What I’m Watching: Only Murders in the Building

Only Murders in the Building: Season 1, Episode 6 “To Protect and Serve” (B+)

I’m a big fan of Da’Vine Joy Randolph from her work in “High Fidelity,” and I’m very happy to see her back on another Hulu series in a role that’s completely different but still makes fantastic use of her talents. I love that Detective Williams served as the narrator for the introduction of this episode, talking about spending her childhood watching “Herman’s Head” and contemplating the different voices that are part of a particular individual’s motivations and life. Arguing with her partner about baby names was one thing, but when she had a theory about the case thanks to her fandom of the podcast, that crossed a line. By the end of the episode, however, Detective Williams evidently thought that the podcast might be the best way to achieve a break, mailing Tim’s phone to Mabel so that she could put it to productive use. It was interesting to see Mabel’s dynamic with her mom and how she spoke to Oscr about waiting for him but not saving herself. Bidding farewell to Charles and Oliver was short-lived, and I like that her apology came with slightly expired hummus and an affirmation that the two of them weren’t as hip as they thought they were, even if they were still not using TikTok as she had commanded. Teddy initially seemed like he would be furious about Cinda and Jimmy Fallon mocking the podcast on TV, but it turns out that he was all for it. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for the intrigue factor, Teddy has now become their prime suspect, which certainly complicates matters since he’s the one bankrolling their investigation.