If you’re not already binging the tv series Only Murders in the Building, then, first of all, I feel sorry for you. This show has everything an enthused tv watcher would want: mystery, scandal, Steve Martin reentering the dating scene, fabulous outfits worn by Martin Short, plenty of twists and turns, quirky characters, fresh dialogue, and best of all: Selena Gomez starring as Mabel Mora. There are innumerable reasons why Gomez’s acting in this series is empowering and Emmy-worthy.
- Her witty one liners.
If you loved watching Gomez play Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place when you were growing up (like I did!), then you’ll love her as Mabel Mora. Mabel has the same edgy, hilarious lines of dialogue that remind me of Alex’s. Honestly, it’s like watching Alex all grown up! Two of my favorite lines in the show so far have been: “Women who knock rarely make history,” and “I guess old white guys are only afraid of colon cancer and societal change. Sad.” Can she be any more iconic?!
- She’s a major bookworm.
One of the main aspects of Mabel’s personality is that she loves to read mystery stories, specifically the Hardy Boys books when she was growing up. In fact, Mabel even founded her own Hardy Boys friend group as a teenager that was made up of both women and men. I loved this detail of Mabel’s personality because, for most of the show, we see her in traditionally feminine, soft attire, yet she’s not afraid to test the boundaries of her femininity too. Let’s hear it for complex female characters!
- Her outfits are to die for (no pun intended for this murder mystery show).
Speaking of Mabel’s outfits, something that really made this tv character memorable to me was her variation of bold, beautiful clothing choices. For example, the outfit I’m seeing most people talk about online is the first outfit we see her in: a burnt orange teddy bear jacket, dark brown sunglasses, a yellow beanie with a matching yellow shirt, and red headphones. Honestly, if I saw someone walking down the street wearing this ensemble, I’d want to be their best friend.
- She can handle herself.
Going back to the first episode, Mabel’s character is introduced in a gritty, empowering series of shots where Gomez monologues how she would defend herself if a guy broke into her apartment and tried to hurt her. At first, the casual viewer might think this is a scene of gratuitous violence, but it’s not. One of the first things Gomez says in her monologue is: “Two thousand women report assaults here every year,” and allows the audience to understand the fearful place all women are coming from. However, what’s empowering about this monologue is that Gomez explains that she knows how to fight an attacker if the need arises. A few episodes later, we even see Gomez arm herself with a knitting needle when she goes into an alley to follow a set of clues. Talk about tough!
- She deals with relatable struggles.
Something I found really touching in Gomez’s portrayal of Mabel is how relatable she makes her struggles. For example, Mabel deals with themes of financial hardship, classicism, trauma, and grief from being ghosted by her friend. We’ve all experienced financial setbacks, and for those of us who experience it regularly, seeing another female character on tv experience it is comforting. Also, Mabel deals with a lot of built-up trauma from not only having two close friends die but from knowing that another friend went to jail for it. While we all can’t relate to this specific scenario, I can relate to Gomez’s line about her trauma: “It’s just very hard for me to trust people. Honestly, it’s pretty hard for me to even like people.”
As an anxious introvert who has trouble making friends, this quote spoke to me on a deep level. Likewise, there is a heartbreaking flashback scene where we see Mabel’s friend, Tim, completely ghosting her, and Mabel’s response is to grieve the loss of such a close friend. This is a depiction of a type of grief we rarely see on television: grief over a partner that isn’t romantic and isn’t dead. As someone who has likewise dealt with this, this storyline was so impactful for me.
