Good evening, dear listeners! 'Only Murders in the Building' stages a spectacular unmasking of the killer in the style of Hercule Poirot's theatricality, and we always love that. In this episode, you'll find liverwurst and jam sandwiches, plot twists, a setup for the next season, and much more!
Previous recaps:
Episode 2
Episode 4
Episode 7
Warning: spoilers for the series 'Only Murders in the Building' follow below
Part 1. Setting the Stage
Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Charles Savage (Steve Martin) learn new interesting information about the main rival of the 'Only Murders in the Building' podcast, Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) – her assistant Poppy (Adina Verson) is actually the missing girl from Oklahoma, around whose death Cinda's previous podcast revolved.
Together, our heroes and Poppy devise a plan to expose Cinda. All that's left is to make the final preparations – call the police station to find out the results of the DNA analysis on the murder weapon (which turned out to be quite interesting), and also gather and brief the interested residents of the Arconia to stage a theatrical unmasking of the villain in the spirit of the best Agatha Christie novels.
Part 2. The Show Begins
As viewers, we are convinced that a session of 'breaking' Cinda Canning is unfolding before us, using all possible means of influence on her (the slow-motion scene with the tomato slicing was uproariously funny). However, when Mabel's ex-girlfriend Alice (Cara Delevingne) steps into the spotlight, and the characters suddenly switch their focus to her – a smart viewer begins to doubt, a doubt that is only reinforced when Alice stabs Charles with a knife.
Actually, yes, it was a ruse – as we brilliantly predicted in the previous recap, it was Poppy behind everything, who wanted to get her own podcast and was investigating the disappearance of artist Rose Cooper. And everything that happened (plus her addiction to strange sandwiches and a rather distinctive allergy to parrot feathers) forces her to confess to a romantic relationship with Detective Kreps (Michael Rapaport) and to the crime itself. That's the resolution.
But we, the viewers, are not given a break and are immediately shown the setup for the next season, in which 'Only Murders in the Building' will return to investigations a year later, after the mysterious death of Charles's stage partner (Paul Rudd), right on stage. Cliffhanger.
Afterword on the Second Season of 'Only Murders in the Building'
The second season of 'Only Murders in the Building' stands on a much shakier foundation than the first. Because, let's face it, the murder of Bunny Folger itself and its subsequent investigation were clearly not the priority here. The mystery was extremely simple, and it could have been solved quite quickly (in fact, the police could have done everything by analyzing the DNA on the bloody knife – if the characters had handed over the knife earlier, half the series could have simply not been filmed).
No, this season was much more focused on character development and solid situational comedy. Steve Martin and Martin Short are, after all, some of the brightest comedians of their generation, so not letting them spread their wings on familiar ground is a crime in itself. It's just that the detective work suffers.
If the first season was as much a good detective story as it was a satire, the second didn't take the task as seriously. Don't get me wrong, that didn't make it bad, but it clearly cooled the enthusiasm of fans a bit. Throughout this season, there was much more talk online about Selena and Cara's lesbian kiss than about full-fledged suspects. And there were quite a few filler episodes as well.
What was especially disappointing was that the killer was in no way connected to the main theme of the second season. So much tension was built around the generational conflict, only for it all to be about a podcaster's assistant. A missed opportunity, I think.
Are We Waiting for the Third Season?
That said, I must say that the setup for the continuation is very intriguing. First, who wasn't happy to see Paul Rudd appear? Perhaps we're in for an episode as great as the one with Bunny Folger this season. Second, time has passed between the murders – this can be organically woven into the plot, rather than pulling fillers out of thin air. Third, the action will clearly be connected to the theater – a setting where Martin and Short simply must shine.
So we'll definitely be up for the third season. We'll see then.
On this bittersweet note, we say goodbye to you, dear listeners. It was a pleasure that you shared this journey with us. We don't say 'farewell,' but we say 'see you soon.'
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