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Super Bowl Sunday Recipes

MVHS Staff
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Super Bowl Sunday Recipes

Rebekah Choi
Staff Editor

Credit: Sportscasting

It’s the time of the year, where everyone comes together on the couch and waits for that special moment to come. It’s not Christmas, it’s the Super Bowl! 

Watching the super bowl is the time for binge-watching football and betting on which team will win. Of course, it isn’t the Super Bowl without snacks.

Superbowl snacks are the highlight of enjoying the Super Bowl at home. If you don’t have an idea of what to bring or make, here are some ideas on Superbowl snacks. 

If you’re going for something girthy, why not try a taco layered dip. This dip contains everything that you would probably find in a taco except without the tortilla. 

For the ingredients, you will need cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, avocado, diced chiles, and any chip of your choice. Some ingredients are optional if you are not a big fan of some.

The steps are very simple since there is no cooking involved, but you mix the taco seasoning with the cream cheese then add the rest. It may depend on the amount you’re serving so you use as many of the ingredients as you need in any order.

This recipe is also very filling since it includes a lot of ingredients that can feed your whole family, including distant cousins, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, anyone, and keep them full.

The next recipe is a rather unique drink that includes orange juice, fruit, and Sprite. It may sound a little odd but trust the process. 

The drink is like I said, orange juice, Sprite, and any fruits you want. Any fruit can go in, grapes, kiwis, and strawberries are the most preferred but anything can go in.

This drink is very refreshing and very easy to make, so people can have large portions of it. The prep time for this drink is also very short. It would take about ten to fifteen minutes maximum to prepare this drink.

This next snack is something you may be familiar with. A mixture of chocolate, Chex mix, powdered sugar, and Oreos called puppy chow or muddy buddies or anything. 

This snack is very popular among little kids or children, so if you have any younger siblings or young cousins visiting, this snack should be perfect. Or if you enjoy something crunchy and sweet this is perfect for you.

The key ingredients you need are Chex mix, some chocolate chips, and powdered sugar. If you want something more, some Oreos are in the mix are a great addition.

First, you will need to get your chocolate chips and melt them on the stove or microwave then mix them with your Chex mix in a plastic bag, then add some powdered sugar and shake your bag to coat the Chex mix. Of course, if you want you can add some crushed Oreos as well.

The Superbowl wouldn’t be the same without anything good to munch on. So if you are having a hard time thinking of which snacks to make, consider these tasty snacks to share with your family. 

 

COVID-19 update

MVHS Staff
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COVID-19 update

Sofia Araujo
Sports Editor

Covid-19 still at large, taking the world by storm, once again…

     Covid has taken a toll on our world as we know it. And with multiple cases being reported daily, A steady stream of panic has dispersed itself throughout the world. 

     Case wise, we are averaging 43,532 daily. Covid cases are rising quickly and rapidly. Just this January there were 10.8 million unvaccinated deaths in California alone. Death rates are at a total of 120 daily in California with 80,539 total. 

     Mask mandates are being lifted with many people fighting for mask removal. At the moment, four states plan to lift their mask mandates: Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon. Although the CDC still recommends mask wearing indoors many people around the world are protesting the mask mandates.

     With plentiful vaccines and dropping case numbers, a growing portion of the U.S. population has decided to simply live with the coronavirus and move on.

     The coronavirus is said to complete its time as a disease like the flu, It will probably never go away, but there are ways to prevent it if you choose to. 

     In other news regarding the coronavirus, the new variant, Omicron, is said to have infected deer in New York. White-tailed deer on Staten Island were found carrying the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, marking the first time the variant has been reported in wild animals. This is very big news; we have not seen this before on any wild animal. 

     The Omicron variant is said to be way more contagious than the original COVID-19. It has infected millions worldwide making cases skyrocket. 

     With many people still unvaccinated, cases continue to rise and deaths have also risen. A brief look at a chart of covid cases last month we can see a huge increase of unvaccinated people receiving the highly contagious variant. 

     Though there is still a high number of unvaccinated people, many people are choosing to get vaccinated. This is a plus because it is lowering the numbers of deaths and cases as much as it can.

     There are, as of today, over 212 million vaccinated people throughout the United States. With it being more than half of our population, 64.4%.

     California is the leader of the pack with, as of today, over 8,627,403 cases. The United States also still has the highest number of contracted victims in comparison to any other country. 

     March 13th, 2022 will mark the two year anniversary of mask wearing and the time as we know it as “when the whole world shut down”. Almost two years later and this virus is still beating our world.

     The coronavirus is still at large but day by day numbers are decreasing. Some days numbers are higher than others but there are also days when numbers are extremely low. With the world now there is hope of beating this virus.

Should Books Be Banned Across America?

MVHS Staff
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Should Books Be Banned Across America?

Soheil Khatib Ghavami
Staff Writer

Credit: Internet Archive Blogs

Recently across America there has been a widespread school districts banning books. There were around 330 reports of book challenges last year and they are currently still being challenged. However books should not be banned or even be challenged for many different reasons.

Books should not be banned due to the fact that the reason we got our freedom was to be able to have the freedom of press and speech. Therefore we should be able to have more explicit books available to the public. The argument is that children shouldn’t be exposed to such content and there is an easy fix: manage what your kid is reading.  It shouldn’t be the author or schools fault that those books are available to be read, it is a much easier fix to just watch your kid than try banning the book entirely.  Furthermore, if a school is teaching a book that you do not want your child to read you can opt them out and have them separately be assigned a different book. 

Another reason why books should not be banned is because if a book is being taught in school then it is probably beneficial to at least learn some of the concepts of the book. Just because there might be inappropriate things in a book doesn’t mean that they should be repeated. Kids should already know what’s good and bad. The books can be really good because they might make a kid even more interested because they feel more grown up now. As long as they’re taught not to repeat the things they hear in the book that are bad, the books are actually very good for their education.  The books can also help them mature at a faster rate for their age.

In conclusion, we should not be attempting to ban books and we should stop trying to make them a negative influence instead of the positiveness that it could bring. Therefore we should keep reading the books that we are assigned and not be childish or immature about it.

An Afternoon With Mission Viejo’s New Punk Band: Connection Error

MVHS Staff
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An Afternoon With Mission Viejo’s New Punk Band: Connection Error

Jason Hatfield
Entertainment Editor

Credit: Aiden Cook @aidencookphotography

      “Don’t set yourself up for rejection, this is going to be great. I know I got this motherfucker, this is going to be great” announces Muggy, lead bassist and vocalist for Connection Error before launching into their warm up song.

      It’s a roaring sound from the Mission Viejo based band, Muggy’s busy bass playing and aggressive melodicism, Sam Slater’s cutting guitar lead and clean backup vocals, and the pounding force behind the drumset from Cayden Lee.

     

     Connection Error, a band led by two Mission Viejo High School students as well as a Laguna Hills High School student was founded in July of 2020. 

     Drummer Cayden and bassist Muggy explain how the band started. Muggy explains, “Cayden and I met in 4th grade. We were best friends.” The two drifted apart and Muggy explains that he thought Cayden had eventually moved to Texas, where he’d been planning on moving for some time.

     To both of their surprise, they met again in 8th grade through mutual friends. Muggy elaborates, “we really didn’t recognize each other at first. I knew he played drums and I played guitar, so we started playing together.”

     As for Sam, she met Muggy through a simple conversation over social media. It started from a response to one of Muggy’s guitars he posted on his social media, eventually leading to the two joining up with Cayden and forming what is now Connection Error, originally called Existential Crisis Club, changing their name a few months after forming.

     As for their music, they’d describe themselves as punk and grunge, but they definitely aren’t tied to that sound.

     Muggy states, “What we are trying to do right now is define ourselves with our first album”. Muggy goes on to explain that they will then expand upon their sound with further releases and experiment in different directions.

     As for musical heroes, each member has their own. Cayden is heavily influenced by Phil Elverum (of Microphones and Mount Eerie) for his songwriting, as well as Zach Hill (Death Grips and Hella) for his playing.

     Muggy’s vocal performance is deeply influenced by Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), a musical hero of his. He explains that from a young age, he’d attempted to replicate his sound which has helped shape his style today.

     As for Sam, her uncle played a major role in her pursuit of music, particularly in her originally picking up the guitar. She also explains another reason for her interest in punk particularly. “There weren’t as many girls in the punk community, it made me want to pursue it more.”

     Connection Error has been hard at work writing material. Cayden explains, “we have a bunch of rough drafts and two songs that we completed. I’d say as far as our upcoming EP, we have everything written.” Sam adds, “it’s honestly difficult being in a band while being a high school student in a global pandemic because it makes things unpredictable. It’s still definitely fun though.”

     When writing, Muggy explains their process rather bluntly: “fuck around and find out. We’re taking a bunch of pieces that we thought were interesting and assembling them together.”

     Muggy also explains his emotion to their music: “rage, I always turn to music when I’m pissed. When it comes to music, it’s to send a message to people that I sometimes hate.”

      Sam adds, “When we are playing as a band, even though it could be stressful, it’s really cool to put all of our emotions down and it’s really helpful.”

     As for goals for their band, Muggy admits, “I don’t really wanna become famous where we are playing large gigs… I like the interaction with the crowd. I don’t want to become famous to the point where we have a billboard of us. I just want enough money to live in an apartment.”

    Cayden explains, “the goal of music for me is expressing yourself in a non-traditional, unusual way. If people don’t usually relate to the way you express yourself, if you put it out as music, there will be people that it will resonate with.”

     

     At the end of practice, The band runs through one more of their tunes. It’s a cover of “Last Caress” by The Misfits.

     The song starts with a sustained guitar chug from Sam with a loud shouting intro. The band comes in firing; Muggy enters with “I’ve got something to say, I killed a baby today!” Cayden’s drumming is aggressive, but tight. There’s a true connection between the musicians that can only be heard in person.

     By encapsulating a gritty punk sound  through their music and lyricism, Connection Error is surely a band to keep a watch for. Stay tuned for their new single and debut EP coming spring.

No, a New Year is not a new you

MVHS Staff
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No, a New Year is not a new you
Credit: Review.com

     “New Year, new me,” that’s the first lie everyone tells themselves. Albeit this happens every single year; the cause of it all– is the new year. The time where everyone celebrates when a piece of floating rock does a full cycle around a ball of hot gas. With weird holidays comes weird traditions; the most famous of all being New Year Resolutions. People often set new year resolutions such as not eating as much junk food only to find out they spent $56.78 on it a month later. Once they feel bad about themselves they end up spiraling into an abyss of bad habits.

     Either that happens or people abandon their resolutions and keep doing what they said they wouldn’t do anymore. Resolutions don’t help the majority of people because people are either too lazy to keep track of their goals or they have a horrible memory which causes their resolution to be like an on and off relationship. 

     Another reason why they don’t work is that people usually use extremely general goals. This includes being healthier or working out more but in reality, that doesn’t help at all. This is because being healthier could mean no food from this one place, going to sleep earlier, or even eating a salad once in a while. There are just too many factors to keep track of at once. New Year’s resolutions don’t work at all since the majority of people will never be specific enough to even accomplish their year goal.     

     Other times people have goals, but most of these goals are just popular goals and not goals that they would want to do. It’s like taking someone who plays basketball and making them practice for soccer,  it just doesn’t make sense and ends up being a disaster. 

    Without any sense of desire, a person has no reason to feel obligated to fulfill “their” so-called goals.

     Not only do people lack in detail but also in motivation. Everyone gets it at some point- where they just want to be on their phone, sleeping, or watching TV.  Though most of the time, people stay in these slumps and that doesn’t help them have success unless their goal is to be a professional couch potato. 

    The most common example would be studying to get better grades because most people don’t want to study and instead want to hang out with friends or whatever they do in their free time. Not that socializing is bad or anything, there are plenty of people who probably need to work on it a bit more, but if it gets to the point where they stray from their goals because of it then it doesn’t exactly help.

     Most people who have common sense don’t even care about resolutions and usually pay no mind to even think about making one. Most of their New Year resolutions end up being something they could finish in a week at most. Just because resolutions can work doesn’t mean that they do work for the majority of people.

The Truth about New Year’s Resolutions, and Why They Work.

MVHS Staff
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The Truth about New Year’s Resolutions, and Why They Work.

Megan Leboff
Staff Writer

With the start of the new year, many are wondering if they should even bother with resolutions; here’s why you should.

Credit: Billboard.com

     It happens every year. People gathered around the tv, waiting in anticipation for that giant, fabulous ball in New York to drop. When it finally does, people cheer, noisemakers go wild, and corks fly off champagne bottles. The official start of the New Year. But this time around, many people have ditched a crucial next step: new year’s resolutions. 

     Many will tell you they don’t work, that they’re just an ephemeral manifestation of our regrets of last year; the things we hoped to accomplish but never got around to it. But resolutions can be so much more than that, if you do them right. 

     The most common mistake made by resolutioners is setting their goals too high. Maybe it’s doubling your salary, or working out every day. Sometimes, these goals are simply unachievable. And while setting your goals high at the very start of the new year may seem like a good idea, once you get around to it, it is exceedingly likely you’ll get overwhelmed, and simply give up.

     With so many people frustrated seeing as their resolutions for last year didn’t come true, you might be wondering: how do you do new years resolutions right? 

     Let me set a scene for you: It’s 11:00 pm, an hour before the new year. The LeBoffs are sitting in the living room laughing, crafting, and occasionally glancing at the New Years celebration entertainment on TV. They’re making vision boards — filling the once blank poster with pictures that embody their goals, and embellishments that make it their own. 

     Everybody’s is different; my mom had 4 big printed pictures on her’s, covering the rest in glitter, while mine was filled end to end with pictures. My dad even drew his own pictures (adding googly eyes of course). And when the ball finally dropped in New York, we presented our posters to the family. 

      We kept it vague, so, for example, I had a picture of a gym. Instead of saying “I’m going to work out every single day” I simply said “I’d like to work out more”

     Then, once the night had come to a close, we all hung up our vision boards in a spot we would see nearly every day — a constant reminder of what we would like to achieve. A year later; I can tell you that every single thing on my vision board was fulfilled. Same thing for the rest of my family. Those vision boards really worked. 

     They served as a gentle reminder throughout the year to get my life together, and possibly even make it better. There were no overwhelming feelings, no crazy expectations, just pictures on a board. 

     Now of course a vision board isn’t required in order to make your new year’s resolutions, but there are a few things that will make your resolutions more likely to succeed. First, make your goals vague. You never know what is going to happen in the new year, so you need your resolution to be adaptable. 

     Second, keep your resolutions close to you throughout the year. The only reason I was able to complete my goals is because I was reminded of them every day. 

      And finally, know that you’re not perfect. You’re not going to complete your goals in a day, and some days, you may even feel like you went backwards. But stick with it, and by the end of the year, you’ll find yourself to be a better person than you were a year before.

The Impact of COVID-19 On Sports

MVHS Staff
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The Impact of COVID-19 On Sports

Sofia Araujo
Staff Writer

Credit: The Washington Post

     The coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, first made itself apparent in 2019 striking the world with it’s terrible disease. With covid our world as we knew it was “shut down”, and along with it our sports. 

     Within the world of sports from March 6 to March 13, the effects of the coronavirus similarly moved from an ominous but isolated curiosity — a few games with no fans in the stands— to a full blown crisis.

     Just within a 24 hour span of Wednesday evening to Thursday evening the NBA, the ATP Tour, Major League Soccer, the NHL, Major League Baseball, the WTA, the NCAA and the PGA Tour suspended, delayed or just canceled the remainder of their seasons. 

     When sports shut down the world had nowhere to turn to. With nothing to watch and no teams to support the world turned into more of a mess. Many people took it upon themselves to protest the closing of these sports, causing even more of a mess with no one to clean it up. 

     Many of these teams lost players and even had some retire from their chosen sport. The way that covid impacted our sports was and is definitely one for the books. It was very apparent how many people relied on these sports to give them guidance and security. 

     This shut down of sports had been the biggest in a very long time. Not even in the crisis of 9/11 had there been such a massive closing. Covid-19 had changed everything. Playing through world war ll and playing after 9/11 was the nation’s way of healing but playing through this invisible virus would not have solved the problem it would have added to it.

     In the beginning of all of this many sports teams just played without fans in the stadium, which of course was very strange to watch and to see. When the national anthem played across Goldfarb Gymnasium, almost 1,100 seats echoed in emptiness and loneliness.

     Not only was this cancellation a major setback on the professional league teams, it also highly affected highschooler’s chances at scholarships. With many of the highschool teams not playing their games it affected whether scouts were coming to see them. Along with this many of the college level players remain for an extra year just so they could gain back the year that they so unfortunately lost. 

     Junior year for highschoolers is the prime year to get recruited to play for colleges and to earn scholarships. Without this opportunity to be seen many kids lost their only way into college.

    Going back to major league sports many teams lost sponsorships and money. With no fans in the stadiums paying for tickets to watch teams play there was a major setback in how much money these popular teams were bringing in. 

     Engagement time on teams began to go down as many people would argue “it’s just not as fun watching it as it is being there”. Many sports teams started up again in the late summer of 2020, taking almost a 5 month break. Which is not that long considering we have been in a pandemic for 3 years. 

     As sports began to return it was almost as if the world was slowly piecing itself back together. We had gotten back a part of us that we so helplessly needed to help bring everything back together.

     The Olympics being a sports-crazed event continues to be delayed with it’s new date being for winter, February 2022, and summer being July of 2024. Slowly but surely we are beginning to piece our world back together, and sports was the perfect first piece to come back. 

New Year New Me, Round Two – Lunar New Year

MVHS Staff
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New Year New Me, Round Two – Lunar New Year

Breanna Huynh 
Feature Editor

What Asian Americans are doing for Lunar New Year. 

Credit: TripSavvy

     If you didn’t like how you started off the new year, don’t worry, you have a second shot on February 2nd with Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year, commonly associated with Chinese New Year, is one of the biggest celebrations in East and Southeast Asia with a few countries like Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea celebrating it. 

     One of the main aspects of Lunar New Year is flying home to family and friends, dressing up, receiving money, and embracing your culture. With the pandemic last year preventing many Asian Americans from participating in their usual activities, many are excited this year to be able to see their family and friends. 

     Amelia Chang, a junior, excitedly describes that this year her and her family are going to celebrate with friends and continue their long-standing tradition of making dumplings with their grandparents. 

     One of Chang’s friends is Yu Xin Cheng, a senior at Mission Viejo High School where their family will also host a big gathering the day before Lunar New Year with their family friends, dress up, and make longevity noodles together.

     Cheng recalls this as one of her favorite parts of Chinese New Year because “we all gather in a big group, mixing longevity noodles with various ingredients and wishing each other blessings for the new year.” 

     Wishing people good luck is another central part of New Year in various cultures, such as Tet, the Vietnamese New Year (also held on the same day as Chinese New Year). Children will dress up in their áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese dress, and wish their elders good health or wealth to receive red envelopes filled with money. 

     Chan Trinh, a senior at Mission excitedly recalls the feeling of receiving her red envelopes because “there’s nothing like wearing an áo dài, singing karaoke, and counting the money I receive.” 

     She adds on that “Even though I only celebrate with my two cousins, I’m happy that I can go to the street festivities in Little Saigon this year and see other people dress up.”

     Trinh’s situation is different from other Asian Americans who have family overseas such as Annabelle Park, a senior at OSCA (Orange County School of the Arts), whose extended family resides in South Korea. 

     “This year, my family will be making tteokguk (rice cake soup) with namul (seasoned vegetables), galbi-jjim (braised short ribs), jeon (cod pancake), and homemade dumplings. Then, we’ll drive to Koreatown in Los Angeles to eat and explore,” relays Park. 

     Like Park, Kaylie Tiaokhiao, a sophomore at Mission, will spend the new year eating lots of Thai or Chinese food and will “gather at one of our relatives’ houses…with a lot of decorations and red envelopes” as opposed to spending the new year at home and facetiming relatives last year.  

     Decorations are another important aspect of Lunar New Year as many houses are decorated in red with the animal of the year. Every year, the animal changes based on the Chinese zodiacs and the year it correlates to and is supposedly used to determine your fortune for the year. 

     So anyone born in the years 2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974… can celebrate as this year, it is the year of the tiger. The tiger, according to the Chinese horoscope symbolizes strength and braveness but while this is their “birth-sign year” it is expected that they will face challenges and obstacles so wearing red symbolizes good luck. 

     Although a lot of countries in Asia use the lunar calendar, many individuals do not use it for their daily lives, choosing instead to use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar we use in the United States). The Chinese calendar on the other hand is mainly used for marking down birthdays or keeping track of special events, like Lunar New Year. 

     That’s why Lunar New Year is a special holiday for many Asian Americans who rejoice in a day where they can be proud of their heritage. Trinh states that, “It’s a chance to reconnect with family and my cousins and I always learn how to make something new each year so we bond and further learn more about our culture.” 

     Additionally, for Cheng whose parents left their family back in Singapore, the new year “allows me to embrace my culture and be proud of it. Since I’m a second generation immigrant in America, I don’t have that same connection to my extended family or culture back in Asia, so I think it’s an important holiday for me to connect back to my roots.” 

UNICEF- For Every Child

MVHS Staff
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UNICEF- For Every Child

Eja Fromm
Co Editor In-Chief

An introduction to MVHS’s UNICEF: an organization that works toward providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children and young people worldwide!

Credit: Unicef

     Mission seniors Kendall Eulo (president), Katrina Simon (vice president), Sarah Hobiera (secretary) and Kiana Farahani (treasurer) organized the club to be recognized: UNICEF. 

     UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children. Founded in 1946, they helped many children and young adults thrive while working with them to fulfill their full potential. 

     The club at Mission was organized during the pandemic when most of the school was online. President Eulo mentioned, “I started it junior year after the pandemic started because I wanted a way to help somehow. UNICEF was focused on covid relief in underdeveloped countries who don’t have access to healthcare and sanitary supplies.”

     It wasn’t possible to hold meetings in-person, so the club leaders hosted zoom meetings. The purpose of the meetings was to raise money to donate towards the non-profit organization, along with informing the community about humanitarian problems around the world. 

     During the meetings, the leaders of the club informed students apart of UNICEF about human trafficking issues, the syrian crisis, and other world issues. 

     Eulo started the club because she was, “looking more into UNICEFs purpose and wanted to inform and advocate for them so that our school is more aware about humanitarian issues people suffer from daily.”

     UNICEF advocates for more people to participate in the club because then the organization will have a larger impact. They are recognized on a national level as they work with communities and governments to bring education to children who live in poverty stricken or underdeveloped areas. 

     Unfortunately, covid restricted the club from hosting events. Instead, they hosted a UNICEF virtual movie night in February 2021! The movie Soul was watched via zoom while the club leaders opened up a link in the MVHS webstore to directly donate money to UNICEF. 

     Before Winter Break, UNICEF hosted their first in person meeting. Everyone met during lunch to make holiday cards that were donated to local children’s hospitals. It was a big success as many students showed up to support the cause. 

     The organization partners include global brands such as Ikea, Lego, and Microsoft. They give resources that aid towards driving innovation to help children. Additionally, they have strong connections between governments, NGOs, civil society, and private sectors to make their work possible. 

     UNICEF needs all the donations and partnerships that they can get. For instance, durin the Yemen crisis, approximately 2.3 million children are suffering from malnutrition. Furthermore, 10,000 children have been murdered amid the violence, 2 million children are out of school, and 11.3 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. 

     They are on ground in Yemen to help save children’s lives, and to help them cope with the impact of the conflict. They have been supplying therapeutic needs such as food and medical care. Partners have helped them rehabilitate damaged schools and establish safe learning spaces. Additionally, they have provided covid 19 vaccines and safety supplies to the community. 

      Amid the new year, UNICEF plans on admitting 360,000 children for treatment due to malnutrition, giving 2.5 million women and children access to healthcare, giving 5.9 million people access to WASH sanitary supplies, and to help 6 million women and children access gender-based violence mitigation, prevention, and response. 

     In order to accomplish these goals, they will need approximately 484.4 million dollars. Overall, UNICEF has aided towards helping many through humanitarian crises and has high hopes for the future of the organization. 

Only Reviews in the Building

Jim Marsoobian
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Only Reviews in the Building

Jim Marsoobian
Staff Writer

The recent-ish Hulu television show, Only Murders in the Building, has been nominated for the People’s Choice Awards, the Satellite Awards, the Critic’s Choice Television Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Writers Guild of America Awards. So, I decided to see what all the hype was about.

     Hulu’s hit show, Only Murders in the Building, is becoming more and more popular because of its numerous awards and nominations. Released in 2021, this comedy television show in the form of a murder mystery mixes all of the best ingredients like comedy, mystery, love, suspense, and friendship into a delicious tv-show stew. Well, here’s my overall review.

     Only Murders in the Building takes place in a modern New York City, specifically the high-end Arconia apartment complex. The show follows Charles Haden-Savage, an out-of-work actor who was famous way back in the 90’s, portrayed by Steve Martin. Then there’s Oliver Putnam, Martin Short’s character, a Broadway show director struggling to find a new project. And last but not least, Mabel Mora, played by Selena Gomez, who’s a young artist with a fantastic taste for sarcasm. There are also the dynamic side characters, with some appearances by Sting, Jane Lynch, Nathan Lane, and Tina Fey.

     When Tim Kono, a resident in their building, is killed, true-crime fans Oliver, Charles, and Mabel embark on an adventure filled with secrets, danger, and friendship. They decide to document their time with a true-crime podcast, which they dub Only Murders in the Building (coincidentally, that’s also the name of the tv show). Episode by episode, the team slowly puts together the pieces of the puzzle.

     The show’s writers perfectly balance the suspense of a murder mystery with the emotional bonds between characters, inserting comedic one-liners and events in between. Each well-rounded character, including the side characters, add their unique characteristics to the overall show. Who doesn’t like the “guy unnaturally obsessed with his cat” character?

     Siddhartha Khosla’s soundtrack to the show also adds to the mysterious, quirky, and mildly upbeat tone. Adding suspense to some scenes and deep emotion to others, this soundtrack was wonderfully crafted. It is also very pleasant to listen to when working on homework, reading a book, or obsessively trying to solve the murder before the characters do.

     By restricting the show to (mostly) just the Arconica Building, the viewer’s attention focuses directly on the close connections through brief elevator chats and scenes with the other residents in the building. However, the wildness of New York City compared with the excluded, closed-off, and the almost quiet hum of the Arconia Building resembles how Charles, Oliver, and Mabel fit in with the city.

     Only Murders in the Building received many great reviews. IMDB gave it an 8.1/10 and the Rotten Tomatoes staff rated it 100%. I mean, that’s even better than most of my test scores. Glen Weldon’s NPR review of the show summarized, “In the end, Only Murders in the Building isn’t the wacky farce suggested by its stars and plot, and that’s a good thing. It’s more muted, more real, and it’s shrewdly knowing about who its characters are, and what they want. It’s also very funny, which isn’t particularly surprising.”

     I, personally, would definitely recommend this show because of its exciting plot, frequent laughs, and loveable characters. Only Murders, while it doesn’t seem like a serious show, holds importance in the way that it represents the lives of everyday people. Important themes of loneliness, betrayal, and how looking at things from a different perspective is very beneficial are present throughout the show, further connecting the viewer with the characters. So, what are you waiting for? Go watch it to find out who killed Tim Kono!

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