Posted in: Hulu, Review, TV | Tagged: hulu, martin short, OMITB, Only Murders in the Building, Review, selena gomez, steve martin

Only Murders In The Building S03E03 Review: Crab Men Are Breeding

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building brought out both the razzle-dazzle in Oliver's new direction for Death Rattle - and a new suspect.

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building season three has genuinely begun to unravel a list of suspects in this third episode, "Grab Your Hankies." Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) each have their journeys in this episode that expand our understanding of their characters. This was a great spark for investigating Ben Glenroy's (Paul Rudd) death. Fair warning, potential spoilers and more are ahead for this episode. Make sure to watch it all on Hulu if you don't wish for things to be spoiled!

Only Murders in the Building has been expertly crafting the start and end of episodes in season three. Having Kimber narrate bits of the first and the last scene in the episode was a perfect way to wrap the mystery-filled package. The parallel between the cast photos on Oliver's wall and the list of suspects in Charles' apartment was clever, and I loved it. So many moments in this episode and the series reflect a beautiful connection between storytelling and editing as a powerhouse of creativity. This shows a bunch in the quick or slower cuts between the frames of Oliver, Charles, and Mabel. Each almost reflects the personality and energy of each character.

Cliff (Wesley Taylor) and his mother, Donna (Linda Emond), have gone so hilariously far into "too close" relationship territory on Only Murders in the Building. Emond had a fantastic monologue in this episode, and I'm not talking about the reaction to her son being breastfed past eight years old. Those two characters build upon the environment of the Arconia. The building itself also transforms in subtle ways. The set design of Ben's penthouse is hilarious, I love the transformation of a space we've seen in past seasons. We got a small look at Oliver's pantry, even if it was a mid-breakdown/stress relief yelling session, and I've never related to anything more in my life.

It may feel weird to see Oliver get to a point of selfishness when he reacts negatively to the progress in Loretta's career, it flaws a main character, and that disrupts an all-too-casual relationship between the two of them. This may end up being a good thing because it would feel unnatural and too perfect otherwise since there's redemption in his extravagant nature. Character themes, such as Oliver's tendency towards self-sabotage, are an amazing building block of this season. The wait for the potential reveal, without assuming the audience needs a guiding hand, has been something that makes me love Only Murders in the Building from season to season.

Many scenes in this episode of Only Murders in the Building bring in such a fantastic level of detail that can be both hilarious and creepy at the same time. The shot of Mabel and Tobert (Jesse Williams) coming out of Ben's closet with his cardboard cutout right behind them was funny because of the self-obsessed design it revealed, but it was also incredibly off-putting. The setting wasn't the only thing that made this a great episode, the music and lyrics for "The Nanny's Lullaby" blew me away. Like many others, I wish for this track to be made available on Spotify as soon as possible…and luckily, it is!

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 3 "Grab Your Hankies"

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Review by Brittney Bender

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10/10

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building S03E03: "Grab Your Hankies" was an excellent display of the creative powerhouse of editing and storytelling. The mystery and intrigue went far above expectations and left you guessing between multiple unique paths the story could journey down.

Credits

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Production

Hulu

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