The premise of the second series of Only Murders in the Building was built into the previous season's finale: Mabel Mora (played by
Selena Gomez) is found standing over the dead body of Bunny Folger (
Jayne Houdyshell), the iron-willed and widely disliked president of the apartment building. Mora is detained, as are her fellow amateur detectives and podcasters Charles-Haden Savage (
Steve Martin) and Oliver Putnam (
Martin Short). The trio are told to keep their noses out of the investigation and let the police do the work. Naturally, the hosts of Only Murders in the Building must do the exact opposite.
The overarching continuity of the plot is pleasing and promises a complex reveal, much like in the first season. The episode itself, however, has a few wrinkles:
At one point, Mabel spends a while washing blood off of her floors - in the dark, with the police forensics team, presumably, on strike. At another, the trio remove coats from Bunny's apartment just to wear those for a couple of minutes - to then what, show up in the dead woman's clothes in the public? Discard of them, while persons of interest in the murder investigation? (I shall happily eat my words if those coats turn out to have any kind of significance in future episodes. I am not too hopeful.) Changes in Selena Gomez's hairstyle break scene continuity.
Cara Delevingne, a newcomer to the show, flirts but does not act. Sting's apartment is now occupied by
Amy Schumer, who plays herself and is at the top of my personal Next Victim List.
All that said, the acting of the main and returning cast is great. The apartment interiors and the characters' wardrobes continue to be a delight - the same applies to the music choices. The opening is playful and, as previously, there are imaginative breaks from realist story-telling. In fact, it is the quality and precision associated with the show that make any foibles all the more irritating. Nevertheless, not a bad beginning. Let's see what's to follow.
