"Only Murders in the Building Season 2" Perfecting the Formula

 

    I would be lying if I said that I expected Only Murders in the Building to live up to the hype it had built in the first season. After all, making two good seasons of a TV show that is about a fake murder podcast sounds difficult to pull off, like catching lightning in a bottle twice. Luckily, the showrunners seemed to have figure out what worked last time around, and have honed in on making sure that viewers were given a season that didn't feel too similar to the last to prevent a sophomore slump.

    To be frank I was quite scared when this season first started, I mean some of the new characters focused on/introduced are great, while others are absolutely awful. I mean Cara Delevingne and Amy Schumer single handedly almost ruined my expectations for the rest of the season, because they both seemed to be absolutely terrible in any scenes they were in. Luckily for viewers, their screen time tapers off significantly, and for the better since both characters felt forced and did not bring anything meaningful to the show. On the other hand, I became a much bigger fan of Bunny as the season progressed on, and I finally began to appreciate the colourful manager that came along with the colourful Arcadia. From the naked painting of Charles father, to her foul mouthed parrot, to her dedication to keeping things running, it was nice to see someone who was more appealing than last seasons victim, Tim Kono.

    Speaking of other changes introduced this season, I thought this season did a much better job of doing more episodes focused on a specific character/plot point. Rather than having multiple storylines slowly unraveled through a multitude of episodes, each episode instead focused on one character, with a reveal at the end that would help further the investigation. For example, I especially loved the episode involving Oliver and the theatre, and I thought the card game that was used in the episode and the old school outfits really excited me. Furthermore, learning more about his relationship with his wife and son, and fleshing out both characters was something that I had never known I needed, even if ultimately it did not progress the murder story that much.

    If this review sounds oddly positive compared to other reviews I often do, its because I really did enjoy this show, and it was a joy to tune in every Tuesday on Disney+ in anticipation of a new episode to update me on this ongoing investigation. While I do think Selena Gomez's acting comes off a little flat at times, there really isn't much to complain about, as the show seems to have hit its stride and continues to find the natural progression to what its becoming. Take for example the plot point of all protagonists being fans of true crime podcasts, while it was integral last season, this season both the fan club and the whole "podcast fan" aspects of last season were dropped in favor of focusing on a newer more interesting rivalry with Cinda Canning. 

Final Score: 78/100

    Ultimately, while the ending may have been a bit more than messy, Only Murders in the Building remains a quality show that will surprise many who come into it with lukewarm expectations. As a show that remains still relatively hip, yet not too cringy on the basis of having a natural young/old dynamic I would wholeheartedly recommend this show to anyone of all ages. With excellent character progression and a story that always has another twist up its sleeve, Only Murders in the Building season 2 is an astounding success that builds and tweaks what made the first season such a smashing sensation.

    

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