TV Talk: ‘Only Murders in the Building’ even better in season two

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week.

There was an outpouring of love for Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” from critics and viewers that I chalk up to an appreciation of stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez more than the show’s humor, which was gently amusing rather than consistently hilarious in early episodes.

Later episodes proved more compelling as the mystery deepened and producers took more outside-the-box chances with a dialogue-free episode and another that introduced a Greek chorus of podcast groupies.

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.

The story picks up right after the season one finale as Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) find Mabel (Selena Gomez), covered in blood, kneeling over the body of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger.

After questioning by the police, they are released. Oliver is eager to start a second season of their “Only Murders in the Building” podcast as they try to solve the latest killing.

“It’s very rare for a true-crime podcast to do a sequel,” Charles observes. “They usually move on to a new case that never hits like the original.”

Mabel, in particular, is reluctant, saying she “needs a life away from death,” particularly after kissing a downtown art collective member (Cara Delevingne).

Charles gets offered a reboot of his cop series, “Brazzos,” but there’s a catch. Oliver tries to sell the first season podcast rights to Amy Schumer, playing herself, who moves into the penthouse unit that formerly belonged to Sting.

Through eight (of 10) episodes made available for review, “Only Murders” deepens the backstory of its lead characters and gives more time to the supporting cast with Poppy (Adina Verson), the assistant to podcaster Cinda (Tina Fey), narrating one episode and groupie Marv (Daniel Oreskes) narrating another.

As the Arconia residents gather to mourn Bunny, the mystery of her murder deepens with the revelation of a painting and who is captured in the image.

Just as viewers’ appreciation for the show’s first season likely came in part from the presence of comedy veterans Martin and Short, actors we hadn’t seen a whole lot of on TV in recent years other than cameos on “Saturday Night Live,” the “Only Murders” producers wisely took a page from their own book in casting 88-year-old Shirley MacLaine, evincing superb comic timing, in a key new role.

The delight viewers have in seeing these elderly stars — Martin is 76; Short is 72 — should not be taken for granted. Let’s remember: Television for the past 50 years has had a huge bias toward young talent and against older actors because of the advertising mandate for programming that appeals to viewers ages 18-49.

The sole reason we’ve gotten “Only Murders,” Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie” or Amazon’s “Night Sky” is because those outlets only care about subscriber numbers and not the ages of the subscribers. As some streaming services, including Netflix and Disney+, look to add lower-cost, ad-supported tiers in the near future, that willingness to take a chance on talented showbiz vets may falter. (Enjoy this golden age of performers in their twilight years while they last.)

“Only Murders” winks at the audience repeatedly — maybe a little too much? — about the challenges of sophomore efforts.

“Second seasons are always tough,” Oliver says. “But people keep dying, so there’s always a chance!”

Fans of season one likely will be happy the show took its own chance on a second outing.