Review
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (S:2): Who Killed Bunny Folger?
Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building may have a slightly less twisted plot, but it remains a witty dark comedy that is a real pleasure to watch.
Who killed Bunny Folger? I already know — do you?! Revealing Bunny’s killer requires Mabel, Oliver, and Charles to pull off a spectacular group performance featuring the most distinguished residents of the Arconia. Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building ends with a theatrical finale that raises a new question…
Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building may have a slightly less twisted plot, but it remains a witty dark comedy whose crimes and investigation are a pleasure to watch. The pacing may have been too slow in the first few episodes, and like the podcast’s fan club, I sometimes doubted that our trio would manage to solve the murderous mystery, but the killer reveal party they invited us to in the finale was so thrilling that I’m still catching my breath.
The killer reveal party may not be the most realistic way to solve a mystery, and the unveiled secrets do not answer every burning question. For instance, why did the killer of Bunny send the trio an SMS in the Season 1 finale telling them to leave the building, if they wanted to frame them for the murder? However, if we put aside some of these questions and let ourselves get swept up in the party, we come out of it completely satisfied.
But who killed Bunny? Season 2 picks up exactly where the story was left off in Season 1. Bunny Folger has been murdered, and everything seems to point to Mabel as the killer. The trio must therefore find Bunny’s murderer as quickly as possible to clear Mabel of all charges. This time, it will be much harder to determine who the killer is, because the trio lacks clear leads. On the way to the big finale, suspicion falls on Alice, Mabel’s new friend, the new building manager, Detective Kreps, and even the famous Cinda Canning. Did one of them kill Bunny? I won’t say! I won’t deprive you of the pleasure of attending the killer reveal party.
Season 2 doesn’t have another episode as funny as the finale, but there is also a humorous blackout episode that proves you can make a darkened episode that’s still enjoyable to watch. And although it lacks a bit of dynamism, it makes up for it with the chemistry between Mabel, Oliver, and Charles, which is so palpable that it drives the story more than the murder mystery itself.
This time, there isn’t such a distinct element that unites everyone, but it seems unnecessary, because the characters are now connected not only by circumstances but above all by the friendship that has formed between them. Some might therefore feel that the show has lost a bit of its edge, but it’s worth remembering that this story was always meant to have a light comedic tone. Besides, even if the plot doesn’t draw you in as much, just look at the show visually. That vivid, colorful imagery and every inch of the Arconia still offer pure visual splendor.
And you know what? Okay, maybe it is a bit less dynamic, but it still surprises and manages to whet the appetite for more. After all, there were as many as five potential killers in…
What about Season 3?
Spoiler alert for the Season 2 finale!
When Mabel, Oliver, and Charles thought they could finally take a break from solving murders after unmasking Bunny’s killer, Ben Glenroy died right before their eyes in the Season 2 finale. And good! After all, the self-proclaimed detective trio needs material for the next installment of their podcast. They also need something to talk about, and after the scene in which Oliver says it’ll be nice to talk about something other than murder, silence falls. So maybe murder really is what connects them most.
In the Season 2 finale, we witness the premiere of Oliver’s new Broadway play, in which Charles also stars, when suddenly Ben Glenroy (played by Paul Rudd) collapses on stage and dies before the audience’s eyes, seemingly without reason. Mabel, Oliver, and Charles — and certainly the fans of the show — know, however, that another dirty game has just begun. Who is Ben Glenroy? What did he do? Who killed Ben, and why? I think Mabel, Oliver, and Charles won’t be able to resist finding the answers to those questions.
