That's a wrap! The tenth and final episode of season 3 of Only Murders in the Building aired last night and it was a doozy. I don't really want to just rehash all the plot points, but (spoiler alert) suffice it to say that Cliff technically was the killer. Donna poisoned him only to take him out of commission so that he couldn't perform and ruin her son's first Broadway production. With the plot sort of centered around these two, the standout in the episode for me was actually Linda Emond (Donna). She had a lot of screen time and some nice moments.
There was a general theme of what mothers would do for their sons. Loretta (Meryl) attempts to tell Dickie (Jeremy Shamos) that she is his biological mother, only for Dickie to reveal that he's sensed it all along. It was a touching moment, as was the moment where Loretta gets to bask in the applause she receives for her stage performance.
Multiple outlets revealed yesterday that the show has already been renewed for a fourth season. It makes sense considering its popularity and the fact they left us with a cliffhanger of Jane Lynch's character, Sazz, being shot at the end by an unknown assailant. I think we're supposed to assume the bullet was meant for Charles, as Sazz is Charles's stunt double and was dressed like him as she went to his apartment to grab a bottle of wine for him.
I may be in the minority in hoping that this was Meryl's only season. I tend to think it will be, as her character was planning on heading out to L.A to do a TV pilot. But you never know. It seemed like the sort of job that was meant to be a one and done like most of the other bigger names that have been guest stars. I mostly want her to move on so that we see her in other stuff. It would be a shame if she were relegated to guest spots in high-profile TV shows for the remainder of her career. But I guess I'd rather see her in season four than nothing.
Early last year, I speculated on a potential project with a great role for Meryl which I've recently started to think a lot more about and would really love to see get greenlit. It's the kind of project that seems ripe for Meryl to simply say "yes" for it to get going. More on that coming soon. Until then, I'm patiently waiting for news on any future projects.
Jeff, you're not in the minority. Like you, I'd rather not see Meryl appear in S4 but unlike you, I'd rather not see her in this than not seeing her at all for the sake of her legacy - Meryl doesn't deserve a guest spot in some TV show for the rest of her career! C'mon, she's Meryl Streep - I'm sure some esteemed film directors would want to work with her even if her roles may be limited now due to her age. I was thinking a lot about Andrew Haigh and how he directed Charlotte Rampling to an Oscar nom in 45 years. What about Almodovar? He owed Meryl a role after chickening out on her years ago (same thing he did with Cate Blanchett). I will keep my fingers crossed on a new film project soon barring MM3.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a guest spot though it's supporting, and she seemed to enjoy herself and in one of the new articles John said that when she wrapped she exclaimed that she can't wait for season 4. They actually left it open for her to return since Oliver (and Mabel) said they would go to LA in small doses, and with Sazz being the victim the trio may have to go to LA for a few episodes since Sazz worked a lot there.
DeleteAlso TV is all the rage lately so I hope we'd be past suggesting doing TV is below her, and let's be careful not to feed into the narrative that someone like her should only be doing Oscar bait stuff, because it sends a message to young actors that they can only be doing one type of movie to be taken seriously, when Meryl is showing that it is possible to do emotional drama and comedy/musical, even within one project!
DeleteI agree with comments below that guest star or supporting is semantics and really only matters in regard to awards placement. I'd add though that someone who's on a single season for a portion of the episodes and is a big star is more accurately described as a guest.
DeleteAs far as Meryl saying she "can't wait for season four," we don't even know if she meant that she expected to be in it. From reading the article where the EP is quoted as saying they'd love to have her back, I got the overwhelming impression that it wasn't planned to have her back, that she's tough to schedule because she's in high demand, and that getting her remains to be seen. I expect that if she's involved in any capacity with future seasons that her role will be even smaller than this season.
I don't see anyone arguing that TV is "beneath" Meryl. Personally, I just love seeing her portraying great characters in complex roles/stories. And of course I prefer if she's more of a lead role just because we get to see more of her. Meryl generally doesn't like to do the same thing twice.
Do people consider The Devil Wears Prada "Oscar bait?" Probably not. But it was an exceptional portrayal of a complex character. That's Meryl's magic. As a fan, my favorite is when I get to see her in original productions portraying memorable and fresh characters. Loretta is fine, but it's not the type of thing (if she were to mostly do guest or SUPPORTING spots in established series) that made me the fan I am.
Of course, all this depends on the roles being there. I'm not putting her choices into question. For all we know she might be saying yes to what she considers to be the best material out there. Or even what she just thinks will be the most fun. That's is 100% her prerogative.
It's not semantics though as the rules literally are different for guest and supporting. Sazz is a guest character, Loretta isn't.
DeleteAgain, acting like they're the same feels like it's diminishing everything she did just because it's a TV role and not a film. I mean have you seen all the hype and love for her in OMITB on social media?
DeleteIt IS semantics when identifying the types of roles she says yes to. You're talking about the difference purely as it pertains to awards. The amount of screen time she has or the type of role doesn't change is we call it supporting or guest or special guest.
DeleteNo one is diminishing "everything" she did in OMITB, whether it's TV or not. Michael Burge is absolutely correct that Meryl's made for more than cozy mysteries. She was fantastic as Loretta, but I can see a lot of other actresses doing great in that role. I'm not sure it really "needed" Meryl.
And Meryl doesn't need you to defend her. We're the biggest fans she has but that doesn't mean we are equally as happy when she does project A vs project B. Personally, I'm in it for the performances, not the idolatry.
Nobody said it needed her, but she wanted to join a show she loved with people she loved in it, and you can see how much she enjoyed it every second she's on screen. It makes me sad her own fans aren't understanding how meaningful it was for her.
DeleteTo each his own. I think it'll be shame that Meryl ends her career with a string of TV roles no matter how enticing. Of course she's entitled to her choices - we're just fans. Having grown up with her in the late 70s through the 90s in films like Plenty, Ironweed, Silkwood, Cry in the Dark, Sophie's Choice, Postcards from the Edge, River Wild, Th Deerhunter, etc, I would love to see her in roles as diverse as the aforementioned, utterly awe-inspiring and thought-provoking. I can't say OMITB is on par with these roles, musical/comedy/drama elements combined notwithstanding. Supporting or guest is merely semantics. Just this year alone, I've seen a number of roles performed by actresses in their late 60s and 70s that could have been tackled by Meryl, maybe even elevated by her who knows. Of course if she were to choose MM3 (which to me is her worst performance, hammy, overacting, etc), then I think I'd rather she takes on OMITB. I'm also not suggesting just Oscar-bait stuff - look at Death Becomes Her (delicious), Marvin's Room, It's Complicated, Manhattan (small role but so impressive), Let Them All Talk, etc - I don't think she's nominated for any of these. Like I say, to each his own.
ReplyDeleteYou can wish for future film projects without diminishing everything she gave us in OMITB which is what feels like is happening right now.
DeleteIt's not diminishing her role in OMITB but wishing she could take up projects that showcase her mega-talent in ways OMITB can't. Does anyone seriously think Loretta is more awe-inspiring than Silkwood?
DeleteWhy can't it though? Because it's TV? Would you be treating it the same if she had been doing it all in a film?
DeleteOMG it's time to surrender the false idea that people are completely against Meryl doing TV. Angels in America was some of her best work. I suspect Master Class would've been brilliant. Her performances in BLL and OMITB were terrific. Nobody begrudges her doing things she likes and working with people she wants to. That's nothing new for her. What many are saying here is that NEXT we'd like to see her in something different than a supporting role in a dramedy series. Something that requires more of her top talent and that is perhaps more screen time. It doesn't mean fans can't appreciate the smaller things too. We just don't want this to be how things end for her career. And the trajectory of the past few years is beginning to make fans a bit concerned that this could be the case. Can you understand that?
DeleteShe's doing TV because that's what's doing well right now as most of the movies that get greenlit are Marvel and Disney live action adaptations, and it's keeping her relevant as the response on social media shows. I just think that shouldn't be diminished just because it isn't a leading role in a film, it's also good for her to show she can be part of an ensemble as that's also a criticism she gets, that she can only be a leading lady when she is actually a character actor.
DeleteOne last time. NO ONE is flat out diminishing her doing TV. Give us an amazing limited series that showcases her and her talent. It's my favorite screen medium and I'm all for it!
DeleteΙt s Meryl! We love her and support her choices.
ReplyDeleteThat s all!
DeleteOur girl was made for more than cozy mysteries. Glad that OMITB rated well and reviewers sang praises, but time for some serious screen heft, a stage tour de force, or a tell-all memoir. I will settle for nothing less. I watched The Homesman for the first time this week. Meryl was pitch perfect of course, but it’s like sending a unicorn to a horse race.
ReplyDeleteShe helped Tommy Lee to make the movie. She found 11 millons for the project and the only condition from the producers was to be in the movie . Just for few minutes....
DeleteAmen, Mike.
DeleteOf course it's great to see Meryl working on something she clearly enjoyed. The acclaim was an added bonus.
DeleteI agree with the desire to see Meryl front and centre again though, she is a star in whichever medium she chooses to work in. And I still have my long-held wish of seeing Meryl in a great original Broadway production again at some point.
Here’s some quotes from an interview Jessica Lange recently gave to The Telegraph in the UK:
ReplyDeleteJessica Lange: ‘I might retire now Hollywood is putting profits over creativity’
The Oscar-winner laments the loss of 'wonderful stories'
Are you actually thinking of retiring, I ask? “I am,” she confirms. “I don’t think I’ll do this too much longer.” Her decision, she tells me, has nothing to do with her age but is due to her sense of deep disillusionment with the type of films being made today.
“Creativity is secondary now to corporate profits,” she says. “The emphasis becomes not on the art or the artist or the storytelling. It becomes about satisfying your stockholders. It diminishes the artist and the art of filmmaking.”
Given the calibre of the roles and the directors she’s worked with, it comes as no surprise that she says she “has no desire to see 90 per cent” of today’s offerings. In an apparent reference to American superhero films based on the Marvel Comics, she says: “I’m not interested in these big comic-book franchise films. I think that they’ve sacrificed this art that we’ve been involved in … for the sake of profit.”
She loathes, for example, the “frantic editing” in today’s productions, unlike films of the past where the camera would linger on actors and allow dialogue to develop. “I don’t know if it’s because the filmmakers think that they can’t hold the attention of the audience anymore,” she says. “That kind of filmmaking drives me crazy.” Ageism is another aspect of Hollywood she criticises, observing that “even when it’s run by women, I don’t see a huge difference”.
Despite her gradual retirement, she hasn’t given up on performing quite yet. She’ll next be seen on our screens in an adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Long Day’s Journey Into Night, alongside Ed Harris, and she also has a Marlene Dietrich biopic in development. “It’s a project that I would love to do, but there’s no guarantee that films like that are going to get made.”
But, with typical modesty, she dismisses the suggestion that her retirement will be a loss to the film industry. “I’m sure they won’t miss me at all,” she says.
Thanks for posting, Mike. I had a chance to read the whole article. Excellent points by Lange. I'm sure I agree with her. I can remember in my early 20s getting excited for a new X-Men movie or the first Spider Man. I grew up with those characters and seeing movies based on them that were such a spectacle was really fun for my rather philistine tastes at the time.
DeleteBut like her, I crave human stories. Lange and Streep are two of the best, not to mention women of a particular generation, who repeatedly feature in the types of projects and showcase characters that are exciting. Meryl does this to a greater degree for me, but Lange's perspective is very telling when read in the context of what folks are debating in the above comments. Stuff like Only Murders in the Building is the kind of fare that's much more commercial in its nature. While I concede that that is TOTALLY FINE for Meryl to participate in (as if my opinion on what she can or should do would ever factor), let's see her in the type of project Lange seems to be lamenting are so few and far between.
The roles have to be there, but they mention Lange coming up in Long Day's Journey. Interesting that they didn't mention Places, Please. By all accounts she filmed it this spring, which was of course a role she took after Meryl apparently dropped out. Would love to see Lange in the Marlene Dietrich project, which I thought was for TV with Ryan Murphy.
Looking forward to seeing what Meryl has in store for us in the near future. Until then, I'll keep imagining what those stories could or should be.
That’s what the world needs right now, a bit more imagination! Streep is probably enjoying being a grandmother, sticking close to home, driving fans a bit nuts with another fallow period. Having lived through those first “wilderness years” from 1992-1995 in real time (and the jumpy phase from 2004-2005 and 2007-2008), I know she’ll be back better than ever.
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