‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3 Review: Still Lethally Delightful

Few shows bring a smile to one’s face as consistently as Only Murders in the Building, and Steve Martin and John Hoffman’s half-hour murder-mystery comedy continues to succeed in that regard with its third season, which premieres on Aug. 8. Adding Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd to its cast, the Hulu hit once again weaves a tangled web of homicidal intrigue, and its characters and routine are now so well established that it can assuredly indulge in whatever whimsical flights it fancies. Nonetheless, if it remains one of television’s most amusing delights, familiarity is slowly creeping in, suggesting that, at the end of this whodunit, its heroes might want to hang it up while they’re still at the top of their sleuthing game.

Only Murders in the Building concluded last year’s run with a flash-forward to the opening night of Oliver Putnam’s (Martin Short) new Broadway play, Death Rattle, which was interrupted by the murder of its leading man, Ben Glenroy (Rudd). That’s where the show’s latest go-round picks up, albeit only after first introducing its other primary character, Loretta Durkin (Streep), whose passion for the stage was ignited at an early age and whose entire life has been devoted to making it on the Great White Way.

Alas, her dreams have only been partially realized via bit roles. Loretta longs to hear a director or casting professional exclaim, “Where have you been?” To her intense joy, she finally hears that question from Oliver following a stellar audition for the part of the nanny in his lavish murder-mystery production.

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