Only Murders in the Building season five picks up where season four left off, with the lovable trio beginning the episode reacting to Lester’s surprising death, only to discover a severed finger in the shrimp cocktail. The remainder of the episode follows Mabel, Oliver, and Charles, comedically looking for evidence to prove that Lester’s death was not an accident. They develop the theory that he was associated with the mob, which brings the trio to Staten Island. Once they arrive, they follow a lead from a photograph of Lester and an alleged mobster, Nicky, to Nicky’s house, where they meet his five intense, silly sons. Sofia, Nicky’s wife, gives Charles Nicky’s deck of cards, which turns out to be a map to a secret casino underneath the Arconia apartment building. The final twist of the episode features Oliver discovering Nicky’s corpse at the dry cleaners.
Since season one, Only Murders in the Building has been an entertaining, charming, safe, and predictable show. Despite some aspects of predictability, notably in how the characters interact, the show is consistently engaging with memorable side characters and a strong core trio. “Nail in the Coffin” is no different, with its defining traits being familiarity and consistency. While each season has its small quirk, such as secret passageways or Hollywood, the show’s take on the mob fits right in with the silly tone. Notably, Nicky’s children, giant flower lapel, and house unapologetically embrace the exaggerated nature of their mob-movie influences. The twists throughout the episode are entertaining and engaging, with the banter of the main trio remaining familiar and enjoyable. As is consistent with the previous seasons, the minor characters, both new and old, stand out. For example, the bit of Charles infiltrating Lester’s casket worked very well, especially with the added bonus of introducing the goofy mayor character.
Ultimately, Only Murders in the Building fills a unique, nearly forgotten space in the television landscape. On one hand, its tone, style, focused episodes, and extremely consistent character dynamics make it very consumable, familiar, and ripe for casual viewing. On the other hand, each episode is consequential, and the aforementioned consistency avoids getting too dull. “Nail in the Coffin” does not forget to build on the previous trends of having a genuinely charming mystery, memorable new characters, and cliffhangers that build palpable excitement. This sort of casual, consumable, consistent television is quite refreshing in the modern television landscape of six dense episodes that release years apart. While the latter approach might result in more tension, more interesting character arcs, and more gripping stories, Only Murders in the Building is completely unashamed by its casual, light tone, with “Nail in the Coffin” delivering on all of the qualities that made the previous seasons so much fun.
Rating 7/10