Warning: This review contains spoilers for Only Murders in the Building Season 5, Episode 7Only Murders in the Building season 5, episode 7, “Silver Alert,” ramps up the stakes considerably as the trio charge straight into the lion’s den. Whereas last week’s episode felt like a narrative detour, episode 7 breaks the case wide open, giving audiences a clear picture of just how callous and nefarious Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Oliver’s (Martin Short) billionaire nemeses are.
In fact, “Silver Alert” is one of my favorite episodes of the season so far, tied with season 5’s three-episode opener. It has the perfect blend of jokes, villainy, crucial clues, and creepy, doll-like children, all while showcasing the strength of Mabel, Charles, and Oliver’s bond. What’s not to love? As we head into the final stretch of the season, this is Only Murders at its best.
Only Murders Soars When Oliver, Mabel & Charles Work Together
In the last few episodes, our favorite podcasting trio was pulled apart. Mabel was preoccupied with the return of her former childhood friend, Charles was swiping on the apps, and Oliver was worried about his apartment and the return of his wife, Loretta (Meryl Streep). The episodes were still fun, but that magic spark between the three of them was missing, and it was great to see that return in this installment.
In episode 7, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel head to Connecticut to crash Bash Steed’s (Christoph Waltz) ultra-secret game night with fellow modern-day mobsters Camila White (Renée Zellweger) and Jay Pflug (Logan Lerman). They’re not very subtle about it, of course, and our leading investigators are soon caught in the act.
There’s something so satisfying about watching these two trios go head-to-head. Gomez and Lerman’s chemistry really sells Mabel and Jay’s flirtatious yet opposing dynamic, and Mabel genuinely holds her own against him. Short and Zellweger are wonderfully, theatrically chaotic together, and Waltz and Martin are both so incredibly odd that it’s a treat to watch them interact.
It’s not just the way Charles, Oliver, and Mabel handle their suspects in this episode that’s fun to watch, however. “Silver Alert” also proves just how well these three know each other. When Oliver briefly flees Steed’s mansion and gets lost in the woods, it’s his many Broadway anecdotes that save Charles and Mabel during a cutthroat game of Celebrity.
This excursion also allowed Oliver to overcome his fears and show a less selfish side of himself, which has been a recurring issue for his character this season. Luckily, he did so with aplomb; watching Oliver ride in to save Charles and Mabel on a slow-moving tractor was an absolute delight. This was genuinely one of the funniest episodes of the season, and I’ll never get that image of Bash’s son standing in a dry, dilapidated pool out of my head, either.
Only Murders In The Building Season 5, Episode 7 Ends With A Terrifyingly Devious Twist
Only Murders relies on its cliffhanger endings to propel the story forward, and sometimes that’s to the series’ detriment. This time, though, I am undeniably excited to see how the OMITB team, and indeed, the entirety of the Arconian community, can overcome this week’s major bombshell. Camila White’s plans to turn their beautiful, historic murder building into a tacky casino are horrendously, deliciously diabolical.
I’ve always believed that Only Murders in the Building works best when Charles, Mabel, and Oliver are personally connected to their victim. The investigation into Sazz Pataki’s (Jane Lynch) death in season 4 certainly proved that to be true. What’s more personal than losing your home to an eccentric billionaire just so that they can generate even more income they don’t need?
This isn’t just personal for OMITB‘s podcasters. This is personal to every tenant we’ve ever met, from the lonely Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton) to the cranky Uma Heller (Jackie Hoffman) to the pink-eye spreading Vince Fish (Richard Kind). It’s personal for the audience, too. The Arconia is its own character, and it deserves to be saved. How dare Camila White come after this fictional refuge?
I’ll be honest, Only Murders might be painting itself into a corner with this latest narrative twist. How much bigger can it get than the potential “death” of the show’s titular setting? Even so, I’m here to enjoy the ride. This is exciting, impactful, relevant, and daring storytelling, and I’m so curious to see how the mystery unfolds in Only Murders in the Building‘s upcoming episodes.
New episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 5 premiere weekly on Tuesdays, exclusively on Hulu.
- Release Date
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August 31, 2021
- NETWORKS
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Hulu
- Showrunner
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John Hoffman
- Directors
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Jamie Babbit, John Hoffman, Cherien Dabis, Chris Koch, Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, Adam Shankman, Don Scardino, Jesse Peretz, Jessica Yu, Jude Weng, Chris Teague
- Writers
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Ben Smith, Matteo Borghese, Rob Turbovsky, Kristin Newman, Madeleine George, JJ Philbin, Ben Philippe, Kirker Butler, Jake Schnesel, Peter Swanson, Stephen Markley, Rachel Burger, Kenny Schwartz, Rick Wiener, Valentina Garza, Elaine Ko, Tess Morris, Kim Rosenstock, Sas Goldberg, Thembi Banks