As of August 22nd, the Hulu original show (available on Disney+ for all the Irish readers), Only Murders in the Building, wrapped up their second season. Along with the show’s main cast, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, there’s a multitude of big celebrity guest stars, such as Cara Delevingne, Paul Rudd, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, Amy Schumer, and Sting.
What is the plot of the show?
In season one, three crime podcast enthusiasts cross paths after a real life murder occurs in their high-end New York building. They all lead different lives. Oliver struggles to make ends meet, after his failed theatre directing days are in the rear view mirror. Charles can’t stop reminiscing of his broken family and stretching his TV cop show stardom as thin as it goes. And, Mabel is trying to find herself in the big city after the loss of close friends. The unlikely trio decide to start their own podcast as they solve the murder of Tim Kono, before investigating the murder of another character (no spoiler here) in the second season. The chemistry between the three main characters is captivating, and of course their interaction with other characters and the setting in a grand old apartment building in New York City provides a great story. Over time, their successes and failures investigating and the popularity of their podcast make them a suspect in the eyes of the police and a target by a competitor podcaster. As always with popular shows, every episode twists and turns, leaving you with a new suspect after every episode and always ready to binge watch the whole series!
Is there diversity?
When it comes to diversity, there could one hundred percent could be more. While many of the main and recurring cast are older white men and women, there are multiple characters of different races and ethnicities in both series, with one of the lead characters being a younger, Latina woman. The show also does a good job showing different sexualities. There are both WLW and MLM couples. However, these couples show up more so in the second season. There is also both English and ASL used throughout the seasons, as some characters use ASL to communicate with a deaf character.
Is it worth watching?
In my opinion, this show is worth a watch! It is entertaining enough to put down your phone (which you will have to do as it is fast paced and you wouldn’t want to miss anything). Overtime, the familiar faces of characters will even give you a sense of comfort. When my parents first told me of the show, I brushed it off and said I would give it a go, knowing very well I had already forgotten the name. What a mistake that was. Once I finally watched the first episode due to a friend’s recommendation, I quickly got hooked. Now my parents and I eagerly await each Tuesday for a new episode from season two to be dropped. It has become a great show for us to watch together as a family. The chemistry between all the actors, especially Steve Martin and Martin Short, plus the list of actors wanting a cameo on the show, makes it obvious that the show was fun to shoot, making it all the more fun to watch. While I was late getting on the Only Murders bandwagon, I’m definitely on board now, and impatiently waiting for season three.
