Written by Marissa Graf, Staff Writter
“Only Murders in the Building” is a mystery-comedy show new to Hulu. The series stars Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez as the main characters, alongside supporting actors such as Amy Ryan, Tina Fey, and Jane Lynch.
The show centers around three true-crime podcast junkies: Charles-Haden Savage, played by Steve Martin, is a retired TV actor from a famous 1990s mystery show called Brazzos where he played a detective. Oliver Putnam, played by Martin Short, is a broke Broadway director trying desperately to make another big break. Mabel Mora, played by Selena Gomez, is a closed-off young woman who is refurbishing her aunt’s flat.
The three characters live in the Arconia, an upscale apartment complex in New York City. When the fire alarm goes off and the building is evacuated, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel find themselves at the same nearby restaurant waiting out the supposed fire. Here, they learn about their mutual love for true crime.
Upon returning to their building, they find that one of their neighbors, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), is dead. While the police believe it is suicide, the three podcast junkies suspect murder. They remember earlier that day they all happened to be in the elevator together when Tim Kono walked in with a trash bag. This is where their investigation begins. Oliver, looking for any way to earn money, proposes they start their own podcast to document their finding, Charles is the voice behind it and comes up with the name “Only Murders in the Building.”
The show keeps it’s viewers on their feet with their constantly changing suspects and witty dialogue. The first episode aired on August 31, 2021 with one episode being released each week. By the tenth and final episode the viewers are left puzzled.
Throughout the series two flashforwards in episodes one and four foreshadowed the ending to season one. Although the audience was expecting a cliffhanger, they are left completely in the dark about who could be behind the final crime.
Luckily, the audience won’t be left guessing forever. A second season of “Only Murders in the Building” has been confirmed and will likely air sometime in 2023. In the meantime, fans of the show will have to rewatch to find more hidden clues and make their own predictions.
