In the very popular first season ofĀ Only Murders In The Building, an unlikely trio of Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez– all loners and fans of true crime podcasts– find themselves in the thick of things when there is a murder in The Arconia, the posh New York building where they live. They merrily interfere in the police investigation, solve the murder, make their own podcast and by the end of the series, are accused of murder themselves.
CharlesĀ Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), used to be the star ofĀ popular cop show,Ā Brazzos, in his youth, and has not quite accepted that he is a has-been; Oliver Putman (Martin Short) was a Broadway director in his heyday, but now unemployed and broke. Mabel (Selena Gomez), wearing a permanently put-upon expression because of the antics of the two seniors, is an artist with a troubled past.
The murdered woman, Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell) was the building board’s president, bent on evicting the three for non-payment of rent. At the end ofĀ Season 1, she is found dead in Mabelās apartment, stabbed with her knitting needle. They have to prove their innocence by finding the real killer. All this happens when their new-found fame as The Arconiaās ace detectives has given them a glimmer of hope for the future.
Everything seems to hinge around a priceless paintingādescribed as āpornoā by Oliver– that has gone missing from Bunnyās apartment. As it turns out the male nude in the painting was Charlesās father, and the woman was Bunnyās batty mother Leonora (Shirley MacLaine, believe it or not!). There is also a foul-mouthed talking parrot, bequeathed to Oliver, who claims to know who did it.
The three musketeers of Arconia have to deal with their eccentric neighbours and hostile cops as they run about the maze of corridors, break into apartments, and find secretĀ passages built by theĀ peeping tom architect of The Arconia. In the first two episodes, there is also a potted history of the building, and a look into Charlesās past and how his father ended up in the painting by a famous artist, Rose Cooper.
The show is so funny because it is unpredictable, the lines delivered with the spontaneity of improvisation are hilarious and the actors brilliantly riotous. Martin Short brings a manic energy to his role, and the care-a-damn attitude of one who knows what is going to happen cannot be worse than what he has already lived through. It is also so gorgeous to look atāthe lush interiors of The Arconia, and the beauty of New York shot with love. Like in the first season, there are stars making guest appearances in this one tooāAmy Schumer, Cara Delevingne and of course, Shirley MacLaine.
The first two episodes are out, and the rest will drop at the rate of one a week, which is actually cruel to fans who have to count the days for the next episode.
Only Murders In The BuildingĀ – Season 2
Created by John Hoffman & Steve Martin
Cast: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez and others
On Disney+Hotstar
