'Only Murders in the Building,' series four: 'screamingly funny'
Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy join star-studded cast in latest instalment of 'compelling' whodunnit

"On paper, 'Only Murders in the Building' is everything that's wrong with contemporary TV comedy," said Rachel Aroesti in The Guardian. Forgoing "outright hilarity" for an "excessively starry" cast, "high-concept plotting", and "emotional sincerity", the show is a product of the streaming era.
"And yet – plot twist! – 'Only Murders in the Building' is screamingly funny. In fact, it's the funniest thing on TV at the moment".
The show follows a trio of true crime podcasters and neighbours – Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) – who solve mysteries in their swanky New York apartment complex. Season four delves into the murder of Charles' stunt double, Sazz, who was shot through the window of his apartment at the end of season three.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But before the group has a chance to get drawn into their latest investigation, "Hollywood calls". Paramount execs are "fast-tracking" a movie about the hit podcast, with real-life celebrities playing the trio: Eugene Levy is set to play Charles, Zach Galifianakis is Oliver and Eva Longoria has been cast as Selena Gomez's Mabel.
Stars playing themselves can be "hit and miss", said Ed Power in The Telegraph, but the new cast members are "a hoot" and the original trio "effortlessly reprise the screwball energy" of the preceding seasons. There "isn't nearly enough" of Meryl Streep, though, who returns to the show as Oliver's blossoming love interest.
Still, the "charm" of "Only Murders in the Building" goes way beyond its dazzling cast and "steady stream of one-liners". At the heart of the show is a "compelling whodunnit" filled with twists that lay the groundwork for a "killer season".
It's "ingeniously" plotted, agreed Ben Dowell in The Times, and the "chemistry" between the trio is still "high wattage". But when they return to New York to hunt for Sazz's killer, the formula starts to feel "all too familiar", and the show is "too in love with film culture to skewer that world properly".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
"I hate to say it", added Maddy Mussen in the London Evening Standard, but Selena Gomez's performance as Mabel felt particularly "wooden" in this series, and there was little character development for the leading trio.
Season four "isn't perfect", said Rachel Aroesti in The Guardian, but it's certainly close: "the show remains an extremely rare example of a comedy-drama that does both equally, and incredibly, well".
"Only Murders in the Building", season four is streaming on Disney+
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army: a troubling documentary
The Week Recommends BBC2's harrowing two-part series shines a light on the abuse at the heart of the Christian group
-
The Naked Gun: 'a dumb comedy of the expert kind'
The Week Recommends Liam Neeson shows off his comedy chops in this reboot of Leslie Nielsen's crime spoof
-
King of Kings: 'excellent' book examines Iran's 1979 revolution and its global impacts
The Week Recommends Scott Anderson 'easily and elegantly' paints a picture of a century of Iran's history
-
Go beyond the islands you already know in these 8 countries. Surprises await.
The Week Recommends These destinations fly under the radar
-
The most fun road trips are the ones with the least curveballs. Use these tips to get there.
The Week Recommends The music blaring, the windows wide open and a carefree drive
-
Destination unknown: the exciting ins and outs of mystery travel
The Week Recommends Surprise yourself the next time you vacation
-
5 cultural and scenic trails to wander on four wheels
The Week Recommends Leave the hiking shoes at home
-
Time to land completely refreshed. Because it's one-and done with these pre-assembled toiletry kits.
The Week Recommends All the essentials in one place
-
Not every hike has to wipe you out. These 7 treks are easy-breezy.
The Week Recommends These trails won't leave you breathless
-
Real-life couples creating real-deal sparks in the best movies to star IRL partners
The Week Recommends The chemistry between off-screen items can work wonders
-
5 (free!) apps to keep that travel budgeting as smooth as your vacations
The Week Recommends Track expenses while on the go