The real ‘Only Murders’ crime is that it hasn’t won more Emmys

Since premiering on Hulu in 2021,
has gotten plenty of Emmy nominations, but hasn’t really gotten its due. Even for the 2024 Emmys, which are handed out later in September, the series was snubbed in the Comedy Series Writing category. Which is a small sin, because co-creators
and John Hoffman have managed to craft a comedy mystery series in which the laughs are plentiful and the mysteries are plausible and surprising. Pulling off either one of those feats is impressive; nailing them both is indeed Emmy-worthy.
Not that
is completely lacking for attention, or awards. The show has won four Emmys to date — though only one for an actor, for guest star
in 2022. But every year, the show finds ways to showcase its regular and guest stars more creatively. And this year, for the first time, all three series leads are nominated.
And deservedly so: Martin as former TV detective Charles-Haden Savage, and
as former Broadway director Oliver Putnam, are both insufferably egotistic and painfully insecure — and sporadically, gleefully hilarious. And
, as mystery podcasting fan Mabel Mora, is as droll and dry as Short’s Oliver is bubbly and over the top.
The new season of
takes this unlikely trio to a new setting — but only temporarily. Because of the success of their previous seasons of crime solving, the three podcasting partners are flown to Hollywood, where a movie executive hopes to buy their life rights and make a movie based on their adventures.
The movie exec is played by
, formerly of
who throws a glitzy party for the new arrivals. At the party, she tries to wow them by introducing them to the actors cast to play their big-screen counterparts.
Once the movie is greenlit, Charles, Oliver and Mabel head back to their familiar New York apartment complex, where a recent bullet hole found in the window of Charles’ apartment leads them to suspect he may have been targeted for murder. They also suspect the sniper may have aimed from one of the apartments across their courtyard.
Charles studies the behavior of the residents occupying the west tower, then convenes his podcast partners to discuss his suspicions. At this point,
becomes the comedy equivalent of
Like James Stewart in that famous Hitchcock movie, our heroes expect that evil is afoot across the way. But with these three, the way they go about their voyeuristic inquiry highlights their very distinct, and very funny, personalities.
Both of these Season 4 plots — the movie being made and a new murder in the building — make room for a small commuter plane full of guest stars, all of whom come to play, and show us a great time. And almost all the
actors nominated for Emmys this year, in various supporting categories, are back — including
,
and
. And
,
, Scott Bakula and Richard Kind are here, too.
They’re all wonderful. Streep and Rudd, in particular, are doing great work: With their screen time and no-holds-barred performances, they may as well be considered series regulars. The show’s writing is up to their level, and so are the show’s three headliners. When Streep shares intimate or sad or joyous scenes with Short, they all work. This season, there’s a major influx of talent added to
— but the new and returning faces don’t outshine the stars. They shine, and play, right along with them.