At first glance, you might presume a slasher sequel and the second season of a hit comedy series might have little in common. But homicide is just the start of shared terrain between Halloween Ends and Only Murders In The Building. With the third installment of David Gordon Green’s trilogy now on Peacock and in theaters, there’s no better time to reflect on how these two very different productions are surprisingly squaring off in twists, kills, and even fall-flavored fashion.
Halloween Ends vs. Only Murders In the Building: The knitting needle as a murder weapon
Credit: Ryan Greene / Universal Pictures
When bullying old biddy Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell) was found dead with a knitting needle stuck in her chest, known knitter Mabel (Selena Gomez) became the NYPD’s prime suspect. Facing down her flittering memories and past trauma, Mabel herself wasn’t even sure of her innocence, especially after using her needles as a self-defense tool on the subway.
Miles and miles from Manhattan, Haddonfield, Illinois, has become a place of seasonal terror and hissed rumors about Michael Myers and his surviving Final Girl, Laurie Strode. Among the stories that skip about the town like a candy-fueled trick-or-treaters is an anecdote about Laurie skewering Michael with her knitting needles way back in 1978. In Ends, turnabout is fair play; this time around, when Laurie tries to get stabby with her knitting gear, Michael turns the makeshift weapon back on our heroine.
‘Halloween Ends’ review: David Gordon Green’s retconned trilogy ends with a squish
Who wore it best: Halloween Ends. Props to Only Murders for setting up the knitting needles in Season 1 with Mabel’s fantasy of turning the tables on a murderous intruder with her crafting tool. However, Laurie Strode’s stab at it is more thrilling.
Sure, in this sequel, it seems she’s finally healing from her trauma, picking up cozy hobbies like baking and knitting (again). But beneath the matronly skirts and colorful cardigans, Laurie is still a fighter through and through. One plunge of the needle proves that pointedly. Then there’s the way the stabbing is portrayed onscreen, which is not only visually disturbing but also aurally harrowing as the needle makes a squish when it meets our Final Girl’s face.
Halloween Ends vs. Only Murders In the Building: The hero fakes their death to draw out the killer
Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
In Season 2’s finale, “I Know Who Did It,” Mabel, Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) pull a Clue, gathering all the suspects in one space to dynamically reveal the identity of the killer. Among slow-motion shenanigans and clever misdirections, arty Alice (Cara Delevingne) seems to confess then promptly stabs Charles, seemingly to death. Despite Oliver’s constant berating of Charles’ acting chops, the TV has-been sells this moment for all its worth, making a believer of cynical podcaster Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) and her duplicitous assistant, Poppy White (Adina Verson). In the somber grief that follows, the true killer cracks, unleashing a torrid confession, and revealing how they’d faked their own death before!
At a low point, Laurie Strode fears she’s lost her granddaughter for good. The town has turned on her, and perhaps her path to healing will never lead her out of the dark shadow of The Shape. So, she calls the police and preemptively reports a suicide, which is overheard by an intruder in her home. Laurie picks up a gun and moves just out of the camera’s point of view — and her intruder’s. A gunshot sounds, and something visceral hits the wall. But the gore that goes flying is not Laurie’s; it’s the contents of one of her pumpkins. It’s a ploy to lure in the slasher she knows is lurking in the hall, and it works.
The knitwear of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ is the show’s secret weapon in cozy crime
Who wore it best: Only Murders in the Building. It wasn’t just Charles’ (and Martin’s) convincing performance, but also that this faked death hit right before the commercial break. Viewers were left to sit with the implications and seeming verisimilitude before the reveal of the ruse. They even covered him with a sheet! Plus, a meta clue hit before the episode when Martin suggested he might soon retire. Fans who’d seen that story would have watched the finale that followed with that thought weighing heavy as Charles falls, a hero in an effort to save his friends.
By contrast, Halloween Ends‘ faked suicide was a beat so brief few would believe it. Plus, after all we’ve seen Laure live through, such an end wouldn’t have just felt forced, it would have spurred riots from the fandom. Plus, Laurie doesn’t even use that gun to finish off her attacker! LAURIE, HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING?!
Halloween Ends vs. Only Murders In the Building: Outerwear to die for
Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures // Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Even though it hits in the summer, Only Murders makes us yearn for Sweater Weather with its enviable collection of knits and outerwear. Whether it’s the argyle cardigans, heavy-woven pullovers, or that mustard-colored faux fur coat from Mabel’s Season 1 intro, this comedy show knows the recipe for a cozy crime watch is fashion that’s so fierce and fuzzy you can practically feel it wrapping around you like the warmest hug.
Obviously, Halloween Ends has different intentions with its fashion. Rather than using clothes to paint a whimsical vision of crime in the Big Apple, this costume designer must create a small Illinois town that feels achingly authentic. The teen bullies get tie-dyed hoodies and varsity jackets. Laurie’s resilient granddaughter Allyson favors a boxy leather coat that seems like a guard against the cold judgments of Haddonfield residents. But newcomer Corey (Rohan Campbell) sports a cozy-looking sweater that proves perfectly suited to a Halloween party, being chucked off a bridge by hot-headed youths, and meeting an icon of horror.
For her part, Laurie Strode favors hard-lined jackets that suggest she’s one tough cookie. But when she tries to sweet-talk Corey’s mother for information, she shows a softer side with an incredibly stylish color-block cardigan in orange and blue. Of course, when it comes to the final showdown, she’ll ditch the outerwear for a simple blue button-down that’s a clear allusion to her costume in the 1978 original Halloween.
Who wore it best: Literally Only Murders in the Building wore their fall fashion best. Cheers to Halloween Ends for creating looks that felt true to their story and so a bit blah and even battered, but it’s hard to imagine fans will be pulling together a fashion inspo board from the heroes or villains of this one.
On the other hand, OMITB boasts a bold fashion sense for every character, bringing color and pizzazz to the Upper West Side-set tale of murder and conspiracy. From overeager fans and silver foxes to fastidious neighbors and a preppy killer, every look has a bit of runway. So even as we scream because Charles has been stabbed, a bit of us also winces because it’s a shame to ruin such a dapper fit.
How to watch: Halloween Ends is now in theaters and on Peacock.
How to watch: Only Murders in the Building is now streaming on Hulu.
