TVLINE | When the murder victim rolls over and we see it’s Tina Fey, Mabel IDs her as Cinda — but there’s a question mark in her delivery. Paul Rudd has played multiple characters on this show… what are the chances this is Tina Fey playing someone else — maybe a doppelgänger who just happens to look like Cinda?
I will certainly not discount anyone’s theories. But I will say that an opportunity to look at that character — basically the one who started it all for our trio — felt like too rich an opportunity. And the opportunity to work with Tina Fey more? That would be fantastic, as it’s always been. But yeah, that’s an interesting theory.
TVLINE | The red curls… those establishing shots before the reveal of Cinda’s face… I’m not sure if this was deliberate, but because Natasha Lyonne stars on “Poker Face,” a thematically similar show over on Peacock, I immediately thought of her — and wondered if maybe she’d been stunt-cast as your next victim. Intentional or happy accident?
Happy accident! I love her and I’m such a fan of that show, but I never thought about it. I was so focused on keeping [Tina’s return] a secret until the final moment when the body turns over. If people thought of Natasha, great! But our goal was to make sure every bit of that narration led you to think about who Cinda was defending.
TVLINE | With Bunny, Sazz and Lester, those were all victims we knew. Cinda also falls into that category — but she’s not exactly a friend or a foe. What did you find most appealing about making her the next victim, beyond the chance to bring Tina back in a big way?
So much of an opportunity, as always — like with Lester, with Sazz — to dimensionalize. We think we know these people, and then we get to reveal things about them that feel deeper, bigger, more compelling — much like a human life. Looking at Lester through Episode 2 and seeing 30 years of what he had as the Arconia’s doorman… and now looking at Cinda Canning, as you just framed her. She’s neither friend nor foe. You don’t know if you like her or not, but she’s fun to watch. Is she a villain? Is she out for blood? Would she really do turn to our trio if she were up against it? All of those questions felt really compelling — especially when buttressed against the nature of the storytelling all four of them now have been involved in.
TVLINE | We know Season 6 will take Charles, Oliver and Mabel to London — but will the Arconia still serve as home base, or is this truly a new setting for the entire season?
It’s fair to say it’s an entirely new setting next year. Season 5 was so centralized in the Arconia — its history, its future, everything was on the line for that building. We went down the road of “What does home really mean to this trio?” and “What do we fight for?” Once we did that, it felt right to shake it up and put our trio in a completely different situation — one that makes perfect sense for our show and adds a jolt of the unexpected. There will always be ties; their home in New York will remain relevant to everything they do.
TVLINE | Michael Cyril Creighton, obviously, is an essential part of this show. Does Howard weasel his way into a trip to London, or will we be touching base with him back in New York?
[Laughs] I hate to use the word weasel, because he’s nothing but love. But we’ll see. He’s quintessentially essential in so many ways to our show. We’re figuring it all out at the moment.
TVLINE | In Episode 9, I picked up on what seemed like a potential romance between Vince and Uma. Will you be blessing us with a Richard Kind/Jackie Hoffman love story next year?
How we keep in touch and what might happen [inside the Arconia] has to be part of it. But yeah, that was a nice surprise in the writing. We had moments earlier in [Season 5] where that might’ve been something to explore, but we didn’t have room. When we got to Episode 9, we figured, “Oh, we can do that now.”
TVLINE | You’ve prided yourself on filling the Arconia’s halls with iconic New York City character actors. Is it your intention to cast well-known British character actors to fill out the Season 6 ensemble?
I’d be a fool if I didn’t try. Who knows who will come along — it always has to be led by the characters we’re writing. But the gift of this show is that we often write a character and say, “Who’s the model?” and then go, “Well, that would be the dream… but who could we really get?” And because of the nature of the show, those dream people often say yes. So I’d be an idiot not to ask. It’s thrilling to think of the people we’ve gotten to work with — they make the show better. I’ll absolutely do that across the pond. There are unbelievably gifted people I’d love for us to work with.
TVLINE | Season 5 brought the investigation back home and felt like a full-circle moment for the show. But now Season 6 also feels full circle, given the connection to a prominent guest star from Season 1. I ask this every time, but do you foresee this potentially being your final season?
In many ways, I’m always wondering about a final season. This is a rare thing, to be talking about a sixth season! I’m so proud, thrilled everyone wants to keep doing it. We wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. It’s become a beautiful family, and an amazing relationship with our audience. All I care about is not disappointing these brilliant people, and writing things that make them want to come back. Who knows? If we have our say, we’ll continue until we’re not welcome anymore — or until someone says they don’t want to do it. For now, I’m wildly enthusiastic about what’s next.It’s a whole different turn — a thrilling ride to have Cinda at the center, but also to put our trio in a new place that makes perfect sense for what we want to do. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about an endpoint… but we’re already a very good way into writing Season 6, and I’m stoked. It feels like the jolt of energy I was hoping for.
TVLINE | You guys seem to keep a steady pace in terms of when you shoot and when you air. Is any of that changing this year — do you have a start-of-production date yet?
It might shift [slightly] because of the international nature of this season — maybe by a couple of months? The sweet spot has been ending the season in October, which feels right for a fall show. That’s still the aim — maybe even holiday time if we shift a little.
TVLINE | Perhaps this has always been the case, but to me, Season 5 felt like it was more about the journey than the destination. Yes, what happened to Lester mattered, but mostly it was about getting back to the cozier vibe of Seasons 1 and 2 and spending more time in the Arconia than we did in Seasons 3 and 4. As you head into Season 6, what’s more important to you — the journey or the destination?
Great question. I look at it season by season. We knew where we were going in Season 5, but it was centered on a place we all knew — and on revealing new things about it and the people we’ve built relationships with. Everyone had a part in solving it; it felt very full circle. Heading into Season 6, it’s about a new journey and a new destination — a shake-up. Some people will have quibbles, but I think we’re due for a good, hard turn.
Grade “Only Murders in the Building” Season 5 below, then leave a comment with your finale review.
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