Spoilers below for the Season 5 finale for ONly Murders in the Building, so be warned if you haven’t yet streamed it via Hulu subscription or Disney+ subscription!
For the fifth year running, the talented trio heading up Only Murders in the Building managed to solve an increasingly complicated and convoluted murder, and without any further main-cast fatalities during the finale. Season 6 is now official, and it’ll take the characters across the pond for a London-centric whodunnit. That sounds fun, but it doesn’t sound very positive for my favorite thing about Season 5, which for the first time wasn’t Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
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Okay, if we’re talking about minute-for-minute time on the screen being funny, I would probably reluctantly put Charles, Oliver and Mabel at the top. It’s impossible not to laugh at Martin and Short’s faux antagonism. But I’m throwing all the flowers and applause and handmade accolades at Nicky and Sofia Caccimelio’s five sons — Whoa! Hey! — for collectively being the biggest highlight of Season 5 in my eyes. Oh!
Season 5 Has Been Only Murders’ Most Cartoonish, And The Caccimelio Bros Nail That Tone
This season bafflingly introduced an underground casino existing in the Arconia without any of the protagonists’ knowledge, while also suggesting that Renée Zellweger’s Camila White was able to redecorate a room in the literal blink of an eye. I thought I might bump against such a blatant lack of realism, but I’d settle for any precedent that allows for the Caccimelios to exist. To lay them all out there — Hey-o! — here’s the all-star lineup:
- Dane DiLiegro (Former pro basketball player in Italy, Imaginary, Prey) as Johnny Caccimelio
- Shea Buckner (Olympian in water polo, Survive the Night) as Tony Caccimelio
- Aaron Dean Eisenberg (Power Book II: Ghost, The Iron Claw) as Braden Caccimelio
- Cory Jeacoma (Power Book II: Ghost, 4400) as Mikey Caccimelio
- Evan Mulrooney (Fargo, Dexter: Resurrection) as Vinny Caccimelio
Admittedly, I have only a passing knowledge of some of the actors, and zero knowledge of others, so I was initially surprised to see anyone but A-listers filling in guest spots, but holy meatballs, these guys! Every second they’re on the screen is upper-echelon comedy, to the point where they overshadow just about everyone else’s performances, albeit in small, compact doses.
These gents are “knucklehead putzes” personified, and it seems like Sofia and Nicky’s DNA did not mesh together very well. It’s hilarious that they just kept at it for another four attempts. The stereotypes are laid on so thick that they’re a spoof-worthy bunch, and even just their background conversation din was enough to get me giggling every time, especially when balanced against everyone else’s more realistic performances.
Whoa, Hey, One Of The Caccimelio Brothers Made A Big Impact Beyond The Comedy
I would have been perfectly pleased all around if Only Murders in the Building merely utilized these five actors for wholly comedic purposes. It would have worked. But thankfully, it wasn’t just limited to their wildishly immature dialogue. Also thankfully, they weren’t directly involved in anyone’s murder.
Instead, Evan Mulrooney’s Vinny hit it off with the core trio’s fourth wheel Howard, and not just in an “only friends in the building” kind of a way. Their laundromat flirting seemingly blossomed into a full-blown romance, as shown during the “Three Months Later” epilogue before the Season 6 mystery reared its curly red head.
Even if it doesn’t last, at least Howard has a legitimate method to take himself far beyond the point in life where he lovingly lusted after a robot doorman. Plus, this is a better love story than Mabel and Jay’s doomed tryst.
But I hope it DOES last, since dating Howard would almost definitely mean VInny would be back on Only Murders on a regular basis. Granted, that wouldn’t necessitate all the siblings coming back, but don’t break up my guys! Come on! My guys!
So despite feeling a bit more wary than usual about enjoying a new season at the Arconia, I couldn’t be more appreciative for this quintet of innocent dummies. I dunno if I could deal with a whole spinoff based on these guys, but maybe a series of post-credits sequences. For now, Season 6 or bust!