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Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building S02E04 “Here’s Looking at You…” takes the individuality and complex features of The Arconia to a new level, bringing the building agency as if it remains a character all on its own. Similar to finding out new information about someone you thought you’d known everything about, the characters discovering hidden parts and uses of the Arconia building can be surprising but adds to the mystery of stories and life.
Only Murders in the Building shows a profound love for the Arconia and its inhabitants over the first season, continuing to do so in its second season. The attention to detail in building design and usage draws up more than the obvious visual on screen. The Arconia becomes the main character, seeing everything and holding in the years of secrets in its walls which apparently also hold secret corridors.
Like any good mystery novel (or story), Only Murders in the Building makes sure to invest in the setting and how it both resembles similar infrastructures in real life while also containing uncommon significance at the same time. Many people can see a building like the Arconia and think back to maybe a historical staple they’ve known or a place that felt untouchable or otherworldly. What makes it unique in a story like the one in this series is how it uses characteristics of the building in aiding characters and giving back to the mystery genre with fun yet alarming surprises.
The secret passageways between apartments and the very public hallways (as well as common areas) on each floor become a connecting factor between character experiences and secrets. This episode, “Here’s Looking at You…”, uses timing (the knife in the ceiling ready to fall at any moment), placement (erotic paintings), and direction (dead ends and turns in the passageways) in such a unique way.
The hilarious, absurd, and often darkly comedic moments held inside the Arconia add to the building’s character. As that character grows with each new addition or discovered secret, like elevators and paintings, it becomes that much stronger as both a threat and a blessing to the main characters, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver who all we’ve come to love enormously. Only Murders in the Building continues to expand upon what’s truly going on inside the Arconia and I love them for it.
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