Binge-worthy: A murder mystery for both Gen Z and ‘the olds’

Only Murders In The Building – Season 3

Disney+

3 out of 5 stars

Only Murders In The Building (2021 to present) is the whodunnit-and-true-crime mash-up people did not know they needed.

And this season, its enviable roster of guest stars expands to include the venerable Meryl Streep and comedy favourite Paul Rudd.

Here are some other reasons to watch Season 3 of the acclaimed comedy, which sees Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez reprise their roles as residents of a building where neighbours periodically turn up dead.

1. A murder mystery for both Gen Z and “the olds”

One reason the show works so well is that it is crafted to appeal to everyone from boomers to Gen Z.

Charles (Martin), Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez) become friends because of a shared obsession with true crime, which leads them to investigate the murders of the first and second seasons, and document their efforts in a podcast.

So, you have a classic whodunnit, but with the trappings of modern true-crime series.

The generation gap between Mabel and the two “olds”, as she calls them, is still good for a few laughs, and when jokes are lost in translation because of the age difference, the audience gets a non-didactic explanation.

And as Mabel, Gomez often stands in for younger viewers of this rather old-fashioned show and helps win them over.

2. Skewering self-obsessed actors

Earlier seasons make much of Oliver and Charles’ status as has-beens – Oliver a failed Broadway director and Charles a washed-up television star.

But there is a new ego on the block. Oliver is directing a play starring Ben (Rudd), an insufferable Hollywood actor who arrives with an entourage and gluten-free snacks.

So, there is no shortage of unctuous show-business types to sneer at – even when one of the cast members of the play is murdered.

And the writers have a little meta fun with triple-Oscar-winner Streep as Loretta, a gifted actress who sometimes does too much to get into character.

3. Heartfelt moments

When it is not laughing, the series has a tenderness to it, whether it is Mabel grappling with feeling lost or other characters struggling with imposter syndrome.

Only the first two out of the 10 episodes were provided for review, but there is more than enough to make you come back for Episode 3.