Everyone’s favorite sleuthing trio has returned. Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, now streaming on Hulu, is replete with A-list cameos, slapstick comedy, and catchy musical numbers (seriously, cannot stop singing “Which of the Pickwick triplets did it?”).
Previously, the series centered around murders that took place in the iconic Arconia on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. In Season 2’s cliffhanger, the leading man in Oliver’s (Martin Short) big Broadway comeback, Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) bites the dust during opening night, leaving viewers wondering if we’ll be saying farewell to the Arconia in Season 3. But all the true crime fanatics out there can rest easy knowing the swanky apartment complex continues to play an integral role in the new season. So, the question is: when the curtains open and Ben collapses on stage, is it truly a tragedy? Or, perhaps, is it a new podcast opportunity for our beloved trio?
As with past seasons of OMITB, Oliver, Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Charles (Steven Martin) are at the epicenter of the murder, becoming intimately entwined in Ben’s death. The season opens by alternating between events of the past – rehearsals, backstories, etc. – and the present-day crusade to resuscitate Oliver’s play, “Death Rattle.” Surrounding them is a supporting cast of murder suspects – Ben, the egotistical thespian; Loretta (Meryl Streep), the (ironically) struggling actor; Kimber (Ashley Park), the ambitious actor and TikTok influencer; Donna (Linda Emond) and Cliff (Wesley Taylor), the cringingly intimate mother-and-son co-producers of the play; and Tobert (Jesse Williams), the documentarian chronicling Ben’s foray into Broadway.
While the podcast itself takes a backseat this season, the series continues to deliver its creature comforts – the witty intergenerational banter, the eccentric Manhattanites, Mabel’s arsenal of cozy sweaters, the podcast voiceovers. However, the focus shifts this time around to center on individual storylines, with Mabel grappling to understand her place in the world, Oliver desperately scrambling to revive his career, and Charles navigating his relationship with Joy (Andrea Martin).
In addition to our main trio, cast additions Streep and Rudd deliver brilliant performances, their characters painting two opposing portraits of life as an actor. It’s entertaining to watch Streep, the GOAT in the acting world, play a harried, jobless actor striving for her big break, while Rudd assumes the identity of a pompous Hollywood star. OMITB always succeeds in its ability to drop big-name celebrities into the shoes of some peculiar characters. Moreover, the show continues to supply viewers with the emotional substance we crave beneath a quirky farce.
Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building manages to provide viewers with all the charm and entertainment they’ve grown to love without becoming a carbon copy of past seasons. From its show-stopping musical numbers to its trippy hallucinations and sharp humor, OMITB Season 3 combines a whodunnit mystery with playful escapism for an addictingly good time.
Season 3 of Only Murders In The Building is currently airing on Hulu. New episodes premiere every Tuesday.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaifwVfAf4E.
Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building manages to provide viewers with all the charm and entertainment they’ve grown to love without becoming a carbon copy of past seasons.
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