Only Murders in the Building Season 3 (2023) TV Show Review

 Hey everyone, how's it going? I'm doing pretty well. I'm back for my review of season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, which dropped its season finale today. This is gonna be a spoiler free review as I don't really feel like going too indepth with this one. So let's get into it.

Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building is the weakest season of the show so far. It wasn't bad or anything, it just felt off. Because the conceit of the show is the murders have to take place in the Arconia, the building where Mabel, Charles, and Oliver live, the writers have to experiment in other ways such as changing up the character dynamics. Which I'll get into a little bit later.

The cast did an incredible job this season. While I felt Paul Rudd was superfluous and anyone could've played the role of Ben Glenroy, I thought Meryl Streep was fantastic as Loretta, who is Oliver's love interest this season. Of course the main cast was great as always, though Selena Gomez did alot of the heavy lifting this season. Particularly in the middle part of the season where Oliver and Charles are separated from Mabel. And of course, let's not forget Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams, who makes a guest appearance in episode 8. Seriously, Williams is one of my favourite characters on this show and anytime she's on screen, interacting with the main trio, it's fun to watch.

I mentioned the shifting of character dynamics earlier, and I think it was an interesting move to have Mabel strike out on her own for a few episodes in the middle of the season. I mean, not entirely on her own, because she teamed up with Tobert (played by Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy), and Theo, the son of Nathan Lane's character from the first two seasons, for an episode. While the dynamic wasn't quite as, well, dynamic, as Mabel is with Charles and Oliver, it was still fun seeing Theo and Tobert trying to keep up with Mabel at the murder board.

Which brings me to what I liked least about this season. It dragged in the middle. Particularly in the episodes where Mabel, Charles, and Oliver were at odds with each other. I don't mind having drama between the main characters of a show, afterall, the Spock/Chapel from season 2 of Strange New Worlds was great, and I'm really enjoying the stuff going on between Ahsoka and Sabine in Star Wars: Ahsoka. But, when the entire premise of the show hinges on three characters investigating a murder, and they have a falling out for three episodes, and because of that no investigation is happening, it kinda just drags the show down a bit. Like I said earlier, I get it. They were experimenting with the characters, because the murders have to happen in the Arconia, since the Arconia is the building in the title, "Only Murders in the Building", so they have to get creative in other aspects of the show. 

I'm also not a theatre fan. Being from Canada, and not being able to travel to New York City, I've never seen a show on Broadway, and it just doesn't interest me, though I did see a show at the NAC (National Arts Centre) almost 21 years ago. My grandmother took me in February 2003 right before I got really sick and ended up in the hospital for almost two months. Anyway that aspect of this season didn't grab my attention the way the previous two seasons of the show had. Which is fine, because it was still a good season of television. 

Overall, while I think this was the weakest of the three seasons we've had so far, I really enjoyed season 3 of Only Murders in the Building. It was funny, interesting, and even though it dragged a bit in the middle, it was solid. The season ended on a cliffhanger but it hasn't been announced if the show's been renewed for a fourth season yet. I think the cliffhanger ending is an indication that this isn't the last season of the show, it just hasn't been revealed publicly yet because of the strikes. While the writer's strike is over, the actor's strike is still going on, so who knows how long it'll be before any announcements are made about future seasons of ongoing shows. All I know is, is that a cliffhanger ending for a season of Only Murders in the Building means it'll be back for another season.

Alright my friends, that's it for me for today. I'll be back tomorrow for my review of Star Wars: Ahsoka, which drops its finale tonight. So until then, have a great rest of the day and I will talk to you all later. Take care.