‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5 Review: Know When To Fold ’Em

Although Oliver, Charles, and Mabel are as zany and fun as ever, their mystery-solving skills take a step back in the newest season. For the series to continue improving over time, the featured murder mystery should become more complex with each passing season, or at least have its own unique twist that complicates the investigation for the main trio. However, instead of levelling up the mystery’s difficulty, Only Murders in the Building Season 5 actually diminishes the gang’s sleuthing ability.

While they’ve never been master investigators and typically fall backward into many of their solves, Mabel has typically been the level-headed team member as Charles and Oliver run wild. However, this season, Mabel is caught making many of the same mistakes as her elderly best friends, complicating their investigation. Despite major character growth for the main trio throughout the first four seasons, the gang’s investigative skills and competence as podcasters have heavily regressed in Only Murders in the Building Season 5. Thankfully, the acting performances from Short, Martin, and Gomez, as well as the comedic dialogue between them, continue to make the series worthwhile.

Billionaire Antagonists Mimic Reality in ‘OMITB’ Season 5

Each season of Only Murders in the Building features an exciting cast of guest actors, and that trend continues in Season 5. While the addition of Logan Lerman, Renée Zellweger, and Christoph Waltz as billionaire antagonists is certainly a delight, it’s the return of Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Donna Williams that is the greatest addition to the new season. Randolph’s ability to go toe-to-toe with the main trio comedically, in addition to her character’s strengths as an actual detective, greatly enhances the series whenever she is on screen.

Inserting three billionaires as primary antagonists in Only Murders in the Building Season 5 not only creates a new set of formidable foes for the trio, but it also mimics the current state of society thematically. In a “capitalistic” society that is becoming increasingly more into an oligarchy with each passing month, all-powerful foes with unlimited resources, and the growing threat of automation replacing jobs all loom for the characters in OMITB Season 5, as well as those of us in the real world.

Is ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Done After Season 5?

Despite continuously reutilizing the same premise of a “murder in the building,” OMITB has never gone stale through the first four seasons. However, Only Murders in the Building Season 5 is the first to raise the question: Is this series wrapping up soon?

While the series has yet to be picked up for a sixth season, Season 5 also hasn’t been labelled as the final one either. Although the newest installment falls short of those that came before, it’s still an enjoyable, comedic series that makes for a fun 40-minute viewing experience with each episode. However, despite its success, the time for Only Murders in the Building to come to a conclusion draws near.

Only Murders in the Building streams weekly every Tuesday starting September 9 on Hulu and Disney+ internationally. 

'Only Murders in the Building' Season 5 Review

3/5 Total Score

The Good

• The trio of Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin continue to have hilarious comedic chemistry.
• The return of Da'Vine Joy Randolph in an increased role enhances the season.

The Bad

• Despite growing as individual characters, the main trio become even more incompetent as investigators.
• The lack of new concepts and ideas are causing the mystery element of the series to grow stale.