‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3: Steve Martin Hopes Charles Never Grows
The season 2 finale is about to stream on Hulu and Steve Martin is already looking towards Only Murders in the Building Season 3. Granted, it’s interviewers who keep asking him about next season. Co-creator and star Martin had a healthy perspective on moving forward, in that change should be avoided.
Martin and co-creator John Hoffman were guests on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast on Aug. 11 to discuss the show’s Emmy nominations for season 1. Looking ahead to Only Murders in the Building Seson 3, Martin insists his character not grow. The season finale of Only Murders in the Building premieres Aug. 23 on Hulu.
The season finale has no impact on Steve Martin’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3 character
Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage. While he and his neighbors Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) solve a new mystery every season, Charles doesn’t change much. That goes for Only Murders in the Building Season 3 also.
“I know how season 2 ends,” Martin said on Awards Circuit. “Season 3, I’m very happy with my character not growing. They always say, ‘Well, what’s the arc of the character? What does he learn?’ Nothing. He’s 75. There’s not a lot left to learn. There’s only more mistakes so I don’t worry about those things being true to the character. Marty Short is true to Oliver and I’m true to Charles, we can’t go wrong. They’re real people.”
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 3 could still surprise Steve Martin
Martin said the most surprsising parts of Only Murders in the Building are unrelated to the plot or characters. They’re when Charles and Oliver go off on tangents. So Only Murders in the Building Season 3 is sure to take off on many random tangents again.
Also what I like are the little crazy moments. Like when Marty Short and my character get into a discussion about Iran Contra. When you see that on the page you go is that a tune out moment? When you start talking about Iran Contra? We realized the humor is in the riff, in the riffing. There’s always the Estelle Reiner moment that I believe in which is in When Harry Met Sally after the big orgasm scene. The laugh comes when they cut to Estelle Reiner who’s looking at them. In this case it’s when they cut to Selena who’s like, ‘Guys, what’s going on?’
Steve Martin, Awards Circuit podcast, 8/11/22
Steve Martin and Martin Short keep their characters from changing
Hoffman added that Martin and Short are very protective of their characters. If he writes something for Only Murders in the Building Season 3 that doesn’t feel right, they’ll make sure to let him know.
“They’re very vocal about that with me which I love,” Hoffman said. “Now that we’re deeper in, they have a sense of their characters that I can’t possibly know. Whenever something bumps for them or something feels not right for the character, we get right in there and discuss it and I love hearing from them. Usually, it’s backed up with some genius or brilliance.”
