Wednesday, May 20, 2026

TV: “Only Murders in the Building” Ends Its Best Season Revealing Who Killed Lester, and Sets Sights on London with New Victim

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The fifth and best season of “Only Murders in the Building” wraps up toda on Hulu.

Who killed Lester the Doorman? I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.

Does it even matter? The fun of Steve Martin-Martin Short-Selena Gomez’s show is getting to the end, not the actual end. The reveals are really just a way to give John Hoffman more time to conceive and write the next season.

A lot of people are arrested and carted away at the end of the final episode. And a new victim is revealed. I won’t tell you who it is, but she’s from inside the “Murders” family although we didn’t see her this season.

That means this person will be seen a lot in flashbacks in season 6, which will take the gang to London only if briefly. I’m looking forward to it.

Hoffman was very smart this season. He learned a lesson, pared back the cast to focus on the main trio more.zani The casting was also much better, with Dianne Wiest an absolute gem as Lester’ wife, Bobby Cannavale and Tea Leoni as a convincing mob couple, Beanie Feldstein as a fun new neighbor, and so on.

Plus, I loved the actress who played the grandmother in the wheelchair. And the new doorman, Randall, played by Jermaine Fowler. Richard Kind added a much needed zaniness. And David Patrick Kelly, as a custodian who lives in the basement, was genius.

Meryl Streep was back this season as Loretta, now Martin Short — er Oliver’s — wife. Of course she was good. But they used a device of having Loretta speak in a lot of accents — sending up Streep’s legendary talent for voices — and it couldn’t have been better.

On to London!

PS note to producers: Please bring Amy Ryan back as Jan

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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