Only Murders in the Building

It is in many ways a model second season, giving you more of the same, but different, making use of all the resources established in the excellent first to create something even richer in character and emotion.

This is a show that’s operating on all cylinders — one that sidesteps the sophomore slump while balancing close character work with a world that is lovingly drawn. ... This second season is an argument for the show’s staying power.

Only Murders’ second season feels more like a seamless continuation of its first rather than a whole new case, which—along with the show’s incredible sweaters, coats, and sports jackets—adds to the overall cozy and familiar feel. Essentially, everything you loved about the first season is still fully intact here, and while not perfect, it’s still a charm and a half.

Combining the talents of Martin, Short and Gomez was a weird but welcome formula, and they remain a winsome trio in Season 2.

The good news is the show’s second season, streaming Tuesday, is more like the back half of season one: funnier and more involved because we’re dealing with established characters and because the writers, led by showrunner John Hoffman (“Grace and Frankie”), have a firmer grasp on the show’s tone and a more confident hand in its plotting.

Many of the things that were so lovable about Season 1 are intact, while individual character arcs ensure that nothing feels too formulaic. The second season might not be quite as tightly wound as the first, but the twisty mystery is by no means an easy solve.

The characters are more lived-in, their quirks more fleshed out, and the concept of the show feels more assured – we start to find out more about Oliver’s background through flashbacks, and Mabel’s chance at finding love gives a new dimension to her moroseness. But this character-building doesn’t distract from the show’s main plot and fortunately, season two dives straight into the whodunnit.

In many ways, season 2 feels like an extension of season 1. So if you liked “Murders” last year, odds are you will again this year.

Only Murders In The Building, unlike the true crime podcasts the show satirizes, doesn’t go into a sophomore slump after a great first season. Now that its comic rhythms are well-established, it actually feels like the show may be even better in Season 2.

This second season, not as finely balanced as the first but still a lot of fun, pulls at those loose ends until they unravel, then unravels them more.

“Only Murders in the Building” continues its special ways of suspense. It’s a difficult balance to pull off once, let alone twice, and the second season prevails despite the newness having worn off.

The show still sails along on the charm of its two older leads.

The series largely continues to do well what it always has, balancing levity and warmth with hints of sadness.

[The second season] isn’t as playfully meta as its predecessor. Yet in every other way, it’s as mysterious and witty as before. A fast-paced whodunit that captures the spirit of New York City and its colorful denizens and diverse communities, it’s a pure delight, led by a Short performance that reconfirms his standing as the funniest person alive.

It’s mostly for the best that they’ve decided not to fix what wasn’t broken.So, aside from the fact they’re now trying to clear their own names—and Mabel’s in particular—fans can expect more of the same charming, intergenerational citizen-detective stuff they fell hard for last summer.

“Only Murders in the Building” mashes up high comedy and carefully observed human moments and Season 2 is a continuation, and deepening, of that. All three leads are aces at this, and the show is directed with a particular appreciation for Short’s symphony of facial expressions.

Not every subplot works — there’s a storyline involving Charles that makes him seem naïve, even for a self-involved TV actor — but each episode of Season 2 has at least a couple of scenes that are pure comedic gold, thanks to that sharp writing and memorable triple-threat of Martin, Short and Gomez.

Season 2 checks almost all of the same boxes as Season 1, and that makes it feel almost comfortable in an increasingly uncomfortable world.

The humor is heavily meta. Deferential jokes about how difficult it can be to make a successful sequel work to acknowledge the obvious bumpiness and, hopefully, excuse some of it. All of these adjustments, both subtle and glaring, may grind on viewers seeking the same cozy experience they remember, but growing pains are part of the process in an ongoing series, and “Only Murders in the Building” still sports the simple joys of Steve Martin and Martin Short’s incredible skills.

The first eight episodes (those offered for review) go down effortlessly and, if none was particularly memorable, each was pleasurable.

This season sends their investigation in many different directions, none of which adequately gel enough on a first pass to make the whodunit's mechanics the season's main talking point. ... If you missed this show more for sentimental reasons as opposed to the sleuthing... oh baby, does it feel wonderful.

If what you want from “Only Murders” is to watch its characters do more of the same things that made you laugh the first time around, then the new season is a good time. But — like many of TV’s attempts to turn what felt like a completed story into a multi-season saga — it does not send its investigation in a whole new direction.

There is still a deep affection for the genre, and for New York City itself. The cracks in the Arconia’s foundation are starting to show this year, and the same is true for Only Murders in the Building. But both are still lovely places to visit.