The show pays loving homage to the architecture of classic New York films. The dimly lit hallways, the doorman (played by the legendary Jackie Hoffman) who knows your business before you do, and the rooftop views—it creates a claustrophobic intimacy. The building isn't just where the murder happened; it is the murder. What makes Only Murders in the Building - Season 1 so sharp is its refusal to mock true crime fans. Instead, it celebrates them with obsessive detail.

Oliver’s obsession with sound design (recording the "foley" of dips and knitting needles) parodies the high production values of Serial . Charles’s hyper-analysis of people’s behavior mimics the fan who thinks they can solve a case based on a vocal fry. The show even features a scene where the trio discovers "the fandom" has found their podcast, leading to subreddit threads and obsessive fan art inside the show.

In the golden age of streaming, where television shows often blur into the background noise of endless scrolling, sometimes a series arrives that demands you put down your phone, lean in, and press play. Only Murders in the Building - Season 1 was that series. Premiering on Hulu (and Disney+ internationally) in August 2021, the show did something remarkable: it took the grim, exploitative edge of the true crime genre and wrapped it in a cozy, warm-hearted blanket of absurdist comedy and genuine New York melancholy.

With whip-smart dialogue, stunning production design, and a trio whose chemistry feels instantly lived-in, this season set the bar for streaming crime-comedy so high that it will take a fall from a seventh-floor Arconia window to come close.

Whether you are a true crime obsessive, a fan of Steve Martin’s physical comedy, or just looking for a show that respects your intelligence while making you laugh, Only Murders in the Building - Season 1 is essential viewing.

Streaming now on Hulu and Disney+.