‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 2: Everything to Know

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‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 2: Everything to Know

Justice for Mabel! The Only Murders in the Building finale left fans with more questions than answers — luckily, the Hulu series plans to tie up some of those “loose ends” in season 2. The 10-episode comedy starred Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin as the unlikely murder-solving trio, portraying fledgling interior designer Mabel Mora, struggling theater producer Oliver Putnam and former ‘80s TV star Charles Haden-Savage, respectively. The three become amateur true crime podcasters in hopes of solving the mysterious homicide that happened in their apartment building. The question throughout the series is, “Who killed Tim Kono?” — and finally, in the Only Murders October 2021 finale, viewers got the answer: Charles’ bassoon-playing girlfriend and fellow Arconia resident Jan, played by Amy Ryan. [jwplayer Mxbnkv98-zhNYySv2] However, after closing the case, Mabel, Charles and Oliver become the suspects in a new murder that took place in the building — and the subjects of a new podcast hosted by their favorite host Cinda Canning, played by Tina Fey. To steal a phrase from Charles’ former character, Brazzos, seeing a blood-soaked Mabel clutching the dead body of Arconia building manager Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell) definitely “sent the investigation into a whole new direction.” Still, creator John Hoffman promises the second season of Only Murders in the Building will have much of the same things that viewers initially loved about the satire that poked fun at true crime fandom. “The way in which a true crime podcast or something like that can build a community ... the show builds the same kind of community around its mystery and creates dialogues between us and can connect us,” the Grace and Frankie writer told The AV Club in October 2021. [jwplayer aFRP3cIM-zhNYySv2] While the first season ended on a bit of a down note, Hoffman hopes fans will get some joy from watching Gomez, Martin and Short’s characters connect in these uncertain times. “They were all lonely people who are also complicated people with heartache and pain,” the producer told Deadline in October 2021. “I know that doesn’t sound like a great premise for a comedy, but I always like to find the human leveling qualities about people we can all relate to.” He continued, “You really can’t help but love this trio and cheer for them.” After seeing how the first season ended, they need all the support they can get. Keep scrolling to read everything you need to know about Only Murders in the Building season 2: [podcast_block]

Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Release Date

Hulu confirmed that the new season would premiere on Tuesday, June 28.

Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Cast

The show’s three stars — Gomez, Martin and Short — will be back for the new season.

Cara Delevingne was later announced as a series regular for season 2. The model will play Alice, a sophisticated art world insider who becomes enmeshed in the mystery.

In January 2022, Short teased to Deadline that he recently filmed with Shirley MacLaine and Amy Schumer for the hit Hulu series.

Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Plot

Season 2 will pick up right after that deadly finale, in which Mabel (Gomez) appears to kill Arconia building manager Bunny (Houdyshell) with her knitting needles. She and her podcasting buddies, Oliver (Short) and Charles (Martin) are then carted off by the police.

Hoffman told Entertainment Weekly in October 2021 that the new season will go in a “bigger direction because with all of them on the hot seat, having stepped in it in such a way, it really goes back and forth between being talked about in New York, and being celebrated or talked about the wrong way.”

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Tina Fey Will Return — Along With Other Season 1 Guest Stars

Only Murders featured impressive cameos including Fey as true crime podcaster Cinda Canning. She will reportedly return for season 2 — after all, the first round of episodes teased that Cinda created her own podcast about the recent murder at the Arconia.

However, Hoffman hinted that other season 1 guest stars could return to the apartment building where murders have become all too common — including Jane Lynch, who played Sazz Pataki, Charles’ stunt person on Brazzos. “I can’t imagine a world where Sazz isn’t part of our group going forward,” he told Deadline in October 2021, adding, “Some version of Brazzos will live on in an old part of the building.”

He also said that Houdyshell could return as the recently deceased Bunny. “Being a victim on this show — just ask the other brilliant victim in season 1, Julian Cihi who played Tim Kono — it doesn't mean you are not going to be in the show,” he told EW in October 2021. “You're likely going to be in the show even as a victim.”

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Tying Up 'Loose Ends'

In the finale, Mabel said there are some “loose ends” that still need to be tied up after solving Tim’s murder. “If there are questions still dangling or things that maybe don’t quite add up and make sense, that’s valid,” Hoffman told Deadline in October 2021, adding that he and his writers were “keeping track of all of those, as well. And we have season 2 ahead yet. We may still be addressing some loose ends.”

There is one question that the creator plans to answer in the new season: Why was Bunny in Mabel’s apartment in the season 1 finale — “and was anyone else in there with her?” 

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Mabel's Story Will Only Get 'Bigger'

After Mabel was caught over Bunny's dead body in the finale, Hoffman teased that this was only the beginning for the leads.

"They've all stepped in it, and Mabel is certainly even a bit more in the spotlight," he explained to Elle in October 2021. "The opportunity that might come from that is what's intriguing to us as we go into a season two. Mabel's life is going to get a little bit bigger in season 2."

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This Isn't the End

As the crew prepared to start filming season 2, Hoffman confirmed that he would love to see the story continue beyond that.

"I think everybody involved is so happy doing it. We have three stars in this show who have big lives, so it feels like it's a nice pocket of work and time commitment that allows more of a life," he noted to Elle. "I think all would love it to continue."

With season 2 seeing "a bit of an expansion to all their stories," there is potential to keep thinking of new concepts.

"I think what's going to be interesting in season 2 — not to tip off too much — but there's a bit of an expansion to all their stories," he added. "So there is an expansion happening around everything in their lives and in the podcast. I think there's something in there that might help us expand the show, maybe beyond the building, in future seasons."

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First Day

"Our first day of shooting of “Only Murders in the Building!” We’re all happy to be back," Martin shared a sweet selfie of him smiling alongside Gomez and Short in December 2021.

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The Gang Is Back Together

The show's trio were seen shooting a scene together in Oliver's car Aphrodite. Their characters' fate was previously left up in the air when they were arrested in The Arconia at the end of season 1.

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The Trailer

The first look at season 2 teased the main trio dealing with the aftermath of Bunny's murder. In the trailer, released during the 2022 Oscars, Mabel is seen returning to her deceased neighbor's apartment amid an investigation into her involvement.

“We, here, at 'Only Murders in the Building' — we will not be going quietly,” Mabel says while recording a new episode of the group's podcast show.

The sneak peek also offered a glimpse at Schumer and Delevingne making their debuts during the sophomore season.

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New Flame

More details about Delevingne’s character, Alice, were revealed in May 2022, with cocreator John Hoffman telling Vanity Fair that Alice is Mabel’s new love interest. "It's a little sparky in all the right ways that makes you feel like, 'Oh, someone's opening someone's world,'" he said of Mabel’s connection with Alice, who is an art gallery owner.

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Some New Famous Faces

In addition to Delevingne as Mabel's new love interest, the Arconia will see two more famous faces move in: Amy Schumer, who will play a "slightly unbearable version of herself," per Vanity Fair, and Shirley MacLaine as the late Bunny's mother. "[Amy] was the most immediate yes we’ve gotten on the show," Hoffman told the outlet. Meanwhile, MacLaine, whose "icy" character is the mother of the woman the main trio are accused of murdering, will play a key role in the plot of season 2. Hoffman teased that she will have an "exciting" arc that will affect the season's central mystery.

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There Are New Mysteries in the Building

The series' iconic setting, The Arconia, will be key to unraveling the mystery of season 2. According to Hoffman, the building holds secrets about Bunny's death and about Charles' childhood, as fans learn more about his tense relationship with his father. "[We are interested in exploring] this understanding about place and time and history, and how lives are lived in places like that — in a communal way, in an apartment building — with secrets and great mysteries that factor into them," he told VF in May 2022. "[We want to] know the history of each of these people with the building ... the secrets that are unfolding."

The trio will also be tasked with attempting to clear their names after being suspected of murdering their fellow resident at the end of season 1. "A whole theme of the season is being framed, and then reframing everything for the world at large to understand what happened to this woman in this building,” he said. “The emotional stories for our three main characters — that is our true connective tissue, in a world where a mystery television series tends to delve not so deeply a lot of times.”

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A New Look

In May 2022, Hulu released a teaser trailer that offered a glimpse at several new characters. The sneak peek also showed Ryan returning as Jan after being unmasked as Tim Kono's killer in season 1.

The sophomore season, however, focuses on the main trio trying to find out who killed Bunny after being incriminated in the crime themselves. The clip showed the group stumbling upon evidence as they decide to get their crime podcast back together to help solve the mystery.

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Season 2 Will Take a Killer Turn

After revealing that he was inspired by the 1968 horror film, Rosemary's Baby, co-creator Hoffman told Deadline in May 2022 that Only Murders in the Building will feature homages to classic thrillers of that time. "There hasn’t been a great signature apartment building show or film since then," he explained, teasing that the new episodes will have a 1970s sensibility and a "serial killer attitude."

In the same interview, Gomez also promised that the new episodes themselves will be killer: "With my full confidence in my body, this is a million times better than Season 1. We’ve just got our characters down, we really have a well-blended cast, it’s really diverse. You’re going to be surprised."

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The Full Trailer

Hulu released the official season 2 trailer for the murder mystery on June 14, 2022. The clip shows Short, Martin and Gomez’s characters seemingly being continuously framed as new evidence shows up in their apartments.

“Who’s ever doing this, is toying with us. Someone’s trying to frame us,” Short can be heard saying. Martin responds: "This is going to be fine. Or, it could be really bad."

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Changed for the Better

Gomez gushed over her costars Martin and Short in June 2022 for helping her realize she deserves better in all areas of her life. "I think in general, my standards for humor and gentlemen, and just, professionals have been — the bar's been lifted pretty high working with these two,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “So, it's been really fun, but I'm now a little bit picky.”

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Finding the Killer

“I was pleasantly shocked,” Gomez told The Wrap about her reaction to the killer's identity in June 2022. The actress also praised the writers and producers for creating “a playground" for the cast "to just go and be who we want to be.”