‘Only Murders in the Building’ season 3 reviews: Meryl Streep is ‘one of the most inspired casting decisions of all time’
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On August 8, 2023, Hulu premiered the third season of its Emmy-winning comedy “Only Murders in the Building.” The series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez is holding fresh at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving the true-crime-obsessed trio hasn’t missed a beat. The critics consensus reads, “Relocating the action to the theatre, ‘Only Murders in the Building’ can take a bow for yet another twisty mystery handled with a good-humored touch.” Read our full review round-up below.
“Only Murders in the Building” is nominated for 11 2023 Emmys including Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actor (Short). In 2022 the program was up for 17, winning three for Best Comedy Guest Actor (Nathan Lane), Best Production Design (Half-Hour) and Best Sound Mixing (Half-Hour). In Season 3, Oliver Putnam’s (Short) career comeback is in jeopardy when a murder disrupts his Broadway play, and it seems almost everyone involved is suspicious. This third cycle features new all-star cast members including Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Jesse Williams and Ashley Park.
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Josh Spiegel of Slashfilm notes, “It makes all-too-perfect sense that the third season of Hulu’s hit mystery-comedy ‘Only Murders in the Building’ would set its sights on Broadway. The show has proudly been set and filmed in New York since its inception, and many of the supporting players have had long careers on the Great White Way in between appearing on the program, which focuses on a disparate trio living in a swanky apartment building who become podcasters and sleuths while trying to solve a mysterious death in their abode.With the third season, the writers get to have their cake and eat it too (in a way) while maintaining a solid blend of comedy and thrills thanks not only to Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, but to the arrival of two very big new players.”
Belen Edwards of Mashable praises the series, stating, “Alongside Rudd’s deeply funny turn as Ben, we have the return of the ever-delightful grouping of Martin, Short, and Gomez. As in the prior two seasons, the three play especially well off each other: Short brings a heightened theatricality to Oliver’s post-murder hysteria, Martin enhances Charles’ curmudgeonly nature with some inspired physical comedy (just wait to see how Martin plays off walking into a wall), and Gomez tempers it all with archly delivered deadpan takedowns. In many ways, it’s a continuation of the dynamic we’ve seen for the past two seasons. Yet ‘Only Murders in the Building’ builds further on the trio this season — sometimes by separating them entirely.” Edwards concludes that Streep is excellent in a role that will have views captivated.
SEE Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’): Emmys 2023 episode submission revealed
Mary Siroky of Consequence says, “The best part of this third outing with Bloody Mabel and her two favorite guys is the fact that despite the name of the show, we are no longer restricted to The Arconia. ‘Only Murders’ has consistently done a solid job of making that set piece feel as expansive as an entire New York City block, but the decision to place some of the action in the theater feels fresh.” She adds, “Then, there’s Meryl Streep in one of the most inspired casting decisions of all time: Loretta is a working New York City actress, but she never quite made it. The idea that there’s a universe out there where such a person could be Meryl Streep — Meryl! — is unfathomable, making it all the more fun to see her as the jumpy, quirky character.”
Samantha Nelson of IGN Movies writes, “While the show still delivers some strong performances from this season’s guest stars Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep, it’s lost sight of what made the first two seasons of the true-crime spoof so compelling.” Nelson concludes, “Season 3 seems to mostly be focused on a parody of the theater world (complete with original songs from the ‘La La Land’ duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), which has its highs but leaves Mabel highly disconnected from the rest of the cast. The situation isn’t improved by seemingly dead-end plots like famous podcaster Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) offering Mabel a job or the jettisoning of major character growth from previous seasons like Charles’ reconciliation with his daughter-figure Lucy (Zoe Colletti).”
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