S01.E03: How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

[AnimeMania]

Oliver employs his theater director skills to analyze the case. Charles & Mabel question an obsessive cat lover.

Available August 31, 2021

                    Computer Enhance!

[AnimeMania]

I had forgotten that they said Oscar stole all of his fathers keys and made duplicates, it makes sense that he was the building's superintendent. How did Zoe's parents feel about her having a crush on Oscar.

Now that they have the exposition out of the way, they can have a little fun with the plot. The apartment full of cat hair and the dead cat in the freezer was very funny.

I think I know who the person in the hoodie is. I wonder what happened to the ring full of apartment keys?

They should really start to have the buildings tenants start to interact with each other more, do people in the building never talk to each other?

[Snapdragon]

I really liked the first episode of this but the last two have only just been okay for me.  I'll still watch it (unless it takes a complete nosedive in the next couple episodes) because I like mysteries and fall is the best time for them (while watching this, I felt that I should be in a cozy sweater drinking hot apple cider, which is ridiculous since it's currently 92 degrees outside) but I hope the show starts taking the mystery a bit more seriously.  For instance, why was the cliffhanger for this episode the possibility of Sting poisoning the dog?  That's just ridicuous.  If they had left it just with the creepy note and dog being poisoned then yes, the stakes have been upped.  But then cutting away to Sting?  As if he's really a serious contender for dog poisoner/Tim murderer?  That's just silly and any sense of danger or urgency I felt from the dog poisoning reveal completely vanished.  

[Quilt Fairy]

15 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

do people in the building never talk to each other?

That's kind of a New York City thing, everybody has their own bubble of privacy which others respect.  Its a way to keep sane in a city with millions of people.  It's also one of ideas that this show is premised on:  people don't know their neighbors. 

I've read a couple of reviews of this series, and they've been middling at best.  But I just binged on the first 3 episodes and had the best 2 hours of entertainment I've had in a long time, with a lot of laugh out loud moments.  When Steve Martin opens the freezer and finds the dead cat I just about fell out of my chair laughing. 

[LilaFowler]

I am really enjoying this show, especially Martin Short and Steve Martin. Steve Martin was especially hilarious in the cat lover's apartment scene. Gomez leaves a lot to be desired. Is there something wrong with her jaw? She barely opens her mouth when she speaks and it's distracting.

Since we don't have a speculation thread, I'll put mine under a spoiler tag:
 

Spoiler

 

I think tie-dyed hoodie guy is Oscar. I think Mr. Suarez is the one who killed Zoe (it was probably an accident, after he went to break up the loud party and then confronted her over stealing from apartments), and Oscar went to prison for him. Zoe's killer would have to be someone that Oscar would feel the need to protect, otherwise why would he do that? Why wouldn't he let Tim tell the cops who really killed Zoe? Makes sense if it's his dad.

Evelyn the Cat was last seen alive outside of Oliver's apartment the night of the fire alarm. Then she's apparently poisoned (much like his bulldog) before ending up in that freezer. I don't know, it's only Ep. 3 but Oliver is a little suspicious to me. What does he say in the very beginning? "First, the crime, then the characters, and then their secrets." The guy is broke and desperate for a comeback. I don't think he killed Tim Kono or Zoe, but I think he's a villain somehow.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by LilaFowler

[Goldmoon]

I have been looking forward to this series SO MUCH.  I love Steve Martin and can go with Martin Short, I guess.  This show is not funny.  Short's character is quite unlikeable.  I am very disappointed.

[zibnchy]

I'm pretty old. When I was very young (so maybe circa 1963) my older brother had a joke book and the only joke I remember from the book was
"How do you carve a statue of an elephant?" "Easy. Just get a block of stone and carve away everything that doesn't look like an elephant."

I still remember how we laughed and laughed nearly 60 years ago. Then Charles told that joke on episode 3. I was so happy to hear that old joke. I wonder if he has the same book. Do you think it was a clue? Maybe I'm the killer! 😀

Being old I have little idea of who Selena Gomez is but I'm impressed with her and she's really holding her own against the old timers.

[LADreamr]

I would argue Selena Gomez is the best part of it.  I'm intrigued enough to keep watching, I just feel like Steve Martin and Martin Short's over-the-topness takes something away from it.

[marketdoctor]

I've heard a close variation of the elephant joke attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, so it's...older than any of us.

If Tim Kono had the stolen jewelry, why was he having such money trouble?

And although I thought the last line would have been stronger with about half the previous swearing, Selena Gomez sold it as iron-cold revenge.

ETA:

 

Quote

 

I would argue Selena Gomez is the best part of it.

She's doing a great job of subverting the trope of "straight woman", and making some great sardonic lines.

Edited September 2, 2021 by marketdoctor

[JakeyJokes]

The fantasy sequence with Martin Short and all his imaginary suspects in an audition dream had me dying! A great thing about NYC-based shows is that most of the small parts are played by Broadway actors (Jayne Houdyshell, who plays Bunny, has won a few Tonys).

The threatening note and the “how do you know your neighbors?” theme gives a very DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Season 1 vibe, and that’s a very good thing.

[Ilovepie]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:44 AM, AnimeMania said:

Now that they have the exposition out of the way, they can have a little fun with the plot. The apartment full of cat hair and the dead cat in the freezer was very funny.

I thought that was hilarious too and when the leg broke off and he panicked and when he put it in his pocket I laughed out loud! That whole scene was the best part of this episode for me. "You are being recorded" is surprisingly awkward to work into conversation!

I don't love the fantasy sequences with Oliver, but I loved the stripped down version of Sting singing "Don't Stand So Close To Me" as he now moves into Oliver's list of potential killers......speaking of, Oliver describing what happened with the Chorus boys in his Splash musical was cringey/kind of hilarious. I feel like less is more with him. I also loved seeing him sitting at the piano drinking the Gut Milk ;-0

Another small moment that made me laugh was the conversation between the guys about calling vs. texting Mabel. "They don't like it when you call" is pretty true, and their befuddlement was funny, as was Charles' sequences of texting fails - duck you autocorrect!

I wonder how Amy Ryan fits into this, and how long until the guys realize Mabel knows more than she's let on? I feel like someone in the building is going to out her soon because there have to be some people that remember her being there for years running around with Tim and Oscar. It kind of begs the question of why Oliver and Nathan Lane don't remember her because they've been in the building long enough to remember the Hardy Boys group as kids running the halls, right? You would think they would remember a girl being pushed off the roof and falling to her death.......

This was my favorite episode so far - I can't wait for the next!

Edited September 2, 2021 by Ilovepie

[invisiblegirl12]

On 8/31/2021 at 10:25 PM, LilaFowler said:

Gomez leaves a lot to be desired. Is there something wrong with her jaw?

She has lupus, which can sometimes affect the joints and muscular movements.

[Shorty186]

Please tell me they did not just murder a dog. The cat was an accident but if the dog is dead they are dealing with a straight up psycho.

[cardigirl]

On 9/2/2021 at 2:47 PM, Ilovepie said:

Another small moment that made me laugh was the conversation between the guys about calling vs. texting Mabel. "They don't like it when you call" is pretty true, and their befuddlement was funny, as was Charles' sequences of texting fails - duck you autocorrect!

"They" really don't and you described this scene perfectly!  I was dying through it all!

I love all three leads and am having a difficult time waiting for the next episode. Darn it!

[Abra]

Just finished watching the first three episodes and I am loving it. I wish we didn't have to wait a week now between episodes, but streaming services are catching on now how best to make money.

I too was cackling at the cat in the freezer scene.

I noticed in Charles's board of murder suspects that he covered someone else up when he moved Sting's picture out of the way - I wonder if that's going to come up again later. (Aside from that it's all I have in regards to speculation. I'm going to try to just enjoy instead of try to solve the mystery as the show goes along - I never do anyway.)

[AnimeMania]

Since they have setup and established the premise, they can inject comedy into the rest of the episodes by bumbling their way through a murder investigation while exposing the entire apartment building's dirty secrets in their podcast and getting a few more residents killed along the way. I have no proof what so ever and no reason to believe this, but I am guessing that the murderer is

Spoiler

the son of the Deli King.

 

Edited September 4, 2021 by AnimeMania

[MisterGlass]

On 9/2/2021 at 1:47 PM, Ilovepie said:

I thought that was hilarious too and when the leg broke off and he panicked and when he put it in his pocket I laughed out loud! That whole scene was the best part of this episode for me.

And then later he pulled it out of his pocket and said 'it's warm now' and it was visibly fluffier and I lost it.

I think the transitions from laugh out loud to serious could be balanced a bit better.  There is some whiplash between beats.  I'm still enjoying it a lot, though.

On 8/31/2021 at 12:37 PM, Snapdragon said:

I hope the show starts taking the mystery a bit more seriously.  For instance, why was the cliffhanger for this episode the possibility of Sting poisoning the dog?  That's just ridicuous.

I think this show has decided to be as much a parody as a mystery.  Though, this episode is from Oliver's perspective, and only Oliver would think that this is a reasonable theory.

I guess one advantage of making a TV show when you are Steve Martin and Martin Short is that you have a lot of famous buddies that are interested in a small guest spot.

[Irlandesa]

After watching three episodes, I absolutely love this.  It has the perfect balance for me.  I know some reviews have said this is light on the humor but it makes me legitimately laugh out loud at least once an episode which is an achievement.  A lot of comedies don't do that for me even if I enjoy them. 

I'm also a mystery fan and I'm very into the mystery. 

I think all actors are doing good. I don't think Steve Martin or Martin Short are over the top.  And Selena is embodying a specific kind of woman of her age that is more sardonic in general.  She has had some great line readings. 

[shapeshifter]

On 9/1/2021 at 8:26 PM, marketdoctor said:

I've heard a close variation of the elephant joke attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, so it's...older than any of us.

I thought it was Michelangelo and not a joke. Whatever.

I like the show. It's comforting even if the cat in the freezer and the leg in the pocket are not funny for me. My sense of humor is, well, sensitive.

 

On 9/2/2021 at 1:53 AM, JakeyJokes said:

The fantasy sequence with Martin Short and all his imaginary suspects in an audition dream

I enjoyed the "fantasy sequence with Martin Short and all his imaginary suspects in an audition dream" a lot.
And everything is better with Nathan Lane. I wish he was my neighbor.

And then Sting! What's not to love?

 

 

[shapeshifter]

On 8/31/2021 at 11:25 PM, LilaFowler said:

Since we don't have a speculation thread, I'll put mine under a spoiler tag:

I just started a thread here: 

 

 

[thuganomics85]

I know it won't happen, but I totally want Sting to actually be the killer for some random reason!  I mean, I say this as a fan but "Every Breath You Take" already shows that he isn't above some shadiness.  And then there was his stint as Feyd Rautha on Dune....

The bit where Charles was trying to figure out the best way to text Mabel was amusing and reminded me of a similar gag on Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Holt.  I know generational humor can get lazy at times, but I think it's been pretty solid here so far (I also liked Charles about how the current generation treats actual phone calls like a major offense.)

Oliver certainly has his issues and it is easy to see why his son has been distant, after he apparently used his college fund to finance his latest in a long line of disasters.  He apparently also doesn't know a sure thing when he sees it, since he apparently passed on Les Mis, Mamma Mia!, AND Hamilton!

Finally introduced to Amy Ryan's character.  Potential love interest for Charles?  Or will she be something more?

Always good seeing Nathan Lane!

Looks like Oscar will finally be fitting into the grand scheme of things.  I suspect he won't end up being the actual killer, but I imagine he (and his relationship with Mabel) will play a big part in whatever has gone down.

All in all, a pretty good set-up for things to come and I'm looking forward to the weekly episodes now.  Steve Martin and Martin Short are as fun as I expected, but I'm really surprised how much I've been enjoying Selena Gomez here and how she plays off both of them.  Can't wait to see how this all plays out!

Edited September 7, 2021 by thuganomics85

[cardigirl]

5 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Looks like Oliver will finally be fitting into the grand scheme of things.  I suspect he won't end up being the actual killer, but I imagine he (and his relationship with Mabel) will play a big part in whatever has gone down.

Not sure who you mean here?  Oscar?  Oliver is the producer and Martin Short's character. He's been in the grand scheme of things from the get-go.

[grandmabegum]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:44 AM, AnimeMania said:

Now that they have the exposition out of the way, they can have a little fun with the plot. The apartment full of cat hair and the dead cat in the freezer was very funny.

I found this funny, too. I'm actually curious if people still do this. I come from a cold, rural area and this actually wasn't super uncommon. If you had a small animal that passed in the winter and the ground was too frozen to bury it, you shoved it in the freezer and waited until thaw. Of course, you would also, you know wrap it, but for the gag to work we had to see it.

[ALenore]

On 8/31/2021 at 9:27 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

That's kind of a New York City thing, everybody has their own bubble of privacy which others respect.  Its a way to keep sane in a city with millions of people.  It's also one of ideas that this show is premised on:  people don't know their neighbors. 

 

That's one of my favorite aspects of the show. I used to live in NYC in a small building of 16 apartments, and we actually pretty much all knew each other. But I once helped a friend move, who lived in a much larger building, more like the "Arconia".  I watched as he carried some boxes down the hall and passed in front of the apartment a few doors down from his as the guy was entering his own apartment. He asked my friend if he was moving in. My friend had lived in  the building for over two years. He told this to the guy, and the guy just shrugged.

[blixie]

Between the frozen cat and Steve Martin physical comedy, and Martin Short's hilarious recap of SPLAT! I laughed very hard through the whole episode. I am really enjoying the series loving send up of true crime, while balancing genuine pathos in it's three leads. 

[Cheyanne11]

Martin Short and Steve Martin's impeccable comedic timing makes everything better.  The conversation about texting or calling?  They made a pretty basic bit super funny!  I'm not 100% on Selena, but she's holding her own fine.  She's got a more dry delivery, but it works for the character. 

Hope the dog is ok!

[sjankis630]

I have to admit that I am really enjoying the show so far thru the first 3 episodes. I haven't read any spoilers as I don't think they have given us enough information yet for me to determine. I didn't realize that Tina Fey was in this. 

I am warming up to Martin Short's character as well. Watching him sitting at his piano with all of that Gut Milk (don't get high on your own stash?) was great. Also I am loving Nathan Lane and I really liked how Martin Short played the part with himself crawling back to Nathan Lane with the Podcast idea - and getting funding. He really delivered. I will have to remember that  "it always costs more"

Also being a Podcast fan it tickled me when he broke the news to the rest how he had already dropped the first episode. (Who knows what other deals he had to make to keep his power and water on?)

"When we have 12 listeners then maybe we can worry?" lol.

[tennisgurl]

Nathan Lane, Sting (as himself!) I love the casting on this show, I never know who is going to pop up. I really liked the whole imaginary casting call sequence, you can tell how many of the actors have musical experience among the minor and supporting cast. This show continues to be a lot of fun, its funny to almost the point of parody but is also taking the mystery and characters seriously. 

Oliver and Charles trying to text Mabel was hilarious. "They don't like it when you call." Duck! 

[sjankis630]

Of all the salutations he could have picked. Aloha was not one I would have guessed. Lol

[grandmabegum]

If we're talking unexpected greetings, "Salutations" is up there.

[mostlylurking]

Love this so much. I love mysteries and love the old school comedy feel.  I think the decision to cast two veterans and a young current star is genius, it brings in all demographics. I am also old so I had no idea Selena Gomez was an actress but I think the trio works really well. 

The best scene was the texting. “They don’t like it when you call for some reason”. Truer words. And then the repeated autocorrecting. So funny. 

I thought it was a little weird that Oscar’s dad was still the super. I mean if your kid went to jail for allegedly killing a tenant (even accidentally), you would think they wouldn’t want you to work there anymore. Also I know from living in apartment buildings most of my life you don’t exactly become best friends with everyone, but a huge event like a young girl falling off the roof?  I think people would know a little about that and who was involved. Probably not Mabel since she didn’t live there but at least the other three Hardy Boys. No one mentioned that at the memorial.

[shapeshifter]

11 minutes ago, mostlylurking said:

I thought it was a little weird that Oscar’s dad was still the super. I mean if your kid went to jail for allegedly killing a tenant (even accidentally), you would think they wouldn’t want you to work there anymore.

Good point. Plot hole, or clue? If it's a plot hole I will be a bit disappointed with the writers. 

[grandmabegum]

I don't know if it's a plot hole or a clue. Not knowing the charges, it's hard to speculate, but I don't think you have to punish a father for the sins of their son and vice versa (real put any relation in here - siblings/spouses/lovers].

ETA: But with this show a lot of people have secrets/are shady so maybe he has something on the board (I think that's who would hire and fire people] so they can't fire him. Gah!

I was up pretty much all night reading about possible plotholes/clues about everything from props to set dec to timelines, so I'm reaching Claire Danes on Homeland levels of conspiracy theories.

Edited September 16, 2021 by grandmabegum

[DoctorAtomic]

On 9/4/2021 at 2:00 PM, MisterGlass said:

I think this show has decided to be as much a parody as a mystery.  Though, this episode is from Oliver's perspective, and only Oliver would think that this is a reasonable theory.

I guess one advantage of making a TV show when you are Steve Martin and Martin Short is that you have a lot of famous buddies that are interested in a small guest spot.

I was thinking it's farce, but parody is in the neighborhood. 

I was a little shocked at the end, and then I said out loud, "Why would Sting poison a dog" and then I laughed. 

[Twilight Man]

On 9/7/2021 at 10:05 PM, grandmabegum said:

If we're talking unexpected greetings, "Salutations" is up there.

For about six months after I saw this in theaters, that was exactly how I would say "Hello" to everyone.

Everyone my age got "it", because they saw the film as well.

The older people just looked at me funny.

[dovegrey]

What was the significance of the bee flying to Charles' window in the opening credits? It only flew to Charles' window. I think it's the only episode with the bee; it wasn't in the next episode's opening (I checked). Did it relate to Sting?

[grandmabegum]

Yes, it's about the appearance of Sting. Not sure why it doesn't go to Oliver's window.

[dleighg]

On 9/5/2021 at 3:18 PM, Irlandesa said:

I think all actors are doing good. I don't think Steve Martin or Martin Short are over the top.  And Selena is embodying a specific kind of woman of her age that is more sardonic in general. 

my daughter is about her age and yes, has a similar "affect" when that's her mood. So Mabel feels genuine to me. The scene about texting was hilarious.

Was "Splash the Musical" actually a thing? And was it a flop? Apparently I am NOT the only person to ask Google about this lately.

And speaking of famous people with small roles, did others catch Tina Fey very early in episode 1 as the podcaster-in-the-forest?

[aradia22]

I have heard of some moronic Broadway show concepts, but Splash... And I actually think water features on stage can be quite effective. I liked the lake in Therese Raquin and I didn't see it but Lucas Hnath's Red Speedo had an on stage pool. But trying to imagine whole musical production numbers conjures thoughts of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. People were getting injured in the recent West Side Story revival and that was just on stage rain. 

I did chuckle at the texting/calling joke.

Honestly, a bit too much theater stuff for me in this episode. I'm just not that fan of Martin Short laying it on thick. Of late, he's almost been too much for voice work. 

God, I love Nathan Lane. 

The swearing was really over the top in this episode.

[LeGrandElephant]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:44 AM, AnimeMania said:

They should really start to have the buildings tenants start to interact with each other more, do people in the building never talk to each other?

I lived in a large building like this in chicago for 6 years and I didn’t know any of my neighbors, not even the ones right next door. In fact I find it unbelievable how much they DO talk to each other and run into the same people over and over, in a building that size. I also find it unbelievable that they had that weird memorial at all (what kind of insurance reasons could there possibly be). If someone committed suicide in the large building I lived in I doubt I’d have even been informed in any way. (But I was a tenant, not an owner. Maybe if the deceased and all the people at the memorial were owners or on the HOA board or something?)

Are they pretending the building is smaller than it looks?

And it’s inconsistent. 10 year old Tim said he knew everyone in the building (really, in a building that size?) but now no one seems to remember him. 
 

Edited June 5, 2022 by LeGrandElephant

[Ailianna]

A kid might think he knows everyone in the building when what he actually knows is what face lives in what apartment but not anything more, like names even. A super's kid might especially know to recognize everyone and know what apartment they live in without those tenants ever paying any attention to the kid.

[WritinMan]

OK, this show is definitely growing on me. That last two episodes have given me some pretty good laughs.

[basil]

Quote

The fantasy sequence with Martin Short and all his imaginary suspects in an audition dream had me dying! A great thing about NYC-based shows is that most of the small parts are played by Broadway actors (Jayne Houdyshell, who plays Bunny, has won a few Tonys).

That sequence is a direct lift (a homage?) from A Chorus Line.