I Wasn’t Impressed By The Killer, But I Still Love The Season Overall

Warning! This review contains major spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 5, episode 10.

The Only Murders in the Building season 5 finale wraps up Lester Coluca’s murder with a neat little bow, setting the stage for the podcasting trio’s next (potentially overseas) adventure. What I’ve loved most about this season of Only Murders in the Building is how it embraced The Arconia as more than just a setting; it was a character, a victim, an entire ecosystem. Upstairs tenants, downstairs workers, it didn’t matter. The Arconia was their home, and they wanted to fight for it.

So, am I glad that The Arconia has been saved from Camila White’s (Renée Zellweger) quiet slot machines and camel-toned color palette in season 5’s tenth and final episode, “The House Always…”? Of course. Am I a little underwhelmed by the revelation of Lester’s (Teddy Coluca) killer? Somewhat, and this echoes an issue I had with Only Murders’ season 4 finale, as well. The murderers’ motives are feeling a little stale.

Only Murders In The Building Season 5, Episode 10 Follows The Money

Credit: Hulu

While I never really suspected Keegan-Michael Key’s Mayor Tillman of being the murderer — and I did enjoy watching Mabel (Selena Gomez) suddenly chop off his fake finger — the corrupt politician’s story feels a bit overdone. I’m torn; on the one hand, it fits perfectly into a season filled with morally bankrupt billionaires, the outdated mob, and secret gaming parlors. On the other hand, is straightforward greed the most interesting motive for a murder like this? Especially since the same thing essentially caused Sazz Pataki’s (Jane Lynch) death in season 4?

Greed is a powerful thing, and it certainly makes other characters, like Lester — who, it turns out, was responsible for Nicky Caccimelio’s (Bobby Cannavale) death on a technicality — Mabel, Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short), look like virtuous paragons in comparison. It also makes this season’s narrative even more politically charged than merely parodying the real-world billionaires hoarding the world’s wealth, and given the current state of… well, everything, that feels noteworthy.

Even so, Mayor Tillman’s reveal in season 5, episode 10, much like the season 4 Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha) reveal, lacks an emotional consequence. It feels pretty far removed from season 1, in which Charles found out that his girlfriend was an extremely violent killer. In this case, the OMITB gang can easily move on with their lives and prepare themselves for the next case, which has, conveniently, already landed on their doorstep.

All that being said, there was a lot I appreciated about this finale, including the way it resolved some of the show’s smaller clues, such as Lester’s final text message, and Charles’ magical, pole-climbing feats. I’m also glad they didn’t give Logan Lerman’s Jay Pflug a full-on redemption. Even he knows he’s not a good guy, but at least Mabel showed him how to be marginally better by confessing his and his friends’ involvement (not that any of this season’s three billionaire suspects will be in custody for long).

Most importantly, the case’s relatively disappointing resolution did not sour me on the narrative as a whole. Only Murders is a whodunit, but it’s so much more than that, too, and this season proves that as long as it maintains a certain level of intrigue, humor, and the core friendship between Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, it will always be an enjoyable ride. Sometimes, formulas work for a reason.

And The Next Only Murders In The Building Victim Is…

An Only Murders final isn’t an Only Murders finale unless it sets up the next murder victim. Similar to last season, the reveal of next season’s storyline cuts into season 5’s climax, making the final conflict between Tillman and the trio — the whole building, really — feel rushed. Yet I can’t deny that seeing Tina Fey in a curly red wig, lying dead in front of The Arconia’s fancy front gate, was a strangely delightful surprise.

I especially love how it ties in with what happened with Lester. Lester trusted Oliver, Charles, and Mabel to solve his death, and apparently, their podcasting rival Cinda Canning trusts them to solve her murder, too.

I’m not sure how I feel about it Only Murders in the Building potentially heading to London (although I can think of many fantastic British actors who would be perfect to join the show), but I’m glad to see that Only Murders’ next victim is someone the trio had a complicated relationship with. That should make for some fun and interesting character work.

All in all, this has been another wonderfully enjoyable chapter of Only Murders in the Building. I’m excited to meet a few new Arconian tenants next season (given the finale cliffhanger, a renewal feels like a given, but this has yet to be confirmed), and watch Charles, Mabel, and Oliver once again accidentally solve another complicated, hilarious mystery.

All episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 5 are streaming now, exclusively on Hulu.

Release Date

August 31, 2021

NETWORKS

Hulu

Showrunner

John Hoffman

Directors

Jamie Babbit, John Hoffman, Cherien Dabis, Chris Koch, Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, Adam Shankman, Don Scardino, Jesse Peretz, Jessica Yu, Jude Weng, Chris Teague

Writers

Ben Smith, Matteo Borghese, Rob Turbovsky, Kristin Newman, Madeleine George, JJ Philbin, Ben Philippe, Kirker Butler, Jake Schnesel, Peter Swanson, Stephen Markley, Rachel Burger, Kenny Schwartz, Rick Wiener, Valentina Garza, Elaine Ko, Tess Morris, Kim Rosenstock, Sas Goldberg, Thembi Banks