This Isn't The Last You'll See Of Nathan Lane On Only Murders In The Building
Before the first season of "Only Murders in The Building" came to close, we were delighted to learn that the series was already gearing up for a second season. Now, said return to the Arconia is already in production, promising another 10 episodes of hilarious hijinks, mystery-cracking, and lots of fur-coat-wearing from series star, Selena Gomez. She'll be rejoined by comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short, because this unexpected trio are the magic that makes the show work oh so well. The trio star as neighbors in the fictional luxury apartment complex, The Arconia, who are equally obsessed with true-crime podcasts and decide to make their own when a resident of their building mysteriously dies.
Recent casting announcements revealed the addition of Cara Delevingne to the cast, which got fans wondering — what about the beloved characters introduced in the debut season? Specifically, what will become of the nefarious deli-owner played by Nathan Lane? And since we all need Lane back on our screens as soon as possible, who better to answer the question than Lane himself! Of course, in classic Hollywood style, Lane offered up a perfectly vague non-answer.
During a TCA panel for "Only Murders in the Building," Lane was asked if his character Teddy Dimas and his son Theo (James Caverly) might return for round 2. He told Deadline:
"We don't know. We're not allowed to say under pain of death. Send those cards and letters that you want to see more of the Dimas'. In fact, a Dimas spinoff would really be spectacular."
Oh the joys of an "Only Murders" spin-off. Side characters were no exception when it came to the sharp witted complexity of the series. Nathan Lane's Teddy arrived on the scene as your typical Arconia resident — meaning there was so much more to him than meets the eye. The deli chain owner and former business partner of Oliver (Short) had more than a few dangerous secrets bubbling beneath the surface and of course our crime-solving trio got mixed up in life. Amongst other things, they met his son Theo, a mysterious deaf man with his own trove of secrets. Of his time working with Caverly, Lane added:
"I had a great time, in particular, working with James. He's a really gifted young actor and he really knocked it out of the park with his performance. Yes, I would be thrilled to go back and, you know, when the Dimas' seek revenge."
A Tale of Two Dimases
James Caverly had nothing but good things to say about both his co-star and his time on "Only Murders." He said:
"I've received a lot of positive feedback from the deaf community about the show. Most of the positivity was towards Nathan and his sign language acquisition. Many folks don't realize that Nathan only had two or three months of very intensive ASL instruction with our director of Artistic Sign Language. He worked really hard to do sight translation of the script and sometimes, as the script was changing, it was really hard. One of my friends said Nathan had signing grace, just like a ballet dancer. So I guess Nathan's musical performance background was a huge benefit to the show."
Each new episode of "Only Murders in the Building" was burst of refreshing joy. The twisty murder mystery pulled out all the stops when it came to its off-kilter inventiveness. Perhaps the greatest example is the very episode that allows the Dimas' to shine: the seventh episode of the series, "The Boy From 6B." In more than one way, we get up close and personal with the Dimas', as Theo spends the episode spying on our crime-solving trio. The episode takes on the perspective of its deaf character with a non-verbal episode in which, save for some muffled sound, there's no audible dialogue.
More than ever, the revelations come fast and furious in the seventh episode: huge twists are revealed in both the past and present timeline, all whilst exploring the world from a new character's POV. Flipping the format is a risky gambit, but "Only Murders" knocks it out of the park. Whether or not the Dimas' make their return (fingers crossed they do), this episode indicates the series will continue its trend of delivering inventive bangers. And given everything we learn about the father-son duo in the final three episodes of the series, there's more than enough room for them to make a (vengeful) return.