Mobs, billionaires, and a bit of repetition infiltrate Only Murders In The Building

Hangout shows usually apply to comedies like Seinfeld, Friends, Happy Endings, and, most recently, Adults. Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building, however, has not-so-sneakily joined this category over the years. The series has become less and less the unique true-crime satire it started out as and more a show that coasts along on vibes and the strong chemistry of its leads. The hook here isn’t the whodunit; it’s spending time with Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Charles Haden Savage (Steve Martin). Any narrative flaws as they go around confronting killers and recording a podcast about it are easy to forgive amidst all of their banter. And the murder mysteries really serve one main purpose: to probe into the protagonists’ deep friendship, individual psyches, and interpersonal relationships. 

After all, Mabel, Oliver, and Charles have gone from neighborly acquaintances battling loneliness to being the subjects of a Hollywood movie in no time, brushing shoulders with fans and celebrities along the way. Now, in a repetitive yet enjoyable fifth season, they come face to face with the mafia, wealthy CEOs, and a robot with potentially nefarious intentions. But it doesn’t matter how many well-known faces join the cast (including Oscar winners Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger, and Dianne Wiest this year), how far the show’s scope expands (from Long Island to Los Angeles), or how many bodies drop. OMITB‘s strength lies in the crackling conversations between the trio. And season five is no different, with debates about everything from The Godfather to therapy. In fact, with enough time under their belts in these roles, Gomez, Short, and Martin have never been better together, even if the material itself loses steam.  

The new episodes pick up on the heels of season four’s finale, in which Arconia’s precious doorman was found dead in the courtyard fountain the morning after Oliver and Loretta’s (Meryl Streep) wedding. There’s little time to mourn their fallen pal (the podcast isn’t going to tape itself, alright?), and the list of people who could’ve bludgeoned Lester (Teddy Coluca) quickly becomes robust, especially once the three of them discover that a missing Staten Island gangster (played by Bobby Cannavale) and his wife, Sofia Caccimelio (Téa Leoni), might be involved. But, as Oliver puts it, they’re part of the “old mob.” Different types of goons run New York City now: billionaires. In this case, he means tech whiz Bash Steed (Waltz), cocky pharma dude Jay Phlug (Logan Lerman), and Manhattan real-estate tycoon Camila White (Zellweger), as each of them has sordid ties to the Caccimelios and the Arconia.