Your favourite fictional podcasters are back with Season 3 of Only Murders In The Building. Hulu (Disney+ in Canada) presents the return of the popular Housing Whodunnit with the return of their amazing cast with the key addition of some incredibly heavy hitters to the cast. The residents of the Arconia have been presented with another mysterious death and are taking it upon themselves to solve the murder, recording their progress along the way.
Season 3 of Only Murders In The Building sees the return of Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) as the unlikely podcasting trio who, once again, have encountered an unexplained death that demands their investigation. Many of the other residents of the Arconia who fill out the cast make their return to the series as well, but the big news is the two new cast members.
Oscar winner Meryl Streep and the loveable Paul Rudd have joined the show as members of Oliver’s play, Death Rattle. The irony of Streep playing a less-than-successful actress is not lost on me, but the announcement that they were joining Only Murders In The Building drew a lot of buzz as the series began production. Rudd, of course, was a surprise guest in the final moments of Season 2, where he is seen collapsing on stage on the play’s opening night.
“Do I need to say whether or not Meryl Streep is great in Only Murders In The Building??
The leads of the series, Short, Martin and Gomez, have an undeniable chemistry, with two comedy icons who have worked together so much over the years and the younger Selena Gomez acting as a perfect compliment, both as the young woman trying to get her life together and as the adult in the room amongst two older men. You easily buy the friendship of these three characters and tend to root for them to be on screen together as often as possible. Most importantly, they don’t get overshadowed by the major stars that have entered the fray.
Do I need to say whether or not Meryl Streep is great in Only Murders In The Building? Do we assume automatically that arguably the world’s most talented actress crushed her role as a woman who has tried for decades to make her mark in the acting world? We could, but it can’t be stated enough how much she does with a supporting role. Be they subtle moments or grand, Streep, very much on brand, captures every single one of them.
Paul Rudd, playing Movie Star Ben Glenroy, gets a lot of opportunities to make an impression on you in Only Murders In The Building as he is a character who wears many hats in many ways. Interactions with all of the main characters, performing as characters from several fictional projects and showing many sides of his character, often in small bursts on the screen. Rudd’s charisma shines through whether he is playing the nice guy, the jerk, the dummy or whatever else he gets to play.
“The leads of the series, Short, Martin and Gomez, have an undeniable chemistry…”
Not to be ignored is the supporting cast, consisting of characters from the past and a few new ones (and a few guest stars) who make a meal of their small moments in the show and help pull every scene together.
The real mystery behind Only Murders In The Building Season 3 is how does a show that is essentially about one thing finds a way to do it not once, not twice, but thrice in a way that is enticing to the viewer? The answer is… I don’t know, but they do it.
The murder mystery is full of moments that leave you wanting more as you have to wait the inevitable week before the next episode, but the character development of our lead trio never pauses, being the one consistent part of the show’s overarching storyline, connecting us from Season 1 to the present day. In addition to its crack comedy, the show is filled with these small, beautiful moments that make it a well-rounded masterpiece.
Only Murders In The Building Season 3 drops episode 1 and 2 on August 8, with the remaining episodes of the season’s 8-episode run dropping weekly on Tuesdays. One of the show’s greatest strengths is the anticipation following cliffhanger after cliffhanger, and the weekly episode release will leave the audience on the edge of their seats each week. You’ll be hard-pressed to be patient as you wait for the next Tuesday.
