A colorful wardrobe, a snappy theme song and Selena Gomez. No, I’m not thinking of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” but the popular Hulu show, “Only Murders in the Building.” This comforting watch combines true crime with Generation X icons Steve Martin and Martin Short (and the iconic Gomez, widely known among Gen Z). The show follows an unlikely trio made up of Martin, Short and Gomez, all three of whom play slightly more entertaining versions of their real-life personas. When a murder occurs in their apartment building, they team up in an attempt to solve the murder, leading to the creation of their own true-crime podcast. Since 2021, the trio have solved three separate murders, each of which occurred in the building. With a fifth season announced just two episodes into the currently-running fourth season, viewers cannot help but wonder, how many murders can there possibly be in just one building? 

The show began when Martin came up with the idea of two old men who live in the same apartment where there is a murder mystery after getting hooked on true-crime podcasts during the COVID-19 pandemic. To appeal to younger audiences, he brought in Gomez as a co-star. While no one would have previously thought to pair Gomez with the comedy duo of Martin and Short, the team works well together. Short’s quirky humor is a joy to watch, and Martin adds a subtly funny and comforting aspect to the show. His character seems like a stereotypical grandpa. Gomez doesn’t stick out performance-wise, but her character adds dimension to the show. The star-studded cast also recently included Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Jane Lynch. The familiar faces add intrigue to the show, but can a celebrity cast alone make the show good? If the star appeal is the only thing carrying the show into its fifth season, then we cannot expect the seasons to get any better. 

     To analyze the future of the show, we must first analyze the past. The first season was quirky, charming and fun. Martin’s character, Charles Haden-Savage, is an ex-child television star holding on to his past. Short’s character, Oliver Putnam, is a quirky and comical theatre producer, and Gomez plays a young artistic woman, Mabel Mora. All three of them live in the same apartment building and initially bond over their love of a specific true-crime podcast. Tim Kono, a fellow apartment resident, is revealed to have been murdered in their building. The three investigate the murder while also dealing with the newfound popularity of their podcast about Tim’s murder. All three work with the other apartment residents in their search for the truth. After celebrating their solve, Mabel returns to her apartment to find their landlord dead, ending the first season on a cliffhanger.

The second season begins with the arrest of the trio for a suspected murder of their landlord, Bunny. However, they are quickly released for lack of evidence and begin another investigation into the murder of Bunny, whose killer remains unknown. The third season follows the murder that occurs on Oliver’s newest theater production starring Charles, Mabel and other well-known celebrities such as Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep. Rudd, playing egotistical actor Ben, collapses on stage from poison. The first episode of the fourth season shows promise with yet another murder of a character close to the trio: Charles’s long-time stunt double, Sazz (Jane Lynch). The fourth season continues the same quirky, comforting, yet intriguing voice that stays consistent throughout the past seasons. In previous seasons, the show has planted seeds for further exploration. Looking forward, the show will likely dig into those stories more. 

Martin and Short give incredible performances, both humorous in their own way, complementing each other without overshadowing. Compared to the duo, Gomez gets slightly overshadowed, but the show wouldn’t exist without her, and she appeals to a younger audience. Not only are the recurring celebrity characters interesting, but every single resident of the apartment has their own unique backstory that keeps viewers guessing. However, some may worry that continuing the show with the similar equation (death + trio = show) may limit the possible seasons and dry the show out of options, creating predictable and limiting television. 

On the other hand, maybe viewers aren’t looking for great TV. Perhaps a light-hearted, quick chuckle of a show can be a soft comfort after the trials and tribulations of everyday life. So, even if “Only Murders in the Building” cannot possibly have another murder in the building, the audience will be there to watch witty banter between these unlikely friends for yet another season.