In a surprise casting move for no one, Meryl Streep is set to return for Only Murders in the Building season 5. The three-time Oscar winner plays Loretta Durkin in the popular Hulu comedy series and is rumored to be dating her co-star, Martin Short.
The news was revealed in a social media post from the Hulu series’ official account starring Streep alongside Selena Gomez. In the post, Gomez asks her co-star if she is returning for the upcoming fifth season. Streep replies: “Well, I think that depends on…,” before being interrupted by the Rare Beauty owner who says, “No, no, no, that wasn’t a question.”
The caption confirmed Streep will return to the show: “Gird your loins, Meryl is returning for Season 5! That’s all.” This line is a reference to something Stanley Tucci says in The Devil Wears Prada. Considering Merly Streep and Martin Short’s real-life relationship, it’s no surprise that the actress is back.
Meryl Streep returns in Only Murders in the Building season 5
The finale for season 4 saw Loretta marry Short’s character Oliver Putnam after they took down the killer. But their relationship was in threat after Loretta landed a new TV role which saw her heading to New Zealand.
“I find it very hard to imagine Loretta not being a part of this television show now, and I’ve told Meryl this and I think she feels similarly. It’s all in giving something worth enough,” showrunner John Hoffman told TheWrap back in October.
Fans were sure Loretta would meet a gruesome end and were delighted that nothing terrible happened to her character during the season. The showrunner admitted Meryl’s busy schedule led to Loretta’s open-ended narrative. They were unsure if the busy star would have time to return, but luckily she made time to pop back into the Arconia.
In addition to Meryl Streep, the trip of Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin will return for a fifth series of Only Murders in the Building. Tea Leoni is also set to return as Sofia Caccimelio, alongside a whole new host of famous guest stars.
Logan Lerman, Renée Zellweger, Christoph Waltz, Keegan-Michael Key, and Beanie Feldstein have been announced as making their debut in the fifth outing of the comedy show. Michael Cyril Creighton, Jackie Hoffman, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph will also reprise their roles.
Season 5 will likely focus on the murder of the Arconia's longtime doorman Lester (played by Teddy Coluca), whose body was discovered in the courtyard fountain during the season 4 finale. Lester has been a friend of the trio since the beginning of the series, so this murder is extra personal to them.
The upcoming season will also explore the Caputo crime family and the disappearance of Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio. His wife Sofia made a memorable appearance in the season 4 finale, approaching the trio to look into what happened to her husband.
John Hoffman has teased that the upcoming season of Only Murders in the Building will examine themes of past versus present New York, to “tell a particular kind of take from a New York angle” that reflects “very current things going on within New York.” He also revealed that the fifth season will look deeper at the Arconia’s hidden history.