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Only Murders in the Building: The Mystery Series That Became My Comfort Show
- Sakshi D
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Let me be completely honest. I started watching Only Murders in the Building because of Selena Gomez. That’s it. I saw her name attached and figured I’d give it a shot. What I got was so much more than I bargained for.
This show became one of those rare finds that combines everything I love: true crime obsession, genuine mystery, and characters so well-developed that I actually care when bad shit happens to them.
Five seasons in, I’m still hooked.
TMJ Rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿.5/5
What Makes Only Murders in the Building Work
Only Murders in the Building follows three neighbors in a fancy New York apartment building called the Arconia who bond over their shared love of true crime podcasts. When a murder happens in their building, they decide to start their own podcast investigating it.
Simple concept, but the execution is chef’s kiss.
Steve Martin plays Charles, a former TV detective actor who’s basically a lonely hermit. Martin Short is Oliver, an over-the-top, failed theater director who’s desperately trying to recapture past glory.
And Selena Gomez plays Mabel, a young artist who keeps to herself and has her own mysterious past.
These three should NOT work together. The age gap alone is ridiculous. But somehow their dynamic is absolute magic. The banter, the friendship that develops, the way they complement each other - it all clicks perfectly.
The Characters Are Everything
Every single character in this show is so well thought out and fleshed out that it’s impossible not to feel for them. Even the side characters who show up for one episode have depth and personality.
Charles starts as this closed-off, sad guy who can’t connect with anyone, and watching him slowly open up over five seasons has been genuinely moving.
Oliver is initially annoying as hell with his theatrical dramatics, but you come to understand why he acts that way. Mabel seems like a typical Gen Z cool girl at first, but she’s carrying real trauma that affects everything she does.
The supporting cast is equally incredible. Jane Lynch as Sazz (Charles’s stunt double) brought so much warmth. Nathan Lane showed up and absolutely killed it. The podcast superfans who follow the trio around are hilariously accurate.
Even the building residents feel like real people with their own lives happening off-screen.
The Mystery Element Hits Different
As someone who’s obsessed with true crime, this show scratches that itch perfectly.
Each season centers on a new murder in the building (how does that even keep happening?), and the way they unfold the mystery keeps you guessing without being annoying about it.
Season one set the standard with Tim Kono’s death. The reveal felt earned, even if I wasn’t completely satisfied with who the killer turned out to be. Season two ramped everything up with Bunny’s murder, giving us more character development alongside the investigation.
Season three moved the action to a Broadway theater for Oliver’s production, which was a smart way to change the setting while keeping the core premise. The murder of actor Ben Glenroy brought in Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, and honestly, watching Paul Rudd play a complete asshole was delightful.
Season four focused on Sazz’s death, which hit harder because we actually cared about her character. The Hollywood angle with them making a movie about the podcast was meta in all the right ways.
Season five took an unexpected turn with the mafia-adjacent billionaire angle and the casino subplot. The fresh direction kept things interesting, even if it felt like a departure from earlier seasons.
What Works Season After Season
The show maintains this perfect balance between comedy and genuine stakes.
One minute you’re laughing at Oliver’s theatrical meltdowns or Charles struggling with modern technology, the next you’re invested in solving an actual murder.
The production design is gorgeous. The Arconia feels like a character itself—this old New York building with secret passageways, quirky residents, and enough history to fuel multiple mysteries. Every apartment has its own aesthetic that tells you something about who lives there.
The music is phenomenal. The score creates this atmosphere that’s simultaneously classy and mysterious, like you’re sitting in an upscale coffee shop reading a thriller novel.
The runtime works perfectly. Episodes are tight, usually 30-35 minutes, which keeps things moving without feeling rushed. You can binge an entire season in a day if you’re so inclined (and I absolutely have).
Where Each Season Stands
Season 1 (5/5): The strongest season. Fresh concept, perfect execution, genuinely surprising moments. Set the bar incredibly high.
Season 2 (4.5/5): Almost as good as the first. Deeper character development, higher stakes, though slightly messier with all the subplots.
Season 3 (4.5/5): Solid but a noticeable step down. The theater setting was fun, but something felt off with the pacing. Still very watchable.
Season 4 (4/5): Stronger than three, weaker than one and two. The Hollywood meta angle was clever, though some storylines felt forced.
Season 5 (4/5): The mafia billionaire casino angle was completely unexpected. Fresh and interesting, even if it strayed far from the original formula.
Some reveals felt obvious, but the journey was still entertaining.
The Problems That Crept In
The show has gotten progressively more complicated with each season. Sometimes that works, sometimes it feels like they’re adding layers for the sake of adding layers rather than serving the story.
By season five, the number of characters and subplots can get overwhelming. Some storylines get dropped or resolved unsatisfyingly. The podcast element that was so central in season one takes a backseat in later seasons.
The biggest issue is sustainability. How many murders can realistically happen in one building before it becomes ridiculous? The show acknowledges this with jokes, but it’s still a problem they’re dancing around.
Some character choices feel inconsistent, especially in later seasons. Charles’s testosterone subplot in season five felt unnecessarily contrived. Certain reveals telegraph themselves from miles away when earlier seasons kept you genuinely guessing.
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Why I Keep Coming Back
Despite the flaws, this show has become comfort viewing for me.
The trio’s friendship feels real and earned. Watching them support each other through increasingly absurd circumstances never gets old.
The show respects its audience’s intelligence while still being accessible. You can engage deeply with theories and clues, or you can just enjoy watching three unlikely friends solve mysteries together.
As a true crime obsessive, I appreciate how the show both celebrates and gently mocks the genre. It understands why people are drawn to these stories while acknowledging the ethical complications of treating real tragedies as entertainment.
The mystery element is handled well enough that I genuinely want to know what happens next. Even when I can guess the killer, the journey to the reveal keeps me invested.
Should You Start This Murder Journey? My Final Verdict
If you love mystery shows, true crime, or character-driven comedy, absolutely start this series. The first season especially, is near-perfect television that hooks you immediately.
Go in knowing the quality fluctuates across seasons. One and two are peak television. Three through five are still good, but don’t quite recapture that initial magic.
The show works best when you let yourself get invested in the characters rather than just focusing on solving the mystery. The whodunit is fun, but the real heart is watching this unlikely friendship develop.
Fair warning, though. Once you start, you’ll probably binge the entire thing. The episodes are short enough that “one more” turns into finishing the season at 3 AM.
Fellow murder mystery obsessives: which season is your favorite? Did you guess any of the killers? Are you still watching or did you tap out? Let me know where you stand on this show!
