Only Murders In The Building: Rotten Tomatoes Critics Give Season 3 A Standing Ovation
Never has murder been more heartwarming than it is on "Only Murders in the Building," the Hulu series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as an unlikely trio of podcasting detectives. Season 3, which began airing today, brings them back together to solve another killing, and critics on Rotten Tomatoes have welcomed the return of their chaotic chemistry.
Season 3 is a star-studded affair, even for a series that has played host to the likes of Tina Fey, Sting, and Nathan Lane, to say nothing of its triplicate leads. Meryl Streep is here to play a struggling actor (an amusing meta joke), while an ever-affable Paul Rudd shows up in flashbacks as Ben, an actor who was killed in the Season 2 finale.
Reviews of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 3 have been aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes, and there's nary a negative Nancy in the bunch. The season holds a staggering 98% critical score at the time of this writing, with critics praising the show's continued shelf life, star power, and the lovable group of friends at its core. Here's what they had to say.
Only Murders in the Building graduates from an oddity to a streaming staple
Initially intended as a creative way to work within the parameters of COVID-19 protocols during the early months of the pandemic, "Only Murders in the Building" has lived beyond its shelf life, and critics agree Season 3 is the show hitting its stride. For Variety, Alison Herman noted its immense star power, writing, "The show is free to cash in on its status with stars of [Meryl] Streep's caliber, then integrate those actors into a story that increasingly has the makings of an adaptable institution."
In fact, the star-studded cast is an effective trick used by many murder mysteries. There's no better red herring than a face that makes people point at their screens, as Rian Johnson so effectively proved in both of his "Knives Out" films. Brian Lowry at CNN also praised Streep's work in "Only Murders in the Building" Season 3, noting that the show's ability to land talent of her caliber puts it in rarified territory. He wrote, "... the show doesn't have to go on. But if 'Only Murders' can sustain this kind of inventiveness and energy until the curtain comes down, it sure looks like it could."
While it already feels implausible that our hapless, Upper West Side detectives would run into a third murder, critics hope "Only Murders in the Building" continues to strain believability with a fourth to come.
Season 3 goes from the Arconia to Broadway
When last we left our unlikely trio of detectives, Oliver and Charles had reclaimed their glory, with the latter starring in a Broadway production directed by the former. Of course, that glory was short-lived as a character named Ben (Paul Rudd) was murdered on-stage during a performance, setting up the hook for "Only Murders in the Building" Season 3. Now, they leave behind the series' titular building for the glamorous lights of Broadway.
Rotten Tomatoes critics seem to concur that the Broadway setting, which sticks around this season, makes for a great backdrop to the seasonal mystery while heightening the core trio's wacky antics. For Polygon, Joshua Rivera writes, "In the two-episode premiere, Only Murders doesn't miss a beat, dancing its way through red herrings, surprise twists, and mortal peril at a surprising pace, all while the jokes come fast."
However, some critics feel that Season 3 is trying to bite off a bigger portion of a New York bagel than it can handle. Writing for USA Today, Kelly Lawler lamented, "It's as though they're not sure which aspect of the show is more appealing to the audience, so scenes dramatically swing back and forth in tone and format, from fever-dream fantasies to supernatural ghost hunts to full-on Broadway showstoppers. It's all entertaining in sum, but doesn't always fit together as you're watching each episode."
Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short continue to have kinetic chemistry
If there's one thing nearly every critic can agree on, it's the sheer joy of watching the unlikely comedic trio at the heart of "Only Murders in the Building." Co-showrunner Steve Martin has always combined delightfully with Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Their chemistry is a bit like combining random things from your fridge into a sandwich, only to discover you've created a new favorite meal.
In Season 3, critics found that even when the jokes aren't landing and even when the story sags, the characters of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are still a delight to witness in action. As Joshua Rivera at Polygon put it, "I want them to get along with each other (and me, if they were so inclined) maybe even more than I want to see them solve a murder." The Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper enthused, "Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez are never short of wonderful together." And for Looper, Cynthia Vinney wrote, "'Only Murders in the Building' is like getting together with old friends. By this time, Oliver, Charles, and Mabel are like pals you can't get enough of ..."
When "Only Murders in the Building" bowed its debut season, many speculated that pairing boomer icons like Martin and Short with a millennial household name like Gomez was a cynical attempt to manufacture a demographic-spanning hit. But it turned out to be a winning recipe, and it seems like critics and fans alike will keep tuning in for as long as they want to keep charming us.