Only Murders in the Building is an American mystery-comedy television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The first season, consisting of ten episodes, premiered on Hulu on August 31, 2021.
Only Murders in the Building has received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the comedic approach to crime fiction and the lead actors' performances. In September 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on June 28, 2022.[1] In July 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on August 8, 2023.[2] In October 2023, it was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on August 27, 2024.[3] In September 2024, it was renewed for a fifth season.[4]
Synopsis[]
From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. "Only Murders In The Building" follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it's too late.
Seasons[]
| Season | No. of Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Finale | |||
| Season 1 | 10 | August 31, 2021 | October 19, 2021 | |
| Season 2 | June 28, 2022 | August 23, 2022 | ||
| Season 3 | August 8, 2023 | October 3, 2023 | ||
| Season 4 | August 27, 2024 | October 29, 2024 | ||
| Season 5 | 2025 | TBA | ||
Cast and characters[]
- Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage
- Martin Short as Oliver Putnam
- Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora
- Aaron Dominguez as Oscar Torres (Season 1)
- Amy Ryan as Jan Bellows (Season 1; recurring season 2 & 4)
- Cara Delevingne as Alice Banks (Season 2)
- Adina Verson as Poppy White (Season 2)
- Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris (Season 3-; recurring season 1 & 2)
Soundtrack[]
Main article:Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Only Murders in the Building was composed by Siddhartha Khosla.
Notes and Trivia[]
- Each episode's title sequence contains an Easter egg. Some examples:
- In True Crime, the building crest is an Easter egg.
- In The Sting, a bee flies across the screen in the first part of the credits, a reference to Sting's appearance in the episode.
- In Twist, the moon is briefly colored in tie-dye hues.
- The series is set in an alternate-universe 2021, where the COVID-19 pandemic never happened. Covid is never referenced and nobody wears masks or is socially distant.
- Each episode focuses on a different character, and is introduced with a voiceover or scene with that character.
- Episode 7, The Boy from 6B, focuses on Theo Dimas, so there is no voiceover; instead, actor James Caverly signs to the camera and the open captions translate.