Murder-mystery series Only Murders In The Buildings unites comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short with popstar-actress Selena Gomez. But what makes this cross-generational trio work so well on screen?
A Little History Lesson
Long before Only Murders, Steve Martin and Martin Short had an illustrious Hollywood friendship that began in 1986 upon meeting at their first joint film Three Amigos! From there on, they would continue to star together in films and several comedy tours.
Martin is known for films such as Father of The Bride (with Short), Cheaper By The Dozen, and co-writing A Bright Star – a musical that would later earn him a Tony nomination. Over the years, Martin won some of the most prestigious awards and was one of the few who is one from becoming an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
Short, on the other hand, is known for his work on Saturday Night Live and Broadway productions such as The Goodbye Girl and Little Me, and most recently seen in Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!
The two well-known veterans in the industry are paired up with popstar and actress, Selena Gomez. Although newer to the scene than Martin and Short, Gomez began acting at a young age. What started as minor roles in Barney and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody led to her own Disney Channel Show in 2007, Wizards of Waverly Place. She quickly rose to fame through Wizards and her budding pop career. Eventually, Gomez took a step back from acting to focus on her music.
What Makes Only Murders Work?
Flash forward ten years, while Martin and Short have become icons enforced in some of our most beloved films – Gomez has risen from a young, up-and-coming star to a well-seasoned industry celebrity. Juxtaposing Martin and Short with Gomez is a clever way to close the gap between the two generations.
Not only does it bring in a larger demographic, but it creates a fun clashing comedy. The show marks Gomez’s big return to the screen and watching her banter with two men double her age highlights all three of their comedic timings and fleshes out the chemistry amongst this star-studded cast.
This dynamic of the young generation working with the older works very well in the first season. The life of two older, burnt-out actors almost gets brought back to life by this younger character, creating a tension that is hard to come by in recent media. Only Murders explores the importance of age diversity in media by allowing these older figures to be limitless. Gomez’s character, Mabel, learns a lot from these older men about lessons she has yet to come across. Conversely, Martin and Short’s characters, Charles and Oliver, learn what the modern age is like. All three are lost at the beginning, and only through their friendship do they become better people.
But What of It?
But how can this continue to be fresh? While season one spends most of it clashing Gomez with the two older men, how can they have that similar dynamic in the following season without backtracking or becoming a gimmick?
Showrunners Steve Martin and John Hoffman are smart about how to move forward and introduce a new character in the second season – Martin’s character’s ex-wife’s daughter, Lucy. Played by 20-year-old Zoe Margaret Colletti, Only Murders shocks the audience into remembering that although Gomez is significantly younger than the other characters and a pillar of most of the audience’s childhood, she is no longer “The Youngest.”
In the middle of the second season, there’s a moment in which Martin’s character attempts to speak the same sort of language as Lucy; however, the scene spirals as Martin completely misunderstands what she says and attempts to have Gomez relate to her instead. The audience is led to the surprising reminder that Gomez doesn’t quite understand what the younger girl is saying, and we are introduced to an entirely new generation.
What makes the show so great is it utilizes the age diversity within the cast to its benefit. Right now, very few shows explore the dynamics between older and younger cast members – it’s either one or the other. What makes Only Murders such an enjoyable binge (aside from it basically being a cover of The New Yorker come to life) is that it’s both refreshing and comforting with its beautiful concoction of tradition and modernism.
The second season of Only Murders in the Building finished airing on August 23rd on Hulu A third season is currently in pre-production.
