Opening Night

When I first watched season three, I considered it my least favorite of the series. I still immensely enjoyed it, I just thought it fell a tad short of the previous two. The more I let it sit, however, this latest batch of episodes has slowly crept its way up to become my new favorite thus far. The chemistry between Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez remains irresistible as ever (despite sometimes getting sidetracked to make room for some new developments). Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd have proven to be some of the series' most riveting guest stars. Streep brings a sense of warmth and sincerity to her role, while also exhibiting some adept comedic timing and musical prowess. Rudd plays refreshingly against type, turning in a coarse, arrogant yet disarmingly layered performance. Matthew Broderick also delivers one of his funniest roles in years, playing a pedantic, fictionalized version of himself. There are one or two other characters I wished could have been given more of a spotlight, and the plot occasionally loses its concrete focus. With that said, the songs are wonderful, the writing continues to score a plethora of laughs, every cast member brings their A game, and the story amounts to a very solid payoff. Season three continues OMITB's incredible winning streak and has me very excited for what twists, turns and surprises lie ahead with the show.

Overall series 3 delivered really well on the high standard the show set with the previous 2 series.

I thought Martin Short and Steve Martin expanded on their already good performances adding depth and nuance to the characters, plus I think the show rose to the challenge of delivering something different in a show that is constrained by it's title and premise with the delve into musicals theatre. The script was written with a depth of knowledge that did the topic proud and it kept us interested and took it all beyond just a murder mystery.

There were jokes throughout which required a wide knowledge of topics or access to google, and the show didn't treat their audience like an 8 year old, except perhaps for the swearing is cool aspect of the dialog which I really didn't think added anything to the show, but it's a small quibble. I was watching with a ten year old and she enjoyed the whole show, but looked at me with a grimace at the swearing. It's a fair point.

The show rose to challenge again with the addition of some real star power, who also delivered at a high level. The musical numbers were actually top class and well delivered, and you could feel the cast giving it there everything to sell them.

That's the main thing about this show. You can see the effort and care going into it and as long as that's there I'll be along for the journey. Season 4 is a distinct possibility.

While I still think the show is excellent. This season felt way different and for the wrong reasons. We had a lot of episodes where the story went nowhere and felt like some fillers. Most of the new characters are really annoying and quite dull. The fact that they have strayed away from "Murder in the Building" didn't work. One of the things I loved about the show was the interaction with neighbors and trying to figure out the secret of the building and the neighbors. I understand you can't do much after two seasons with the same ambiance, but that was not the way. The finale felt off and didn't deliver as you hoped. Both Season 1 & 2 had a grand finale. I would say the last moments of the episode were good. Hopefully, in season 4, they will go back to the root of the show with minor changes to the original formula.

Only Murders in the Building: Season Three on Hulu returned with the small trio case solvers Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. It is incredible how these murders only follow them and this season the trio split with Short returning to Broadway to direct a Musical, Steve Martin being preoccupied with his long time makeup artist played by Andrea Martin, while Selena is off trying to solve the case by herself. Broadway brought the murder to the group with a cast that included Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, and Jesse Williams. The storyline was deep with a twist but without the back stories and the flash backup sequences it just would not make any sense. The cast also included Ashley Park, Jeremy Shamos and Linda Emond with a cameo by Matthew Broderick and Jane Lynch. The story was a bit slower but kind of loved the musical performances. I would definitely recommend this series with another season in the works.

I guess many people think season 3 is the worst so far but it's my favorite, largely because of Meryl Streep and the insane songs they came up with.

The show works because of the cast's chemistry and charm. The weak point is the mysteries. For all the seasons, it's too easy to guess the killer even before there are any real clues. You just rule out: the main trio; the obvious red herrings; stunt casting like Sting; and anyone who's had too little screen time to be important. Then you're left with 1 or 2 options for the killer. A tad predictable, guys!

The cliffhanger for Season 4 is very intriguing! I hope we get flashbacks about the murdered person's backstory during the season.