I was not a fan of season four of Only Murders in the Building, feeling that it spent so much time stuffing the series with guest stars that it pulled the focus away from not only our central three investigators (and Howard – who remains the only other series regular in the show) but also from Sazz (the great Jane Lynch), our victim. We didn’t need all those bells and whistles – the Hollywood TV series arc (that is mentioned a couple times in season four, but doesn’t seem to factor into much of anything – at least in the nine episodes I’ve seen), the West Wing neighbors (although Richard Kind does pop up occasionally this season, to great effect – the perfect amount of use to add spice but not take over the storyline), Charles’ insane sister (Melissa McCarthy, not present), and Loretta (Meryl Streep, back sporadically this season) and Oliver’s continued romantic entanglement and marriage – we just needed to see Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez, who, for my money, is at her absolute best this season) trying to solve a murder. And you know what? Season five gives us just that.
Despite having a guest cast that includes five Oscar winners (including four who have two or more statues), this season of Only Murders in the Building feels the closest to that original magic the series had before it became a haven for stars to pop in for a fun cameo. This time around, as shown in the season four finale, our victim is Lester (Teddy Coluca), the long-time Arconia doorman. The quest for Lester’s killer weaves a complex web of intrigue, bringing in several new characters – and suspects – that serve to expand the series’ reach rather than take focus from our established characters. First, we have Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale) and his wife, Sofia (Tea Leoni, who appeared in the season four finale, asking to hire the team to find her missing husband), mobsters who have a connection to the Arconia. Then there’s Lorraine (Dianne Wiest, one of the two-time Oscar winners), who was Lester’s wife. And the trio of billionaires – Camilla White (Renee Zellweger, two Oscars), Bash Steed (Christoph Waltz, two Oscars), and Jay Pflug (Logan Lerman, no Oscars), who have their own interest in the Arconia. And of course, Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph, one Oscar) is back and – surprise, surprise – actually happy to jump into this mystery and help her crew along.
But despite the influx of new – and some familiar – faces, this time around, the story is focused on Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. Their relationship takes center stage, with Charles feeling left out now that Oliver has Loretta, Mabel feeling stable for the first time (at least until one of her old frenemies shows up and throws her off-kilter), and Oliver yearning for his wife while also facing the possibility of leaving the Arconia for good. After all, Loretta is still in New Zealand filming her TV show – does he really want to be away from her so long? Giving each character their own personal issue to struggle with amidst the investigation helps ensure that we don’t lose sight of what makes these characters’ tick – what makes them special. For all of Charles’ fumbling when it comes to romance, he does genuine want a connection to others and he’s found such a close friendship with Oliver and Mabel that he’s always scared of losing it. And sure, Oliver is self-centered, but he loves his friends fiercely. And Mabel may act aloof but she’s still that little girl who grew up longing for more family and now she has it. When their friendship becomes threatened, that’s when the series is at its best. And, as there hasn’t been an announcement of a sixth season yet, there’s some stakes in whether or not our team will stick together for another murder (although, as several characters point out this season, it’s getting to be a bit much that there have now been five murders in the building).
By leaning into our core three much more, and allowing the guest stars to be the additional flavor that heightens but doesn’t overwhelm the series, season five of Only Murders in the Building is a return to form that I suspect will make fans much happier than the very uneven season four did. I certainly found myself much more invested. And, in a smart move, the series opts to give us our victim-focused episode very early in the season, fleshing out the character of Lester beautifully and making his death all the more tragic. When you care about the person at the center of the investigation and see how much he cared about not only his job but those in his life, it makes the story all the more compelling. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Streep (who was often asked to make Loretta needy and flighty last season) gets some truly stellar moments to cook throughout the season. It turns out that pairing her with other Oscar winning actors in scenes is a winning combination. This is a season well worth a look, especially if you were disappointed in last season like I was.
Only Murders in the Building’s fifth season premieres on September 9 only Hulu/Disney+. Nine of the season’s ten episodes were provided for review.
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