Only Murders in the Building returns with a heavily banked cast for its fifth season as the central mystery shifts to the death of The Arconia’s longtime doorman, Lester. The trio of podcasters — Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) — must interrogate a new crop of residents, neighbors and high-profile visitors to determine who killed the much-loved caretaker.
The season picks up after the Season 4 finale, when the trio solved the killing of Sazz and discovered Lester’s blood-soaked body in the courtyard fountain. Season 5 introduces a mix of familiar faces and high-profile guest stars who arrive with ties to the building and to one another: Dianne Wiest as Lorraine Coluca, the bereaved widow and former opera singer; Bobby Cannavale as Nicky Caccimelio, a man with apparent old-world organized ties; Téa Leoni as Nicky’s wife Sofia Caccimelio, who first appeared at the close of Season 4; Logan Lerman as Jay Pflug, scion of a pharmaceutical family; Renee Zellweger as Camila White, a powerful real estate magnate; Christoph Waltz as Sebastian “Bash” Steed, a tech billionaire and longevity enthusiast; Beanie Feldstein as Althea (who also goes by Thé), an old friend and rival of Mabel’s; and Keegan-Michael Key as Mayor Tillman. Meryl Streep also returns to the series.
Several guest characters are introduced across the season’s opening episodes. Bobby Cannavale’s Nicky Caccimelio, described in the series as connected to the borough’s dry-cleaning business, is central to the early investigation; his wife Sofia first appeared in the Season 4 finale seeking help to find him. Logan Lerman’s Jay Pflug is identified in dialogue as coming from a pharmaceutical family whose products are blamed in the show for creating widespread addiction; the character appears in Episode 3, titled “Rigor.” Renee Zellweger’s Camila White is portrayed as a billionaire real-estate magnate with extensive hotel holdings. Christoph Waltz’s Bash Steed debuts as a tech entrepreneur with a reported net worth noted in the episodes. Beanie Feldstein’s Althea appears in a Season 5 flashback before rejoining the present-day cast as a new Arconia resident and a source of tension for Mabel. Keegan-Michael Key appears in Episode 1 to deliver a eulogy at Lester’s wake as Mayor Tillman, a role that situates city politics amid the mystery.
Dianne Wiest’s Lorraine Coluca, introduced in the season premiere, is positioned as a potentially important witness: she was married to Lester for decades and is described in the series as one of the people who knew him best. The first three episodes of Season 5 focus on setting up the intertwined personal and institutional stakes — from long-standing building disputes and alleged criminal ties to the arrival of very wealthy newcomers — that the podcasters will navigate.
The trio’s investigation in Season 5 is framed around both intimate Arconia history and broader themes introduced through the new players: questions of wealth and influence, generational conflict within organized networks, and the way public personas can mask private motives. The season’s opening episodes alternate between present-day inquiry and flashbacks that deepen the relationships between Mabel and the new characters, notably establishing Althea/Thé as a frenemy and clarifying Sofia’s role in Nicky’s disappearance.
Hulu released the first three episodes of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 simultaneously; new episodes stream on Hulu on Tuesdays at 12 a.m. ET. For viewers without an existing subscription, Hulu’s basic ad-supported plan is listed at $9.99 per month, with an ad-free tier at $18.99 per month. Disney+ bundle options that include Hulu are available at varying price points.
Producers and showrunners have continued the series’ tradition of recruiting prominent film and television actors for limited arcs that reshape the Arconia’s social landscape each season. With an ensemble that ranges from comic performers to Oscar winners, Season 5 aims to weave the building’s domestic dramas into a larger, star-driven whodunit as the investigation into Lester’s death unfolds.