Only Murders In The Building | Every Body Has a Secret!

Creators	Steve Martin & John Hoffman
Series regular cast	Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez)
Genre	Mystery Thriller, Comedy-drama
Service	Hulu
Rating	Rotten Tomatoes: 99% IMDB: 8.1/10

Only Murders in the Building is a Hulu Original created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The series stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as three strangers who become obsessed with a true crime podcast.

Later they find themselves embroiled in a real-life murder mystery in their Upper West Side apartment building, the Arconia.

The series premiered on August 31, 2021, and was met with critical acclaim. It was praised for its humor, its performances, and its unique blend of genres.

Only Murders in the Building was renewed for a second season in September 2021, which premiered on June 28, 2022. The series has been nominated for a number of awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Series, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

The series revolves around the trio – Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora. Three strangers live in the Arconia, an Upper West Side apartment building in Manhattan. The trio has a dark and twisted past, which adds a lot to the story in the present time.

Charles-Haden Savage  

Charles is a former TV star who occasionally gets work now. Famed from the 90’s detective drama Brazos, Charles secretly longs for his days of glory. He makes excellent omelets and acts nonchalant but loves attention and friendship.

He has a daughter, Lucy, who he is quite estranged with. Though he tries to talk to her often, but his odd ways get in the way. Lucy showed up in the series at a very crucial time, and Charles asked her to leave immediately as the plot was getting thicker.

As a child, he remembers going to auditions with his father, and one day, he saw him brought back by police, that was the last time he heard of him until the mystery around the painting in Bunny’s apartment unraveled.

Oliver Putnam     

Oliver is a struggling Broadway director who is trying to mount a revival of his one-man show. Oliver has a son and he is always very apologetic to his son for his mistakes of the past. At some point in the series, they get back on good terms. Besides family history, he has tainted memories of a flop show “Splash” with his then-friend, Teddy.

Teddy and his mute son also have a huge history which then plays a pivotal role in the series. Putnam has a dog, Winnie, who he holds on to as he craves company.

He was super excited about the podcast idea and keeps directing the show to satiate his directorial itches. He developed an instant attachment with Charles and Mabel.

Mabel Mora  

Mabel is a young woman who is still grieving the death of her mother. She visited her aunt every summer who lived in Arconia. She met Tim Kono one summer and they bonded over their shared interest for the Hardy Boys series.

Later they became friends with Zoe Cassidy, and Oscar Torres, who had keys copied off from his superintendent’s father, hence she knows all the nooks, corners, and secret passages of the building.

It seems like she has inherited the apartment. She loves to paint, and keep her past hidden from her friends Oliver and Charles too. She is often seen shrugging the topic by fleeing the scene or changing the topic.

Other Characters

The series had occasional episodes where characters like Sting, Amy Schumer, and Tina Fey became part of the story.

Not to mention, Charles’s musician girlfriend, Jan, played by Amy Ryan was an amazing character. She kept her façade till the end only to surprise the viewers with unexpected.

Meanwhile, Jayne Houdyshell (Bunny Folger), Jackie Hoffman (Uma Heller), and Adina Verson who plays Poppy White or Becky Butler keep things interesting during the show.  

How Did The Trio Meet

Originally, they were seen in the elevator on the night of Tim Kono’s murder, but they never interacted. Only a few minutes later, there was a fire alarm and residents of Arconia evacuated the building right in this first episode of Only Murders in the Building.

Charles was seen disgruntled and sitting in the Librizzi’s trying to listen to his favorite podcast “All Is Not OK In Oklahoma” by Cinda Canning. He has a map spread in front of him, which gave way to Oliver as he was also the podcast’s fan.

After hesitating, Charles invites Oliver to sit with him and listen to a podcast together. Soon Oliver saw Mabel enter the restaurant, and he invited her over. She could see an already full restaurant. She reluctantly joined them only to find, they were listening to her favorite podcast, “All Is Not OK In Oklahoma.”

While they ate and talked, they realized they share a common liking for solving murder mysteries and their favorite podcast, “All Is Not OK In Oklahoma.” When they returned to the building, they heard about Tim Kono’s death. Instead of going to their apartment, they went to the crime scene, and from that point on, they became friends who tried to solve the mystery of Tim Kono’s murder.

While they try to put the pieces together and meet more residents of Arconia, they learn all is not okay in Arconia too. Oliver then pitched the idea of a podcast, and they started to talk about their findings in their podcast. Soon, Bunny the parrot owner was murdered, and fate has it, Mabel was found at the crime scene.

To solve the mystery they suspected several people and they discovered more secrets but not the murderer. At one point, Charles and Oliver suspect Mabel and follow her only to uncover more mysteries about her past.

If you are looking to watch something totally new and unexpected, Everything Everywhere All At Once, brings a new concept for story, movie-making, and execution.

Reception   

Only Murders in the Building is a clever and funny series that explores the true crime genre in a new and original way. The series is also a heartwarming story about friendship, love, and loss. The cast is excellent, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez all give great performances. They have great chemistry together, and they make the show a lot of fun to watch. Only Murders in the Building is a must-watch for comedy, mystery, and drama lovers.

The writing is sharp and witty. The show is full of funny lines and moments. The writers did a great job of balancing the humor with the mystery and drama.

The three main characters form a close bond as they work together to solve the mystery. The show also explores grief, loss, and redemption with a pinch of humor. The iconic Only Murders in the Building tie-dye hoodie also is a favorite purchase of the fans.  

Only Murders In The Building Parent’s Guide

• Sex & Nudity: Mild
• Violence & Gore: Moderate
• Profanity: Severe
• Use of Substance: Mild
• Intense Scenes: Mild

Only Murders In The Building Theme Song

The song was created by Siddhartha Khosla. He also composed the famous theme song for the acclaimed and award-winning series, This Is Us.

Only Murders In The Building Season Three

Season three of the series will air in August 2023. Usually, with every new season, the series starts getting dull, but not in the case of Only Murders in the Building.

In season three, we see exciting new additions like Meryl Streep, Ashley Park (Emily in Paris), Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy), and Paul Rudd, the Ant-Man.

Of course, the series starts with a murder, and then we expect everything to spiral out of control. However, seeing Meryl Streep got us super excited. I mean wasn’t the trio and their amazingness not enough?

Well, we cannot wait for the August and new murder mystery to be solved with Oliver, Charles, and Mabel. Meanwhile, we leave you with the tease of what lies ahead. Watch at your own risk!

Frequently Asked Questions