When Netflix’sMurdervillethrows celebrity guest stars into an episode without giving them a script, the cast can’t anticipate every outcome. As the loose plans of the writers collided with the unpredictability of the actors, every one of Terry Seattle’s (Will Arnett) trainees entered scenarios that destroyed their ability to keep a straight face. And in turn, these talented guests threw curveballs that the cast wasn’t prepared to receive without laughing.
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You can hardly blame the actors for breaking character because these were some of the most hilarious moments of the show. It’s hard to fault someone for cracking a smile when you’re laughing so hard you can’t breathe.Murdervillehad a lot of moments thatwere just flat-out funny.
10) Marshawn Lynch Disarmed A Worthington Triplet
Marshawn Lynchkeeps a straight face better thanany of the actorswho shadowed Terry Seattle, only cracking a smile once when he hears his code name. But he breaks character in a very different way as he and Terry investigate the doomsday bunker one of the Worthington triplets (Rob Huebel) hides out in. When their entrance sets off an alarm, a man wearing a gas mask and wielding a baseball bat runs at them through the flashing lights and blaring siren. The moment the man looks away, Marshawn tackles him into a couch and takes his bat away.
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Perhaps this moment was a little bit scripted. But if you take the show’s description at face value, it seems like Lynch stopped improvising as a detective while Huebel got to briefly improvise as one of the many people easily knocked down by Beast Mode during his time as a running back.
9) Ken Jeong Blamed For Broken Wind/Silence
In the course of his investigation,Ken Jeongsneaks into the Police Commissioner Barton’s (Phil LaMarr) office to search for evidence. When Barton suddenly returns early, Jeong must slink around the office silently to avoid detection. He succeeds until Terry Seattle hits him with a classic, albeit amateur, prank; He plays a loud fart noise to break the silence and blames Jeong. As Jeong struggles to hold it together, Seattle repeats the prank until Jeong loses it and gets caught by Barton.
8) Annie Murphy Hears Her Own Logic
At the end of eachepisode ofMurderville, the guest must reflect on their investigation and attempt to solve the murder.Annie Murphysuccessfully solves the crime, though it may have more to do with luck than logic. She correctly recognizes Ms. Cortez’s (Erica Hernandez) travel history and whistle, but she perceives hints hidden in the crime scene that weren’t hints.
Arnette and Hernandez both blink rapidly and try not to react as Murphy explains. Murphy can’t help but laugh as the Chief Rhonda Jenkins-Seattle (Haneefah Wood) gives her most hilarious evaluation of a trainee’s reasoning and lambasts Murphy’s conspiratorial logic.
7) Conan O’Brien Finds Terry Seattle’s Response To Magic Unbelievable
WhenConan O’Brienhelps Terry Seattle interrogate a magician (David Wain), they are treated to some up-close magic. Seattle (perhaps a reference to Arnett’s character fromArrested Development?) is blown away by the magician’s talent and knocked out of the aggressive mindset he tried to carry into the interrogation. After seeing a card trick, Seattle freaks out and falls out of his chair. He continues to respond in over-the-top ways while Conan alternates between acting annoyed and covering his face while laughing. Arnett and Wain clearly have a blast messing with O’Brien for the rest of the scene.
6) Kumail Nanjiani Learns An Important Crime Scene Lesson
Kumail Nanjianiworks the most absurd crime scene ofMurdervillewhen one of Terry Seattle’s classmates is found dead with an old internet trial disc thrown into his neck. Nanjiani navigates the ridiculous scene with poise until it’s time to wrap up. Seattle lets him know he’s forgetting something: “The number one thing you always do is check the mouth for murder notes.” So, he gently pries open the corpse’s mouth and starts laughing as he pulls a slip of paper out. Nanjiani’s laughter proves contagious as the corpse starts laughing along with him.
5) Sharon Stone Chooses Science Over Seattle
At their first meeting, Terry Seattle warnsSharon Stonenot to fall in love with him. Despite his doubts, Stone only ever falls in like with him. Not only does she prove resistant to catching feelings for Seattle, but she also proves resistant to catching a literal heart when it gets tossed her way.
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When Seattle finds the victim’s heart stomped on the floor, he tries to take it as evidence. But Medical Examiner Amber Kang (Lilan Bowden) argues that she needs it for the autopsy. The two compel Stone to decide, asking if she’s on Seattle’s side or on the side of science. She responds, “I’m always on the side of science,” before Kang and Seattle fight over the heart. Seattle throws it to Stone who, in a very rare moment of losing her poise, screams in panic and drops the heart.
4) Conan O’Brien Can’t Eat Another Bite
When Conan O’Brien and Terry Seattle go to interview Captivating Keith’s (DeMorge Brown) former assistant at her new waitressing job, they order food to get close to the suspect. Seattle gets the “Sloppy Jalapenjoes” and slathers O’Brien’s in hot sauce. O’Brien must eat the incredibly spicy food while asking the interview questions. The first bite seems like it’s more than he can handle, but he champions on as Seattle gives him one bite after another. Arnett breaks character a bit as he watches O’Brien suffer until the anguished man finally refuses to eat any more of the spicy sandwich.
3) Terry Seattle Sees Annie Murphy’s Self-Portrait
When Annie Murphy and Terry Seattle interview an elementary school teacher, she has them draw a self-portrait during the conversation. Murphy struggles through several moments in the interview, but when Ms. Cortez evaluates their self-portraits it becomes more than Arnett can bear. Ms. Cortez holds up a stick figure with some interesting anatomical decisions while she praises Murphy’s knowledge of biology. Murphy seems like she didn’t anticipate her drawing getting screen time as she stares wide-eyed. Meanwhile, Arnett locks his face into one expression and struggles not to laugh.
2) Conan O’Brien Reveals The Ringleader Of His Childhood Bullies
Conan O’Brien goes undercover to investigate Kathy (Alison Becker), the leader of the local chapter of MAMA (Mothers Against Magic Association). As a first-time attendee of the group’s meetings, O’Brien must share how he first came to recognize the dangers of magic.
Flexing his late-night muscles, he concocts a hilarious story on the spot about his childhood aspiration to be a stage magician which ended in a 40-minute beating from a group of bullies. Kathy doubts his story and asks what happened to the bullies, to which O’Brien responds, “They all became senators.” When Kathy demands names, O’Brien reveals that the chief bully was Diane Feinstein. Becker breaks character, laughing so hard she has to turn away to collect herself.
One of the funniest moments ofMurdervillecomes when Terry Seattle takes Sharon Stone to see a corpse whose heart was cut out by the murderer. When he notices that the murderer took the time to stitch the corpse’s chest back up, he admires their handiwork and ponders exactly how they did it, pinching the corpse’s nipples and making absurd sounds as he pretends to close the chest back up. It doesn’t take long before Stone joins in.
Just put yourself in that corpse’s shoes. You’re an actor who lands a role in a new comedy with Will Arnett. You may have no lines, but you share a scene with the legendary Sharon Stone! And then these two icons are pinching you and making ridiculous noises. The corpse may laugh noticeably, but it is hysterical and understandable.
