On June 28, Disney+ premieres the second installment of this comic murder mystery starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short
Who would have thought true crime podcast fanatics Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Martin Short) and Oliver (Steve Martin) would stumble across a true crime to solve in their very own building, the Arconia, and, moreover, themselves become the subject of these shows they love so much. Furthermore, that upon solving the case and revealing the killer, Arconia board president Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell) would then be found murdered. And to top it all off, that she would be found in Mabel’s apartment, thus implicating them in the homicide in the eyes of the public, and making them the subjects of a rival podcast. This is how the second season of Only Murders in the Building kicks off, a black comedy created by Steve Martin along with John Hoffman (Grace & Frankie, Looking) that returns to Disney+ on June 28.
In the ten new episodes, the terrific trio that are core of the series will welcome new character Alice (Cara Delevingne), playing a woman from the art world who will also be mixed up in the new mystery in the luxury building on New York’s Upper West Side. Also joining the cast will be Amy Schumer, playing a fictionalized version of herself, and Shirley MacLaine, as Folger’s mother.
But Only Murders in the Building is not just a mystery. If last year the show triumphed thanks to word of mouth, it was because of its unusual blend of genres (is it a whodunnit or black comedy?); its hat tip, often verging on parody, to the podcast phenomenon; and, above all, the charisma of its stars, who you can’t help but develop a liking for. Mabel, a young woman who seems to have it all, is actually wrestling with childhood traumas. Charles, once a successful TV actor, is struggling with loneliness and social awkwardness as he ages. And Oliver, who dedicated his whole life to show business, now has to accept both that his glory days as a producer are over and the economic repercussions that brings.
Twists and treachery
Like all police investigations, Only Murders in the Building also has unpredictable twists and appearances that can be deceiving. This entertaining mix of a murder mystery and comedy also addresses universal issues such as loneliness in old age, bereavement at a young age, friendship, team work, and generation gaps. There is also a sprinkling of meta-references, such as on how roles start to dry up for actors in their twilight years, the complementarity of old and new ways of storytelling, and harassment by fans, even well-intentioned ones. This all comes wrapped in a gorgeous aesthetic which even features New Yorker cartoon-style opening credits. With all this going for it, who wouldn’t want to spend a season at the Arconia. But not for too long, just in case.
