Only Murders in the Building season 2, episode 1 & 2 review: Bolder, more nuanced look into a new mystery

Steve Martin and John Hoffman's Only Murders in the Building is back with its familiar quirky and colorful approach, loaded with a familiar touch of self-awareness, which makes this series special. Right off the bat, the show hasn't wasted any time in demonstrating that the second season is tougher, in its usual comical way, relating the show to the second season of the podcast. Nonetheless, the second season did start brightly.

The show released two episodes on June 28, 2022, continuing the story from the big cliffhanger in the previous season's finale. The two episodes were enough to establish that the second season of Only Murders in the Building is not likely to slow down or take a breath, but will try to outdo the brilliant first season.

Read on for a detailed review of the first two episodes of Only Murders in the Building.

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Only Murders in the Building season 2: A perfect start to the sophomore year of the story?

Picking up immediately after the immense success of the first season is difficult. The first episode, titled Persons of Interest, majorly focuses on this start. The show makes the most of itself with its uncanny but intriguing parallels to real life and the podcast. This self-awareness is the main element that drags the series seamlessly into a new mystery, with barely any space for the tempo to fall.

However, the most important thing this series dabbles in is the chemistry. This is more evident in the second episode, titled Framed. The chemistry between Oliver (Martin Short), Charles (Steve Martin), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) is enough to kickstart any story, with all its candid humane nature in full glory. The show kicked off on an interesting note and managed to stay that way for the entirety of the two episodes.

Launching back to the screen right after the cliffhanger from season one, the first episode began with the now-famous murder podcast trio getting arrested for the murder of Arconia board president Bunny (Jayne Houdysell), who was found stabbed in Mabel's apartment. Mabel is mysterious right off the bat again, keeping some secrets and some of the revelations to herself.

Though this season is unlikely to center around Mabel's past (like Tim Kono in the previous season), she still manages to maintain a "mysterious millennial" demeanor. Undoubtedly, this accusation and arrest lead the three to go on another crime-solving adventure, this time to clear their names.

Soon, it is established that Bunny's case is tied up in Charles' past, especially after an ordeal with a nude painting. There is more exposition through flashbacks, looking at Charles' childhood and his relationship with his father. Not much was shown in the first two episodes, but it will most likely expand the story with Charles in the center this time.

The mystery gets more complex and twisted over the runtime of the two episodes, often capping it with blunt arguments, attempts at documenting the entire event, and a hilarious Amy Schumer in the building (and not to forget the bird). The second episode ended just before the mystery got deeper and more nuanced, in a way, doing very well to hold the viewer's attention for the coming week.

Only Murders in the Building succeeded in every way in its attempt to build a sequel. At times, the second season's rapid start seems to trump the original one, owing to some great acting, a good script, and a rapidly escalating self-aware plot. There is a lot more to come from the series in the future, but for now, Only Murders in the Building season 2 is an absolute success.

The first two episodes of Only Murders in the Building are now streaming on Hulu.