Earlier this fall, Hulu released the fifth season of “Only Murders in the Building,” using the show’s comic-murder-mystery formula to take aim at how extreme wealth bends rules and buys silence in American life.
The show follows true crime podcasters Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) as they investigate a string of murders in their apartment building, the Arconia. The latest season follows the murder of the building’s doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca). The prime suspects: a trio of New York billionaires whose influence reaches far beyond the Arconia.
As the investigation unfolds, the show repeatedly illustrates just how much money can buy in today’s America. The podcasters’ search for a corporate sponsor turns into a binding, multi-year contract with a content creation company. But a series of twists and turns involving secret sponsors and sabotaged evidence pits the main characters against an elite class willing and able to buy impunity.
The show’s moral positioning is complicated by its own protagonists. Mabel, Charles and Oliver are not billionaires, but — as residents of an affluent Upper West Side apartment building — they are certainly not victims of the systems that this season of the show critiques. Mabel lives in her wealthy aunt’s apartment in exchange for renovation help, Charles is a semi-retired actor and Oliver a once successful and now struggling theater director. Their proximity to privilege poses the question: Can the plights of these upper-class characters truly provide the show with a vehicle for critiquing the power of wealth?
On the other hand, having these characters deliver this lesson to audiences showcases how almost everyone — except those at the very top of society — is impacted by this issue. This broadens the scope of the problem and allows more audience members across different backgrounds to actively engage with the show.
While these lessons provide insightful societal commentary, the witty writing of this season of “Only Murders in the Building” is what makes it an entertaining watch and a pleasant way to unwind, while still making an impact on audiences.
The show’s classic season-ending cliffhanger ensures fans will return for another intriguing murder mystery. The sixth season of “Only Murders in the Building” is set to take place in London. The premiere date has yet to be announced.
