Spoilers below for the latest episode of Only Murders in the Building, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!
Three episodes into the third season of Only Murders in the Building, and nearly every one of the new cast members introduced so far is playing someone who can be considered a suspect. From Meryl Streep’s supposedly mild-mannered actress to Ashley Park’s spotlight-hungry Kimber Mia to the man tasked with capturing on film the life (as it were) of Season 3’s victim. Tobert the documentarian is portrayed by former Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams, who was absolutely aware of the ridiculous joke made at the long-running medical drama’s expense in Episode 3. And yeah, he thought it was pretty damned funny, too.
In “Grab Your Hankies,” Streep’s Loretta Durkin successfully nails an audition to secure a role in the high-profile primetime spinoff Grey’s New Orleans: Family Burn Unit, which would presumably involve Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey moving down to NOLA to open up a new facility with a specific aim in mind. What’s more, Streep is overjoyed to be playing a mom to one of the dermatologists, since it means speaking lines and the potential to work a limp and a backstory into the performance. It’s nothing too vicious, and isn’t all that hyperbolic, all things considered.
Only Murders in the Building’s head honcho John Hoffman talked to TVLine about the latest episode of the streaming whodunnit, and he said Williams was more than a good sport about the Grey’s Anatomy jab. In his words:
Jesse was very sweet about that. He was howling [during our Zoom table read] about the reference. And it’s a real homage. I mean, has there been a more successful show than Grey’s Anatomy? What a windfall for an actress to have that opportunity…. Watching Meryl Streep get excited about that for herself is just a dream.
It's not every day when Jesse Williams takes on a project that directly references the network drama he starred in for over a decade (and returned to as recently as March 2023). He starred as Jackson Avery for eleven seasons, and has been the source of various hopes for Grey's Anatomy spinoffs, presumably with Sarah Drew's April. But considering he's starring in this comedy to begin with, he's obviously not the kind of actor who takes things too sensitively and seriously. (But what if a new surgeon character moves into the Arconia whose name is Tackson Tavery?)
What's more, even though it appears as if Loretta passed on the Family Burn Unit role in order to stick with Oliver's musical revival, Only Murders apparently isn't done poking fun at the ABC mainstay. According to John Hoffman:
More to come on that one. Hang tight.
Please, someone tell me there was a three-way crossover between Grey's New Orleans: Family Burn Unit, Brazzos, and GirlCOP. Because until that is something that exists and I can watch it, nothing else is worth enjoying.
All episodes of Only Murders in the Building are available to stream with a Hulu subscription, with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays. That's also how one can stream the latest season of Grey's Anatomy, which won't be back on ABC until 2024 after the entertainment industry strikes have been resolved.
