Only Murders in the Building

When the initial episodes of 'Only Murders in the Building' started raking in 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, I must confess that I was skeptical that Steve Martin and co could keep up the quirky fun nature of this comedy-thriller series till the last episode.

But Martin Short, Selena Gomez and him form an unlikely yet rambunctious trio who keep us hooked and entertained till the very last episode of this brilliantly written, infectiously funny series.

Steve Martin and a fantastic Martin Short star as a pair of geriatric has-been performers who run into a young gild (Gomez) who also happens to be a fellow murder podcast fanatic. How this rag-tag trio come together to solve a strange murder that takes place in their apartment forms the rest of this story.

Although some comedy-investigative series' have had huge fan bases like Monk (2002-09) and Psych (2006-14) this genre has always been a tightrope walk that most creators shy away from.

Finding humor in the most unlikeliest of places and filled with unexpected twists and turns and a host of delectable supporting characters, it is no surprise that Steve Martin was also one of the creative geniuses behind the writing of this work.

Leaving us on a tantalizing knife-edge with a cliffhanger climax, I cannot wait for Season 2. Well worth the 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. An immensely bingeable, suspenseful, laugh riot!

Highly recommended!

This type of lighthearted and quality comedy and show is hugely lacking in this day and age! I am really enjoying this show so far.. I think it Steve Martin and Martin Short are comedic geniuses and the banter throughout was very natural and fun. I was a bit skeptical at first because of the seemingly odd choice to cast Selena with these two classics, but it totally works! 👏

Season 1 (9/10) When this series came my girlfriend wasn't especially interested. I'm a huge fan of comedy mysteries and loved Steve Martin when I was young, but her enthusiasm for either is mild.

But after five minutes I had to stop and make her watch it, because we are New Yorkers and this series nails New York in five minutes. The weird relationships with by-passers, the artsy types, the justified paranoia, it was all there and immediately hilarious.

The series is about a trio of murder-podcast fanatics who bond over an actual murder in their luxury apartment building. Soon they are investigating and podcasting. But they are also each keeping secrets from one another in a wonderful mysteries-in-a-mystery structure. Everyone has secrets, the series says, and digging deep is fascinating exercise.

The cast is terrific. Martin is low-key funny, Short, who I am generally lukewarm towards, is very funny as a flamboyant theater director, and Selena Gomez more than holds her own as a hilariously snarky temporary tenant.

This show has been a hot-ticket item as far as I know - certainly my friends (and fellow New Yorkers) love it - so I was shocked to see how many user reviews just hate this show, or only find it mediocre, to the point where they insist all favorable reviews are paid for. This response is inexplicable to me. The show is amazing. When a new episode dropped we watched it immediately. It's just so, so, so, so good.

Ignore the naysayers, this is a must watch.

Other seasons: Season 2 (8/10): A shade weaker than the first season, but still excellent.

Season 3 (6/10): What the hell happened? Season 3 had Steve Martin playing his character as a complete idiot and after 2 great seasons, Selena Gomez turned lackluster - more glum and less snarkily witty. And when the mystery was solved, oh my God these were the most nonsensical motives you could come up with.

Sure, there were still good moments, good guest stars, surprisingly enjoyable songs. But OMG.

Season 4 (9 stars) Much to my relief, season 4 was a return to form - Martin was no longer an idiot and Gomez's delightful snark was fully restored.

There are some fun celebrity guest stars - particularly funny is Eva Longoria playing herself as a really awful person - the mystery is solid and keeps you guessing, the plot twists are satisfying, and it's all extremely funny. Probably the second best season after the first one.

Absolutely loved this show for the first two seasons, was such a fun comfort watch, perfect for autumn and also interesting and funny. Season 3 then was a bit off but I still enjoyed it. Season 4 was a trainwreck, it's likely they completely forgot the shows core and they turned it into something awful. Season 5 is back to its roots and I'm loving it! I only just started season 5 the other day because I thought I was done with it and now I'm caught up already. Hope there's a season 6.

This show is a joy to watch. It's witty and light-hearted, which is exactly what we need right now. Very reminiscent of Clue.