Only Murders in the Building season 3 spoilers follow.
While round three of Only Murders in the Building tweaks its delightful formula just enough to keep it fresh, it continues resorting to the same trope in Mabel’s arc.
Now we’re back at the Arconia — the Italian Renaissance Revival building with the highest murder rate in New York City — the writing is going down a familiar road with Selena Gomez’s amateur sleuth.
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Like in the previous instalments, Mabel is given a lacklustre romantic subplot. As if this pattern weren’t frustrating enough, it overlaps with a more compelling storyline viewers have caught a glimpse of in the first two episodes.
Early on, Mabel makes it her mission to investigate the onstage death of her teen crush, cocky movie star Ben Glenroy (a Paul Rudd we love to hate). Her buddies Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) tag along to see this mystery through.
Related: Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez confirms relationship status
And so the trio reunites? Not quite. Charles and Oliver are “busy-busy” rehearsing the play-turned-musical with a cast of potential suspects, leaving Mabel more isolated than ever. As her aunt is selling the Arconia apartment, the co-protagonist ponders her next steps, uneasy about not having found her purpose yet.
The second episode, 'The Beat Goes On', offers a closer look at Mabel’s conflict, crafting a heartfelt moment in which she discusses the perks of being a late bloomer with a vision of the late Ben. But then this subplot and the deceased figment of Mabel’s imagination virtually vanish for her to cross paths with Ben’s documentarian Tobert, played by Grey’s Anatomy’s Jesse Williams.
The acclaimed quirky mystery comedy, co-created by Martin and John Hoffman, makes an effort to shake things up this time around. Opening to an ingenious double-death twist (a murder has to happen within the premises of the building, after all), the show keeps raising the stakes, welcoming a bunch of A-listers to its roster — hello, Meryl Streep.
The mix of self-aware satire and deadly turns still manage to grip the audience, while this chapter plays out like a celebration of fan culture and theatre kids fuelled by a profound understanding of how storytelling can soothe loneliness.
With such a premise, it’s disheartening that the show is unable to afford Gomez’s true-crime lover some more complexity. One might think that Mabel often being described as obscure and inscrutable is a way to deflect what is a weak character study, leaning into the 'closed-off girl' trope.
We got sights of Mabel’s relationship with her mum and childhood friends in season one, but any attempt to bring her into focus is never explored to a satisfying extent. Shoehorning in a forgettable fling every season isn’t helping, even less so if they’re one of the prime suspects.
We’ve been here before. Mabel’s previously assigned partners Oscar (Aaron Dominguez) and Alice (Cara Delevingne) have unceremoniously disappeared without a chance to develop in further instalments. On one hand, it’s great to have Mabel being openly bisexual and actively dating. On the other, it’s tiring to witness a romance fall into her lap even when the story wouldn’t necessarily call for one.
Related: Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez to reboot classic '80s comedy
This should be Mabel’s time to shine as she understands how gifted at solving crimes she is, but this revelation is brought about by spending time with a man who wants to bask in her podcast fame.
For their part, Mabel and Tobert share an off-the-charts chemistry that could power the entire Arconia during a blackout. Like rival spies forced to team up, these two get to know each other as they go over their leads and clues. The videographer seems so keen on bagging a date with Gomez’s detective that he invites her on a stakeout that turns out to be a flirty cocktail session in episode five, aptly titled 'Ah, Love!'.
But it’s the latest episode, 'Ghost Light', that starts giving away what could be Tobert’s endgame. A fan of the trio’s podcast, the charming filmmaker sneaks his way into their investigation after spending the night at Mabel’s.
Related: Selena Gomez channels Barbie with blonde hair transformation
The series gives out plenty of red herrings, meaning the killer’s identity is anyone’s guess at this point. Whether Tobert played a role in Ben’s demise or not, it doesn’t change the fact he doesn’t just want a piece of Mabel; he seeks an in with the case.
She allows it, showing him the trio’s Grail (their meticulous murder board) and defends him when Charles and Oliver voice their concerns. Opening up to someone she’s known for less than a month sounds counterintuitive for a character like Gomez’s, who’s so perceptive and skilled at reading people.
Not that Mabel’s older pals, Charles in particular, have an immaculate track record when it comes to picking partners. Nonetheless, they must have learned from their mistakes and now continuously question their lovers’ innocence. Both Charles and Oliver don’t rule out the possibility that Joy (Andrea Martin) and Loretta (Streep) could be murderers, so why is Mabel so adamant that Tobert is to be trusted?
Not putting on a united front for the first time in three seasons, the Arconia trio have to navigate a fracture in their friendship. This gap is widened by the harsh words Oliver spews out in episode six, reminding Mabel she’s never had a grown-up job.
The series has followed the Broadway director and the Brazzos star as they cultivate their careers and passions, often resulting in Mabel’s ambitions moving to the back burner. Thanks to an unexpected push from famed podcaster Cinda Canning (Tina Fey), the young artist has begun to realise that she could make a living out of her true-crime knowledge and good instincts.
This isn’t to say that Mabel can’t have a little fun while she figures things out, but letting Tobert so breezily profit off what she’s been working on is a tad disappointing.
However, Only Murders has earned its well-deserved reputation by having all the pieces click back into place before the curtains are drawn shut. Mabel may have a trick up her sleeve to reveal in a timely fashion, and we sure hope that the wedding scene from the trailer is a ploy rather than some ill-conceived nuptials via a time jump.
For now, we’re left wanting Mabel’s arc to cut deeper than just collecting one tepid love affair after another, especially since the show so beautifully acknowledges her late bloomer status. Perhaps Only Murders should borrow from Gomez's new track 'Single Soon' and allow her character to thrive regardless of any hot person who sets foot in the Arconia.
Only Murders in the Building season 3 streams on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
