storyline. It strikes a perfect balance between deepening the core mystery, adding dimension to Lester, and introducing more suspects for a variety of misdeeds that went on throughout the storied history of the Arconia.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (Disney/Patrick Harbron) STEVE MARTIN

The fifth season of Only Murders also seems more interested than previous ones in potentially bringing the show towards an endgame, not that the episodes I watched confirmed things one way or another. That said, and I feel like I mention this every year, I would not be surprised if the next season was a final outing. I’d be sad, of course but, watching these episodes, there was a feeling that series-long arcs for the core trio had their turning signals on, ready to exit the highway.

But, if it got announced tomorrow that it was renewed for Seasons 6 and 7, I wouldn’t be mad either.

THE FIRST THREE EPISODES OF SEASON 5 OF ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING STREAM ON HULU/DISNEY+ TOMORROW. NEW EPISODES RELEASE WEEKLY.

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