Only Murders in the Building S3
In 2021, at the heels of the pandemic came the delightful 'Only murders in the building.' Tapping into the global obsession with true crime and podcasts, the show provided a fresh take on the investigative drama - presenting itself as a quirky comedy instead.
Steve Martin, the comedy maven who co-created the show, initially planned on a cast of older men. His long-time comedy partner Martin Short was a given. But then Selena Gomez came in like a curve ball. Her casting was written off as a stunt to appeal to younger and female audiences. I, too, was very skeptical of her casting.
But then she hit it out of the park. Selena Gomez's Mabel Mora grounds the antics of Charles Hayden Savage and Oliver Putnam, played by Steve Martin and Martin Short, respectively. As the old men spiral into their wild theories and physical comedy, Mabel provides deadpan humor along with occasional gravitas. Prior to this, Selena Gomez's only memorable acting role was Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place.
This season, she doesn't just have to match comic pace and timing with an iconic duo with decades of comic performances; she also has to share screen space with Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, two more stars with many more accolades under their belt. And she holds her own, managing to hold her own amidst giants. Only murders often make me go back to Wizards of Waverly Place because Alex Russo is such a fantastic character.
But the brightest star this season is Martin Short's Oliver Putnam, who shines in Broadway's glitz, glamor, and camp. He gets to heighten the ante and push the boundaries with his obsessiveness and flamboyance. Even saying Death Rattle Dazzle makes me chuckle.
Paul Rudd's Ben Glenroy dies in the first episode, but his flashbacks of a Hollywood diva with some vulnerable moments are fantastic. Meryl Streep is well, Meryl Streep. The woman can do no wrong, but I wish the role had challenged her more.
Anyway, while S3 is perhaps the best acting, - I felt the plot was a bit lacking. With Charles Savage romancing Joy and Oliver Putnam obsessed with his play, Mabel Mora is often let to investigate on her own. She finds a co-investigator in Tobert, but it does not have the charm and delightfulness of the original trio. The final reveal didn't have the twists and turns and drama of the first two seasons. But most telling for me was - I didn't care who killed Ben Glenroy.
With Tim Kono and Bunny, there were haunted pasts and names to clear. There were real, tangible human stakes. The fate of a Broadway show - even if it is Oliver Putnam's darling baby doesn't seem as incentive enough. I also missed the antagonism with the cops as the trio kept interfering with their investigations.
Hopefully, S4 can return back to the charm that made us fall in love with the trio. If not, it maybe time to call it.
...what about your past deals with me that you never fulfilled ?! 
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