Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Review: Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin’s Whodunit Returns with Another Clever and Thrilling Murder-Mystery (LatestLY Exclusive)

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Review: The lives of our main trio are once more in disarray, a lead man is killed on the opening night of his play, and the building known as The Arconia can’t catch a break from murders. And yet in its most bleak circumstances, Only Murders in the Building continues to be a comfort watch with its third season offering another compelling mystery with team chemistry and comedy that just draws you into the detective job. Having watched eight of the 10 episodes provided to us, I was left impressed. Only Murders in the Building S3 Trailer: Selena Gomez, Martin Short, Steve Martin Investigate Paul Rudd’s Murder and Meryl Streep Is a Suspect! (Watch Video).

Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building Season 3 picks up right after the cliffhanger ending of season two where Paul Rudd’s Ben Glenroy suddenly drops dead in the middle of Oliver’s (Martin Short) comeback play. With his death being tied to the Arconia in some way, the trio of Charles, Mabel and Oliver must come back again to solve another murder that puts them right in the center of it.

The huge theme for Only Murders in the Building Season Three is that the show now takes us to Broadway! The show delves into what makes Broadway unique and highlights Oliver, who is attempting to make it big by directing yet another massive play. Martin Short emerges as a season standout this year because Oliver has received such intense attention.

The simple premise is that how does a director deal with his leading man dying on his play’s opening day? And there is a neurotic sense to Oliver that Short captures impressively well. He can’t empathise with Glenroy’s death due to his only shot at making it big being struck down, and with his play now at the risk of being shut down, there is this added moral touch to him that makes so much of his story seem standout compared to the rest of the trio.

Watch the Trailer:

Selena Gomez returns as Mabel and almost nearing 30, she reflects on her life and questions what she is doing with it. It sets up this self-discovery adventure for Mabel that actually hits home beautifully as she longs for another mystery to solve with Charles and Oliver while ignoring her own ambitions. And of course, there's the hilarious Steve Martin as Charles Savage, who is just relieved that Oliver's play is over so he can focus on his newfound love life with Joy (Andrea Martin) without having to perform in eight shows a week.

Even while these particular situations are effective for the characters, Only Murders in the Building is known for its team chemistry, which occasionally gets lost in the shuffle. Not necessarily negatively, but it makes you long for some of the more cooperative sequences that seasons one and two excelled at. However, the drama each of their distinct narratives adds helps to heighten the mystery since everything blends together well.

This time around, it’s Paul Rudd who ends up biting the dust. His death has a twist to it that I won't give away, but it has another connection to the Arconia, so the suspense only grows. Rudd portrays Ben Glenroy, a haughty movie star trying to break into the Broadway scene, and the actor brings his outstanding comedic skills, which just make for a commanding screen presence amid the flashbacks that further develop his character. His death's mystery keeps you intrigued at all times, and Meryl Streep's Loretta Durkin is one of the leading suspects.

Only Murders in the Building is renowned for occasionally bringing in some form of star power, and Streep's regular guest role on the show could just be its best. Streep adds a lot of depth to a plot that was already gripping by playing a struggling star named Loretta who desired to be taken seriously as an actor. I was genuinely astonished by how big of a presence she had this season and how it wasn't a purely guest appearance role. Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Review: Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin’s Whodunit Returns For a Funnier, Albeit A Bit Cluttered Second Outing (LatestLY Exclusive).

The mystery of Ben Glenroy’s death is an intriguing one too. While the earlier episodes do lay it out a bit thin and can not receive as much of attention the individual lives of the characters do, it picks up speed halfway through and provides for an exciting whodunit adventure that undoubtedly seemed like an improvement over season two. Let's hope that the season's final two episodes meet expectations.

Final Thoughts

Only Murders in the Building Season Three is another success for the whodunit as the show is at its most exciting with a compelling mystery and human drama. You don't want to miss this season, especially with the addition of Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep to the already impressive and skilled main cast. Only Murders in the Building Season Three premieres on August 8 with its first two episodes on Disney+ Hotstar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2023 06:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).