MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 2 Review
In which an old horse proves its worth.
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 2: ‘Gates of Heaven’
Series created by: John Hoffman, Steve Martin
Featuring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez
Synopsis: Charles (Martin), Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez) are back in the building, dead set on investigating those in the apartments across the way.
Review: That this episode introduces Richard Kind as one of the unusual characters from the West block of apartments and manages to provide an implausible but welcome twist are the only noteworthy things in an episode that has an unenviable task.
This unenviable task, being episode two, is putting things in place for an investigation to start. Episode one has the pleasure of giving the one-two punch of murder victim plus revelation that it was probably Charles they were aiming for; episode two, like in previous seasons of Only Murders, is more of the workhouse, pulling the cart so the wheels begin turning.
This isn’t a workhorse that strains, though. The episode is entertaining enough and has its own joys in that it gets to introduce our suspects. There’s the aforementioned Richard Kind as the wonderfully-named Vince Fish (if that’s not a trench coat wearing character standing in the rain-drenched dusk, I don’t know who is).
Charles’ standoffishness is set to full power as the reason behind Fish’s supposed stink-eye is both simple and amusingly played. Kind does an understated but brilliant job of presenting Fish as both affable, huggable friend (he did play Bing Bong after all), before giving off subtle or not-so-subtle signs that for whatever reason, Fish doesn’t like what he sees.
We’re also introduced to the family across the way (Desmin Borges, Daphne Ruben-Vega, Lilian Rebelo). In a similar way, the show introduces this family’s quirks and possible motives for attempted murder in a way that only the mystery genre could (characters becoming rather loquacious and giving away these motives to the only people who could possibly catch them has been a staple since the year dot).
Our murder victim does return though. Whether the introduction of Sazz (Jane Lynch) as a figment of Charles’ imagination gets old quickly or is an amusing side character is up for debate; this reviewer tends to find such things a little tedious and overdone. This is the only slip-up of a show that’s attempting to have its cake and eat it too; Sazz is a beloved character and in killing her off, Only Murders has killed off someone who is at once entertaining, energising and experienced when dealing with the closed book that is Charles-Haden Savage.
Setting up the pieces on a board is easily the most boring part of any game. And yet Only Murders does it with such a mixture of comfort and panache that it never seems boring. The real shame is that we have to wait a week for episode three.
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Disney+.
Matthew D. Smith likes to overshare his views on movies and TV shows whenever and wherever he can. Indulge him, and follow him on Twitter or listen to the podcast he co-hosts with Leslie Wai.
