Television critics have dedicated countless stories to the sophomore slump – when a series just doesn’t live up to the hype of its first season in Season 2. Many shows have difficulty retaining that breakout glow in their follow-up seasons while pushing plot, characters and themes forward. If a show can survive the slump, however, the real test for a timeless series comes in Season 3.
That’s when loyal viewers return, hoping for more of that first-season magic with a sprinkling of what worked in Season 2. It’s when many shows peak, proving whether they’re able to extend beyond origin stories and groundbreaking narratives to deliver something substantive and lasting.
That means the pressure is on for Only Murders in the Building when it returns for its third season with a two-part premiere on Hulu (Disney Star in Canada) on Aug. 8. The first season of the Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez-starring series revolved around three isolated, true-crime-obsessed residents of an upscale New York City apartment building, the Arconia. When a fellow resident, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), was murdered, they investigated the case via a podcast, formed an unlikely bond and won over Emmy voters’ hearts with 17 nominations.
In Season 2 there was a new murder to solve, while incoming characters such as Cara Delevingne’s art curator Alice and Andrea Martin’s makeup artist Joy forced new, if not awkward, development from the leads. The pacing and plot were uneven compared with those of the first season, despite several winks to “hard” second seasons – although the show did a decent job of making the Arconia its own character, complete with its own mysteries.
When Only Murders steps up for Season 3, it’s doubling down on new characters (Meryl Streep! Paul Rudd! Ashley Park! Jesse Williams!), giving more time to original supporting characters such as Michael Cyril Creighton’s Howard or Jackie Hoffman’s Uma, and exiting the building. The entry point is the murder of a Marvelesque movie star, Ben Glenroy (Rudd), who is about to light up Broadway. That murder was the second-season cliffhanger, when someone killed Glenroy on opening night of the new comeback production Oliver (Short) had been hired to direct.
On one hand, opening up the world of Only Murders and extending it to Broadway is a no-brainer – especially when you have masters like Short and Martin at the helm. The first episode opens with a Streep-specific instalment, in which viewers get to know her aspiring actor character, Loretta Durkin. She isn’t miscast here, and the writers smartly give her ample material to work with (as you do when Meryl Streep joins your show). Loretta is one of many new characters brought into the mix via the play, expanding the world of suspects as the episodes unfold.
That means the theatre housing the production becomes a secondary character of sorts, particularly in the horror-themed sixth episode, “Ghost Light.” However, the setting lacks the appeal of the Arconia, and the historic building’s absence is felt.
Also lacking are scenes with the original trio, which gave this show its heart in the first place. Through a series of events (no spoilers), Mabel (Gomez) is isolated and teams with someone new to investigate the case, giving her a third love interest in just as many seasons without any closure on the previous two. Meanwhile, buds Oliver and Charles (Martin) have their own love interests and careers, and neither has time to solve another murder – particularly one that threatens to bring down Oliver’s big comeback.
And what a comeback he’s planning. This new Broadway offering isn’t just a murder mystery within our murder mystery, it’s a musical. One with songs developed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman of Hairspray and the recent musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot fame. There are highly entertaining performances from Streep, Park and guest star Matthew Broderick peppered throughout, but be warned that there’s a particular Martin-performed ditty that will get stuck in your head.
Still, the show is taking its biggest risk with these episodes. There are many inside references and themes for Broadway fans, but theatre in general can be a limiting concept for global viewers. There are also few TV devices more divisive than the musical season or episode. Look no further than Glee after Season 1, that blip in TV history known as Cop Rock or any of the musical episodes that mainstream series have forced on viewers over the years (here’s looking at you, Grey’s Anatomy). In the context of the fictional play of Only Murders’ third season, it works, but anyone who can’t stand spontaneous songs or dreamlike sequences may be turned off.
Only Murders, with its prestige cast and Emmy nominations, has certainly earned the right to perform such experiments. The underlying problem in Season 3, however, is the murder mystery itself. Glenroy isn’t a likable victim by any stretch. Mabel’s obsession with him as a star of her youth feels disingenuous to her character, but it’s a necessary entry point to force the investigation. That doesn’t mean the viewer becomes deeply invested in the proceedings, though.
Meanwhile, the investigation itself feels like an afterthought, one filled with obvious misdirects and red herrings. If Season 2 was full of coincidental leads and a finale that rushed to a forced conclusion, Season 3 is on the same tack. It’s unlikely official investigators would have failed to search Glenroy’s dressing room, for example, where the podcasters find one of their biggest clues. Instead, the season tracks the three leads on their own journeys throughout the eight episodes made available to press, with a hint they may reassemble for the big reveals in the final two instalments.
Much of the season’s overall success lies in how those last two episodes unroll and how these amateur gumshoes piece it all together. A big, dramatic reveal with this fantastic cast will heighten the overall experience and make for another fun finale. A weak twist with abstract clues no one could have predicted may launch the series into absurdity. However it plays out, Season 3 needs to get back to the heart of the show, and that heart is the Charles, Mabel and Oliver trifecta we fell for in the first place.