MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 1
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 1: ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’
Series created by: John Hoffman, Steve Martin
Featuring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez
Synopsis: Charles (Martin), Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez) are tempted over to Los Angeles by a big movie studio, who offer to turn their podcast into a movie. But as the smiles and the champagne overflow, Charles worries about the disappearance of Sazz (Jane Lynch).
Review: Only Murders in the Building, the sleeper hit back in 2021, has hit such consistent heights that it’s now one of the star players on Disney+. The two elements each season has had in common, the genuinely puzzling mysteries and the effortless charm oozing from the three leads, are the two bedrocks of the show, the selling points that mean Only Murders could have stuck with another round of the same. Another mystery that, surely, would’ve hit the mark again just like the others.
This time, though, the show’s stepped up with an opener that is full of lowkey humour and heartbreak in equal measure. The latter was something I never thought I’d feel watching this show; it’s stepped up from evening comfort to potentially something extraordinary, and all it took was killing off a beloved side character.
The main cast bring their game faces along but the lion’s share of laughs goes to Steve Martin with both physical comedy and his delivery in what could be the most benign, empty lines. Some people have the gift of taking any moment, any word, and making it funny; Steve Martin has that, and I’m sure he’s going to go far.
Surprise guests show up, real-life actors playing fictional versions of themselves who have been hired as the actors in the Only Murders movie. It’s a shame they only get so much time, but this is a nitpick in what is only part one of the season.
The only major negative would, perhaps, be that for most of the episode the trio are away from their home. Considering the title of the show and the stringent rules the characters follow, there’s barely any time spent in that spirit with the quirky, hilarious characters that populate the titular building.
That being said though, as mentioned this is only episode one and the trade-off between spending time at home in the building, and giving the trio the time that they need to confront the new, more emotional beats, is a fair one that fortunately the show is willing to take.
Only Murders in the Building is availavle 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.
