Turning up for a Christmas special, Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery puts the improv comedy skit back on track with new guests Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph, in addition to another surprise appearance for which you’ll have to stick till the end. Will Arnett returns as the gruff detective Terry Seattle leading the two trainees Bateman and Rudolph, the only ones without a script for the episode.
Directed by Laura Murphy and written by Owen Burke, Marina Cockenberg and Krister Johnson, the Christmas episode has a runtime of 52 minutes and follows the basic concept of the original with celebrities walking in with no clue whatsoever to solve a mystery, reeling in impromptu comic deliveries.
Netflix describes the special episode as follows:
This holiday edition of the crime comedy “Murderville” stars Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Jason Bateman, and more.
-Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Mayor Palmer is organising City Hall’s annual holiday party and with Chief Rhonda out in Hawaii, the only person left to take over the security details is her ex-husband, Detective Terry Seattle. Handling the job alone isn’t possible, and so, he gets a new partner in training, Jason Bateman, as himself. Together they head down to City Hall, but eventually get entangled in a mystery with Santa lying dead on the floor with a sharp candy cane as the murder weapon. Rudolph comes in later as a backup and helps them narrow down the suspects and interrogate them.
If you keep your eyes open, you can point out the killer right away, even though the stars may not be as attentive especially since they have a lot on their plate with the ad-libs. As a result, the thrill isn’t all about identifying the murderer as it is about watching Bateman and Rudolph make the most of their screen time. Alongside Arnett, the trio delve into comical stunts that push you to the edge due to how cringy they sometimes get, but that comes as a given with improvs like this.
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It’s all pointlessly entertaining and lets the viewer give into a mindless watch. Bateman and Rudolph aren’t the only big names on screen, there are a few more, and their mere presence in the show combined with the slapstick moments makes for a one-time watch. However, the comic quotient isn’t too high on the bar for it to necessarily be recommended by someone to you or you suggesting it to someone else. It just prevails as one among the many contents of Netflix floating on digital platforms.
Once again, if you do let out a chuckle, it won’t be because it’s funny, rather because the actors, present as themselves, are giving it their all to follow Arnett’s lead in the absence of a script. Arnett, on the other hand, is a master at handling the comic pressure and giving the trainees a nudge in the right direction to carry the improv.
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery: Final Thoughts
All in all, the entire show is a satire and the guest starts know next to nothing so it’s quite commendable how they step in, open to everything, despite their lack of knowledge. Arnett’s Terry throws so many punches at them, and both of them fend themselves well, and the credit for the same has to go to their previous SNL career histories. Therefore, the Murderville Christmas special wasn’t an uncharted territory for them because they’ve already played their ace cards during their time doing SNL skits.
Moreover, the episode’s concept may come off as a familiar front to usual Kpop content consumers as well. This idea of the fully improvised skit is essentially what many Kpop groups indulge in with their respective variety shows. You’ll have a ball watching the nonsense unfold in front of your eyes, while face-palming nearly the entire time, compelled by your second-hand embarrassment after watching the actors pull hilarious tomfoolery.
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery is now streaming on Netflix.
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