Michael Cyril Creighton On Howard’s Blackout Courtship in Season 2 of ‘Only Murders’

Every time Michael Cyril Creighton pops on screen in Only Murders in the Building, I get excited. He is an actor who always gives his characters a watchful eye to his surroundings–maybe that’s just because we gays are keen to keep one eye open–and his Howard Morris is eager to become the eyes and ears of The Arconia. The Hulu comedy has a lot of humorous intrigue, but Howard gets his chance to connect with a hunky neighbor in season two.

Howard is a character deeply concerned with connecting with other people. Even if he didn’t agree with everything that Bunny did or said, he was still in proximity to someone with a lot of influence. Howard is desperate to be part of something, but it’s important to note that Creighton never makes his character pitiful. There is a hopeful shimmer to his performance that makes us want to be his friend. If Howard burst into my apartment to gab about a piece of gossip around The Arconia, I would encourage him to pull up a chair.

One of the most successful episodes of this sophomore season comes when a mysterious blackout blankets The Arconia. The electricity being out is unexpected and it throws everything off-balance. People can’t get to where they need to go and plans are immediately changed. What makes the blackout different for Howard, however, is that he uses this unexpected power outage to take a chance to connect with Jonathan, the adorable, dorky Broadway performer subletting an apartment down the hall. I love how Howard tends to be confident in his dramatic tendencies, but it’s balanced out by his insecurity and nerves.

Creighton deserves serious Emmy contention. He was made a series regular for season three (out in July), and his performance continues to peel back layers but not give everything away all at once. He is a performer who understands the balance of taking his moment in an ensemble and when to step back to let the piece become stronger as a unit.

Just think what Sevelyn would say if her owner got nominated…

Only Murders in the Building is streaming now on Hulu.