Will Arnett’s Murderville guest stars, ranked by mystery-solving abilities

In the comedic criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important investigators: Senior Detective Terry Seattle (Will Arnett), who investigates crime, and whichever celebrity guest star he’s enlisted to improvise their way through a murder procedural. MurdervilleIt is their stories.

Based on British Show Successville Murder, the show knows exactly what it needs to be: part procedural, with the winking tone of a game-show, and just a sprinkle of spoof as Seattle forces his partners to undergo a series of improv-games-cum-mystery. As the guests struggle along with his hijinks, they’re also being tasked with correctly guessing who the real murderer was (according to a script they’ve never seen).

Whether or not it’s done purely on the improvisational energy of the setup is beside the point. With just six episodes, the show isn’t too long. Still, not every chapter hits the same comedic highs as the rest; to wit, we’ve ranked the episodes of the series based on how well the guest performs their duties — namely being a strong, funny partner to the singular Detective Seattle.

There’s no spoilers below, so whether you’re looking for an episode to sample or you’ve watched it all and just want to see if you agree with a list, we’ve got you covered:

6. Annie Murphy

Photo: Darren Michaels/Netflix

I find it very tedious to write. Schitt’s Creek Kevin Can F**k Himself’s Annie Murphy, who got top marks for her absolute commitment to the undercover portion of her episode, this low on the list. Murphy is unable to follow the instructions and spends a lot of her episode trying. Between struggling to get a word in edgewise in her questioning of subject and the palpable glee at just being there, there’s not a lot of instigating on her part; it’s more just being caught up in Seattle’s frantic energy. At the very least, she looks like she’s having a lot of fun, and while it may make for a middling episode of MurdervilleWe always enjoy Annie Murphy having a great time.

The best moment She proudly displays her badge and lives for it.

5. Ken Jeong

Netflix Photo

Ken Jeong rose to fame as a singer and actor in The Hangover CommunityHowever, it is strangely popular thanks to The Masked SingerThis is where you will find the toughest task: The final season slot. It’s a tough gig made all the more demanding with the most personal mystery of all to the haggard Detective Seattle. Jeong just loves what is asked of him. He is pretty much always laughing at the situation he’s in.

Jeong wins this episode over Murphy because it has more mystery. So his almost constant amusement at how his co-star (intentionally), puts him through his paces, manages to slip a little. But there are certainly glimpses of when Jeong really turns on his abilities, and actually seems like he’s playing along rather than just happy to be there.

The best moment The perfect slogan for his fake company.

4. Conan O’Brien

Photo: Darren Michaels/Netflix

Conan O’Brien is the perfect introduction to the series: O’Brien is a comedic stalwart, having come up in now-legendary improv groups and held down a long-running late night career to boot. Anyone who’s seen 30 Rock knows he’s not afraid of being on the receiving end of a punchline, so MurdervilleHe is used as a test case by the audience. Detective Seattle seems comfortable getting in a quick jab of O’Brien as a “talker”, and even gets pushed to breaking when O’Brien is made to eat an incredibly spicy sloppy joe.

Still, the same reasons that O’Brien is such a good person to walk the audience through the gist of the show are by and large the same reason he’s in the bottom half of this list. His awareness of the show’s whole Something often feels like it demonstrates the artifice of what we’re watching. He never quite melds into the show in the way some of the other guest stars do, even when he’s totally game to be at the whim of its shenanigans.

The best moment Begrudgingly appreciating the skills of a magician he’s interrogating.

3. Kumail Nanjiani

Photo: Lara Solanki/Netflix

Like O’Brien before him, Kumail Nanjiani is more inclined to highlight the absurdity of the whole affair than he is to just play it straight. But even as he bucks a little at the idea that he needs a ridiculous name (“Does it have to be that?” asks Cornelius Winterbottom, neé undercover-detective-in-training Nanjiani, of his undercover name) he still leans all the way in as he pretends his arms are rubber banded to the ground for a funny walk.

He spends a lot of time calling out the situation. However, Detective Seattle does get a few laughs. Seattle asks the man questions about his high school experience while deflecting his (presumably true) history at high school. Overall, this episode is a very good one. MurdervilleThis is a good showcase of the guest role.

The best moment He savors the moment when he asks Seattle about his worst high school memory.

2. Sharon Stone

Photo: Lara Salanki/Netflix

The legend, the myth and the queen. Sharon Stone has no time for Seattle’s obnoxious pestering, and while she’ll play along with his little games — to Great effect — she is zeroed in on the task at hand. The fact that she is still completely game to play along (“Difficult’s the word I usually get,” she deadpans to a suspect about her working style) just makes their dynamic work all the better.

Where some others turn gooey in the face of Detective Seattle’s brash lunacy, Stone lives up to the name and hardens herself, making for some incredible droll comedy moments as the two bounce off each other. The only thing that hurts her rank is Seattle’s conduct in this episode.

The best momentInstantly she changed into her disguise.

1. Marshawn Lynch

Photo: Darren Michaels/Netflix

Marshawn Lynch, when they are together, is more playful than any other. Murderville. Although the transition to comedy from an NFL running back is not something that was expected, he deserves his spot on the list.

What’s great about Lynch’s performance is that he is totally down to clown around when it comes to the scenarios (who knew he’d make such a good mirror to Rob Huebel), but also makes the whole thing feel like a buddy cop comedy. Whether he’s backing up Seattle’s doll DNA suggestions or defending the time-honored procedural cross-talk — “Then act like you can’t!” he yells at the witness who says he can hear everything they’re saying — Lynch puts the team on his back and just runs with it.

The best moment They make a slight aside as they get back to the station.

MurdervilleNetflix now has season 1 available for streaming.