WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Only Murders in the Building Season 1, Episode 6, "To Protect and Serve," now available on Hulu.
Hulu's new show, Only Murders in the Building, has been garnering some quick fan fervor, thanks to an all-star cast, witty dialogue and a captivating murder mystery plot. Part of what makes it work so well, though, is not just the undeniable cast chemistry; it's also the character development and writing. Little details, such as the constant interweaving of The Hardy Boys, build up characters into fully formed, believable people. This can also be applied to Mabel's adoration of an iconic Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character -- Detective Elliot Stabler.
The show centers around Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) as they investigate the death of one of their neighbors in the building, Tim Kono. Though the police rule it a suicide, they feel his death was suspicious and form a makeshift gang of sleuths to investigate while starting their own true-crime podcast in the process. As the show goes on, more is revealed about Mabel's own connection to the deceased.
In Season 1, Episode 6, "To Protect And Serve," Only Murders in the Building takes viewers back home to Mabel's childhood bedroom at her mom's house. In a short bit of dialogue and some clever set dressing, they further cement her character traits and personality, showing her true crime and mystery obsession was always a part of her personality.
When Oscar and Mabel go up to her bedroom, it's revealed that childhood-Mabel had a life-sized cardboard cutout of Detective Elliot Stabler from Law & Order: SVU. Oscar notes it and comments on it, lightly joking about her enduring crush on Stabler. Mabel rightfully defends herself, casually mentioning how he's "always kept it tight." With the internet's growing appreciation for actor Christopher Meloni's fit physique, it's also a cute pop culture reference, as Only Murders in the Building viewers are likely also engrossed in the world of SVU.
But even more so than a tongue-in-cheek nod to Stabler's internet-breaking viral Men's Health cover, it's a clever way to layer in levels of Mabel's personality and reinforce her natural inclinations. As a girl who grew up to fall in with a group of friends calling themselves "The Hardy Boys" and as an adult now working alongside two older men in her building to solve the real-life mystery of her friend Tim Kono's murder, it only makes sense that she would have been a fan of crime dramas and sleuthing shows all her life.
As Only Murders in the Building continues its freshman season, audiences can likely expect more character layers to be revealed, from important connections to subtle details that reinforce traits or explain how they grew up to be who they are today. It's likely we'll get some answers as to who killed Tim Kono by the season's end. Still, with the show already having been renewed for a second season, there will probably be new questions raised and more levels of character histories -- and futures -- to explore.
To see proof of Mabel's childhood love of SVU's Stabler, the newest episode of Only Murders in the Building is available now on Hulu.