How Only Murders In The Building Pulled Off A Nearly Silent Episode

The latest episode of the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building will be almost completely dialogue-free, prompting fans to wonder how such a feat was pulled off. Since kicking off at the tail-end of August, the series – which stars comedy legends, Martin Short and Steve Martin, alongside musician-turned-actor Selena Gomez, has proved to be an engaging whodunnit that incorporates the popularity of true crime podcasts.

Set in a prestigious New York City apartment complex, the lives of former Broadway director, Oliver Putnam (Short), former 1980s TV star, Charles Haden-Savage (Martin), and Mabel Mora – a young woman who claims to be renovating her aunt’s apartment – unexpectedly connect after resident Tim Kono dies. A big part of the program’s appeal is the inclusion of Short and Martin, who have a lengthy history as comedic icons. Fans of the duo have instantly been drawn to the series, which reached the status of most-watched Hulu comedy premier ever and was recently renewed for a second season. But aside from its star power, Only Murders in the Building is genuinely engaging, and the mystery of who killed Kono and why, continues to grow with each subsequent episode.

As Only Murders in the Building moves closer to its season finale, the staggering of its episodes has proved an excellent method for keeping the mystery fresh. Each new episode introduces a new clue, while keeping the focus on a specific character. In the next episode, however, which is due to arrive today (September 28^th), viewers will be treated to a nearly dialogue-free episode – something that is no easy task to pull off, especially when it comes to the murder mystery genre. While speaking with The Wrap about the upcoming episode, series co-creator John Hoffman had the following to say:

“There were times where there was more dialogue in the episode, and through editing, we thought, no, no, let’s really try to stick to it and take it all out until the last line of the episode. And really, the only spoken line is the very last line. So it felt like an accomplishment, in a big way, by the time we realized, oh, we’ve actually really told the full story and we managed not to have dialogue.”

The episode, entitled “The Boy From 6B” takes its inspiration from Charles, the deaf son of Oliver and Mabel’s podcast sponsor, Teddy Dimas (Nathan Lane). But while silence can be an understandable part of sneaking about for clues to a murder, that same silence also continues throughout a date between Charles and love-interest Jan (Amy Ryan). Clearly this is a tactic that few TV programs have employed, and as of this writing, it remains unknown whether or not OMITB succeeds with its nearly dialogue-free episode so far along into the series. Still, if any two comedians can still make silence funny, it’s Martin and Short.

With only three more episodes left in its season after “The Boy From 6B,” it’s clear that the mystery behind who killed Tim Kono isn’t likely to be solved this season. That shouldn’t pose too much of a problem for fans, however, as it assures more great comedy and mystery for the second season. But whether or not Only Murders in the Building continues after a second season is difficult to say at this point. Solving one mystery is credible, but a series that continues to become embroiled in random murder mysteries may not fare as well.

Source: The Wrap

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Mike Jones
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Mike Jones is an author, screenwriter, world traveller and cinephile. His work has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, and he’s also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Cinema has always moved him in a big way and aside from having seen The Talented Mr Ripley more times than any other living person, he maintains a pretty darn healthy physical media collection. His favourite filmmakers include: Jordan Peele, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, the Dardenne Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Michael Haneke, Barry Jenkins and Andrea Arnold. Often jet-lagged, Mike once turned down a certain A-list celebrity’s offer to join them for a night of partying after a strange encounter in an airport.

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