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It’s no secret that I mark time restlessly between the gaps taken by the cast and crew of ‘Only Murders In The Building’ — a show in which in which two spry senior citizens are joined by a slouchy millennial to solve murders which occur in their building with alarming frequency — to regroup for a new season.
While I didn’t fall madly in love with the series when it began, the novelty of the premise kept me hooked. The second one was thoroughly enjoyable, and by the time the third season rolled around, I was hopelessly smitten.
And here they are for a fourth-go-round, our real crime afficionados-cum-part-time-podcasters-cum-full-time-sleuths still-reliving-past-actor-glory Charles Haden-Savage Steve Martin), still-hoping-for-a-Broadway-hit Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and still-in-search-for-self Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), which promises to be bigger (Hollywood! More stars than you can count! Razzle-dazzle!) and better.
Having watched seven episodes of the ten shared with the press (episodes one and two are out today on Disney+ Hotstar), I can safely say that the third season’s smoothness and smartness and sharpness, a tough combo to pull off, feels very much like a pinnacle.
The new season (co-creators Steve Martin and John Hoffman share writing credits; the two executive-produce along with Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jeff Rosenthal) opens with the gang landing in LA to partake in the manic chatter around a movie being made on their exploits.
It’s a lovely gambit, these three acting all overjoyed-overwhelmed-intimidated in their plush Hollywood surrounding, fronted by appropriately-manic producer (Molly Shannon), and followed by the real-life actors — Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria — who will play them.
But movies, and of course dizzying stardom and pots of money, can wait. Back in Arconia, their beloved building in an equally plush part of NYC, is the job we care about: for them to pick up the trail of a body. Could it be the missing Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles’ long-time double and old pal?
As always, and perhaps even more than before, there is a veritable feast of suspects, and the trio busies itself in doing what they do best, bumbling about, discovering dark truths lurking in corners of their building, exchanging one-liners, and staving off the cop-who-shows-up-when-things-get-murky (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who always wants them to spill the tea on things they have no clue about.
But despite the cross-continental to-ing and fro-ing, and the march of the many starry exhibits, I’ve found my interest flagging. You don’t need to be a crack investigator to know that the novelty factor of this unlikely trio was going to wear off. That was always on the cards, given how long they have been schlepping about in search of killers, while looking out for each other, with touching care and concern.
Much of the charm of the show lay in how their interactions felt consistently fresh and funny. But here they aren’t in great company.Their stand-ins come off decidedly, and surprisingly, dull. The fleet-footedness of the show — not making enough of the beautifully-apt idea of naming each episode after movie classics, among other things — seems to have got stalled, leaving us seeking intermittent pleasures.
Which is still largely vested, thanks be, in the original threesome who seem perfectly capable of being in their own movie. Three climactic episodes remain, and there is one terrific sequence somewhere down the line which I can’t reveal. Can they help prop up what came before? I live in hope.
Only Murders In The Building Season 4 cast: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, Molly Shannon, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Kumail Nanjiani, Melissa McCarthy, Meryl Streep
Only Murders In The Building Season 4 directors: John Hoffman, Chris Koch, Jessica Yu, Shari Berman, Robert Pulcini
Only Murders In The Building Season 4 rating: 2 stars
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