Posted in: Hulu, Review, TV | Tagged: hulu, martin short, meryl streep, Only Murders in the Building, Review, season 3, selena gomez, steve martin

Only Murders In The Building S03E05 Review: Commit Or Be Committed

Self-worth and obsessions circle the characters of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building in the fifth episode of Season 3, "Ah, Love!"

Charles (Steve Martin) fights against his fear of allowing himself to be happy, Mabel (Selena Gomez) experiences some complicated romance, and Oliver (Martin Short) goes out on a big date in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building season three, episode five "Ah, Love!" This episode had some fantastic moments that amplified character development for both Charles and Oliver on their own. While it didn't step into the trap previously assumed after the last episode's end, it also failed to turn away from hinting at the same potential mystery genre trope in a different way. 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 began with a narration by Joy (Andrea Martin) about love and the ups and downs of knowing any secrets hidden in the person you're romantic with. This was a great way to start the episode, it felt nice to have some clarity and perspective from Joy's own voice, even through some simple narrator moments. They don't go into making Charles seem like the love-blind fool who is oblivious to the potential that Joy is hiding a secret, which feels like a giant relief. His character may seem like an older golden retriever aiming to please and show kindness, but he remembers the hurt from his past love. Speaking of those from his past, in this episode of Only Murders in the Building, we also get to see Sazz (Jane Lynch).

In some terrific scenes between Lynch and Martin, we get to understand what's under the iceberg of Charles when it comes to commitment and self-worth. When he uttered, "Is this the face of someone who deserves joy?" to Sazz, that hit my heart and did so much more for his character than recent material within this season. Only Murders in the Building knows how to tug at the heartstrings, and it's a big reason I love the series; it mixes comedy and drama so well. While it mixes emotions and layers them incredibly well, the series is either being very smart with what it uses to mislead the audience, or it's still heading towards a dive into mystery genre tropes of partners equaling suspects. The spinning wheel of which romantic interest to suspect next will be a big disappointment if it turns out to be the end goal all along.

Mabel's actions and trust in Tobert (Jesse Williams) is either her character trying to lean into her urge for romantic connections, or she's being written in a way that unfairly switches off what has made her a very smart character in the past. While I would love for this relationship with Tobert to be a promising one, the history of this series has me concerned. What I do give props to is the ability Only Murders in the Building has to have us invest in the unsettling mistrust likely experienced by the main characters themselves. The mixture of wanting to give over trust to someone while having as specific a history as the main three have is felt in this episode. I appreciate being thrown into and immersed in the intrigue, but it doesn't dismiss my mystery trope concerns.

Loretta and Oliver's date was fabulous, and their chemistry was wonderful in this episode. Only Murders in the Building did a spectacular job with the dialogue in these crucial and emotional scenes. While I still share my concerns over them leaning into the "my romantic partner isn't who they say they are!" trope, they have yet again the potential to get this right and use that as a clever misdirection for the season. That being said, I believe it ends up being the structure of these episodes and the cliffhangers they're left on that develop my concerns. Outside of that, this was a gorgeous episode that helped Charles and Oliver thrive as strong and complex characters in and out of the sphere of a relationship.

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 5 "Ah, Love!"

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Review by Brittney Bender

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8/10

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building S03E05: "Ah, Love!" showcases some brilliant dialogue that pushes Charles and Oliver into the spotlight - but the episode still brings a level of concern as it inches the season closer toward potential trope territory once again.

Credits

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Production

Hulu

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