Murders in the Building tears itself apart in the second season.
The group of superfans who were introduced in the first season are commenting on the events of the story so far. The version they know is based on what they hear on the show's in-universe podcasts. It feels like they're talking about the series itself, because they're winking into the camera after each line.
The fans are more critical of each other. One member whispered to the group "finally some story progress" midway through the fifth episode. A round of grousing ensues after the comment is made. I share their concerns so they may have been reading the words off my notepad.
Season 2 is a messy time, but it's a messy GOOD time, thanks in large part to the shared chemistry of its three stars. Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu
The first eight episodes developed the season's central mystery at a slower pace than the rest. If you watched Season 1 in full, you'll know the mystery of OMITB, hosted by Selena Gomez, Charles Haden-Savage, and Oliver Putnam.
The aftermath of Bunny's death looms over every moment of Season 2, but a new perspective on the world makes us understand the characters better. It's not a big deal, but it does speak to the struggles that I and the "superfan chorus" have had this year.
It feels like there's too much going on for it to be clear. Time-wasting red herrings are left dangling like pointless Plot threads that seem important in the moment are left dangling like pointlessPlot threads that seem important in the moment are left dangling like pointless By the time the next chapter begins, the themes that seemed to be central to the story have faded into the background.
It's utter chaos, even if the recurring detours into character exposition aren't inherently bad.
Even if the detours into character exposition aren't bad, it's chaos. One of the best episodes of the season so far is Bunny herself, which is the focus of an entire early episode. The nastiness she flings at her Arconia residents is just one part of a complex personality. Bunny isn't the one-dimensional meanie we met in the first season.
That's good, revealing context about a key character, and one who plays a role in Season 2. It would be a perfect diversion from the current-day plot. Our dive into Bunny's history is an exception, as every other episode jumps between different storylines, many of which focus on characters who still seem divorced from the central mystery after eight episodes.
The second season of Only Murders feels worse than the first. We're learning more about the OMITB hosts, as well as learning about their neighbors, and we're getting to know a number of new arrivals. From a people's perspective, it's great. The whodunit puzzle we try to solve at home is often left behind by the character-forward approach.
Bunny met her untimely end in the Season 1 finale, and the mystery surrounding what happened is a focus of Season 2. Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu
It is not a problem with the performances. The hosts are just as good as they were in the first season. Gomez plays a foil to Martin and Short's yuk-worthy granddad jokes as a young and sharp-tongued foil who playfully, lovingly shreds them for being corny and out of touch.
There are many familiar faces from the first season. Even though Houdyshell's character is dead, she has a lot more juicy material to work with. Thanks to a late-arriving subplot involving a new neighbor and yodeling along to a 1960s pop music classic, Howard Morris is a Season 2MVP.
There are more examples of returning favorites getting more time in the spotlight than there are newcomers. Alice is a major player in the NYC art scene and is a big fan of the OMITB show. She appears to be poised to play a major role in the story, but then she fades into the background.
It's difficult to talk about any of these people in detail since I can't tell if they're innocuous character quirks or something else. I couldn't find an actor credit for at least one significant player in the story because their presence is supposed to be a surprise.
The central mystery is not a complete no-show. As they search for clues and evidence that might clear them of being "persons of interest" in Bunny's murder, they rely on each other. The main trio's discoveries in some form or another at every step, but there's very little that connects in any coherent way, is the heavy focus of the show.
Season 1 did NOT leave the beloved OMITB hosts in a promising spot. Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu - Composite by Mashable
That's one of the reasons Season 2 is so scattered. The first episode starts with a reminder of OMITB's popularity and how it has changed our lives. When we first met them, Charles and Oliver's careers were in decline. Alice represents professional and personal fortunes, and fame is what leads to her.
There is a sense that Only Murders is presenting its whodunit against the backdrop of celebrity being a double-edged sword. Cinda Canning is back and on a mission to prove that the OMITB hosts are behind Bunny's murder. As new episodes explore other ideas, the intent of the narrative becomes less clear.
Is the narrative mess the point? That's what 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 2 seems to hint at.
I've spent a lot of time pondering why the season is so messed up, and it's led to an unexpected realization.
The criticisms leveled by the fans are too harsh. It's possible that their dialogue is the result of a bored writer's room and creative team that didn't necessarily see the need to continue the first season's story beyond getting another paycheck.
We were set up for more in the first season. There is no question about it. They are talking about the show. The double meaning is absolutely clear.
They've earned the benefit of the doubt because they'll have to really plant the landing to make this work. The stellar first season speaks for itself, and Season 2's recurring conscious acknowledgment of its own apparent flaws is clear to the point of being suspicious.
Murders in the Building's second season is up to something. It is more disorganized than before. I don't know where the central mystery is headed and what it is trying to say. I'm completely entertained and on the hook for even more. It's working regardless of what's happening here.
The second season of Only Murders in the Building is going to start on June 28th. Every Tuesday, there is a new episode.
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