Lester, the beloved longtime Arconia doorman was found dead in the courtyard at the end of the last season of Only Murders in the Building. In Season 5, we get to learn much more about Lester's personal life and the clues that may have led to his death.
Our trio of amateur detectives/podcast hosts -- Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) -- wonder if Lester may have been murdered. Their first clue? The leftover shrimp from Oliver's wedding, which Oliver is determined not to let go to waste, has a detached finger among them. They now have to find out whether the finger belonged to Lester or someone else. But who?
The second episode features Lester's early days at the Arconia, where he's given the crank to run the elevator -- it's something he keeps on hand long after the elevator is automated. He meets baby Mabel and her mother visiting Mabel's aunt for the first time, then again when she's about eight years old and hiding in a closet, reading a book because she doesn't have any friends. Lester takes her under his wing, and she briefly meets Oliver, who's with his wife and son, and Charles with his stunt person, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch).
A host of eccentric characters enter the picture, and several of them are played by some pretty big names. Meryl Streep returns as Oliver's wife Loretta; Dianne Wiest plays Lester's widow; Bobby Cannavale plays a small-time mobster named Nicky; Téa Leoni is his wife, Sofia; Keegan-Michael Key portrays Mayor Tillman, who's running for re-election and wants to be on the podcast; and Beanie Feldstein plays a former friend of Mabel's who is now a famous pop star.
Things get more complicated as the podcast stars meet a trio of billionaire CEOs who may have nefarious ideas in mind: Camila White (Renée Zellweger), Bash Steed (Christoph Waltz), and Jay Pflug (Logan Lerman).
Some series aren't able to keep up the same level of humor and suspense fans enjoyed in the first season, but five seasons later, Only Murders in the Building just keeps getting better. Each season is unique, despite the fact that they only investigate murders in the Arconia. The relationships between Mabel, Oliver, and Charles are just as endearing as always and their interactions with the other characters, both old and new, are hilarious. This season in particular is incredibly inventive, with so many new characters and new locations, such as a secret casino and a dry cleaning store -- both of which factor big in this new season.
Tune in on Tuesdays for new episodes on Disney+ and/or Hulu. ~Alexandra Heilbron