“Unraveling the Mystery: How ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Breathed New Life into TV Whodunits”
This change is one of many that, introduced in a small way, creates an opportunity for a new melodramatic veneer—for just one episode—over the dark comedy’s serial narrative. The willingness to effect such changes in the story bite by bite helps make Only Murders feel like the old-school murder-of-the-week story while maintaining its binge-worthy serial structure.
With keen knowledge of the genre that’s being evoked, Hoffman and Martin spur interest at every turn despite the jokes, making it clear that this is a show that can scratch itches for true crime fans, comedy fans, and whodunit fans alike.