Season 2 of Hulu’s generation-spanning comedy “Only Murders in the Building” does not betray its location-specific title: The series introduces a new murder in the same Manhattan apartment building for the characters of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez to solve. The mystery series also maintains the uniquely whimsical-yet-suspenseful tone established when the hit show debuted last year.
Combining the talents of Martin, Short, and Gomez was an unusual but welcome formula, and they continue to be a charming trio in Season 2. In the world of “Only Murders,” it’s still a dull and dreary New York winter, but this singularly pleasant show has an uncanny ability to lift your spirits even as it deals with death and mayhem.
Following up on the Season 1 cliffhanger, the new episodes cast former TV star Charles (Martin), struggling Broadway producer Oliver (Short), and artist Mabel (Gomez) as suspects in the murder of the Arconia apartment building’s board president Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell), whom Mabel discovered stabbed with a knitting needle in her apartment. Mabel, Oliver, and Charles resurrect their true-crime podcast for a new season in order to clear their names while also attempting to move on with their lives.
The investigation takes unexpected turns, revealing major secrets from their pasts ranging from Charles’ father’s dalliances to Mabel’s alleged history of violence. Lucy (Zoe Colletti), the teen daughter of one of Charles’ old girlfriends with whom he has reconnected, is also assisting the podcasters and is eager to join the crime-solving team.
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Except for the murder, there isn’t much new in the new season. Cara Delevingne joins the cast as Mabel’s new love interest Alice; Shirley MacLaine also makes a delightful cameo; and Amy Schumer plays herself much like Sting did in Season 1. The central trio is better at comedic timing, but the new episodes feel like a continuation rather than a new chapter. Its dependable and fortified humor has a comforting sameness to it, similar to rewatching an old ’90s film.
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As in Season 1, one episode deviates from the norm, upending the format and expectations. Last year, it was “The Boy From 6B,” a nearly silent film that mimicked Theo Dimas’ (James Caverly’s) experience of the world as a deaf person. This time, the late-season episode “Hello Darkness” broadens the lens to include other Arconia residents, illuminating the inner lives of more characters, some potential suspects and others simply going about their daily lives in a building that attracts true-crime fans.
If the best shows improve with each season, those that excel at consistency shine brightly: predictably, reassuringly offering something just as good as what came before, with great skill. Second seasons, as Oliver and other characters frequently observe during the self-referential episode, tend to disappoint. That is often true of podcasts as well as television shows, but “Only Murders” thankfully avoids a sophomore slump.
But, seriously, how many people have to be murdered in this building before it’s time to look into hauntings, conspiracies, gas leaks, or all three? Perhaps some of those residents will consider moving.
Only Murders in the Building Story Summary
- Hulu’s generation-spanning comedic delight “Only Murders in the Building” (streaming Tuesdays) is back for Season 2.
- Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short bring back the magic in the show’s season premiere.
- Cara Delevingne joins the cast as Mabel’s new love interest Alice; Shirley MacLaine also makes a delightful cameo; and Amy Schumer plays herself.
