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Only Murders in the Building season 3 returned with its third episode on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, exclusively on Hulu. The episode was titled, Grab Your Hankies, and it successfully added another layer of intense emotion to the comedy series. Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky served as the writers of the episode, while it was directed by Adam Shankman.
In the third episode of Only Murders in the Building season 3, Charles tries to find out which cast member lost their handkerchief, while Mabel looks for a potential clue to solve Ben's mysterious murder. Meanwhile, Oliver Putnam goes on to play his final card to save his theater production, which is now a musical, titled Death Rattle Dazzle!
In the latest episode of Only Murders in the Building, right before presenting his idea of the musical version of the play to the producers, Putnam makes the decision to put Meryl Steep's Loretta Durkin in the spotlight and puts all his faith in her to win over the producers by performing the lullaby, Look for the Light.
The song starts off as a delightfully comforting lullaby and soon grows into something of a promise of devoted guardianship.
The Look for the Light lullaby in Only Murders in the Building season 3 episode 3 brought the series "into the emotional center"
The original song in episode 3 of season 3 of Only Murders in the Building was written for the series by Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles, along with Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. The lullaby is sung in the musical by the nanny to the triplets late at night at the Pickwick lighthouse after their mother has passed away, as explained by Oliver Putnam.
The song talks about the promise of protecting loved ones at any cost. It showcases one's unconditional love for someone, emphasizing how they will always be their guide and protector no matter how dangerous and difficult the situation is. Love, guidance and protection are symbolized by the light of the lighthouse that will always help find the right path.
Bareilles recently shed light on her experience co-writing this piano-heavy ballad. She told the Los Angeles Times:
"The show brilliantly toggles between the heightened and the grounded, so I knew we were trying to create something that was framed in an absurd way but still carried some real heart. That’s one of my preferred ways to work, to be the balloon string that ties people back down into the emotional center."
Although the powerful lyrics of the original song, Look for the Light, did not give away the murder plot of Only Murders in the Building season 3, it included a reference to the play's lighthouse setting.
As per the Los Angeles Times, Bareilles referred to the lighthouse in the play as "the longing and the ache of motherhood, which is a really beautiful thing. That metaphor can live in the absurd place [of the series and its musical] but it can also be a standalone song."
Another one of the writers of the song, Justin Paul, told Los Angeles Times in an interview that "writing for Meryl Streep, you know she’s gonna bring a nuanced emotional depth."
The episode's director, Shankman, also opened up about his vision for the song in the Hulu show. As reported by Los Angeles Times, director Shankman said:
"We talked about stillness, intimacy and specificity, and the way she moved, she almost treated it like poetry,...Doing very little is not everybody’s instinct on a show that’s as funny and screwball as this one, so it felt special."
The director further said:
"Everybody’s reactions were so genuine because they stood behind the cameras and sang every take live, with full expression and emotion,...I know it’s a TV show and it’s all fiction, but that moment did not feel like fiction. It was a magical experience that I’ll never forget."
Judging by what the makers have to say about it, it is quite evident that the lullaby was crafted to create simple yet alluring magic on-screen.
Viewers can watch episode 3 of Only Murders in the Building season 3, which is currently streaming on Hulu.
