Good evening, dear listeners! We are once again discussing the detective investigation by the hosts of the podcast 'Only Murders in the Building' and trying to piece the picture together. In this episode, you can expect drinks from Champagne, retirement homes in Florida, generous tips, and much more!
Previous recaps:
Warning: The following text contains spoilers for the series 'Only Murders in the Building'
Part 1. The Daily Life of Bunny Folger
So, our heroes Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), in an attempt to clear their names, interrogate Mrs. Gambolini (a talking parrot). Of course, the ending of the previous episode was a red herring, and the parrot won't tell us anything, but it allowed Short and Martin to showcase their considerable comedic talent. I confess, during one of the scenes, I couldn't stop smiling.
To get to the truth, the podcasters decide to recreate the last day of Bunny Folger's life (Jayne Houdyshell), which ended in Mabel's apartment with stab wounds. They didn't show us how 'Only Murders in the Building' interrogated witnesses or gathered evidence. Because the main narrative device of the episode is extremely simple – we just follow Bunny relentlessly.
And yet, how effective this device is! After all, in any detective mystery, you want to know who the killer is, and for that, the viewer must feel something for the victim. Until now, 'Only Murders in the Building' had shown Bunny Folger as just a cardboard figure, but in these 35 minutes, we not only feel sympathy and understanding for her, we truly begin to want the killer to be found and punished. This is largely due to the brilliant performance of Jayne Houdyshell, to whom we send rays of love and gratitude.
Together with Bunny, we exchange warm words with a street vendor, help a local waiter fulfill his dream of becoming a DJ with exorbitant tips (in Bunny's characteristic manner), and contemplate moving to Florida – as it happens, today Bunny is supposed to step down as president of the homeowners' association and hand it over to the young and active Nina (Christine Ko).
Part 2. The New President of the Arconia HOA
Around here, we start to actively worry about Bunny and her future, because without managing the Arconia, she simply cannot imagine herself. Moreover, the building itself seems to be an integral part of the woman – she knows exactly where to find the nearest mop or how to fix a stuck elevator amid the sobs of a panicking Charles.
And in conversations with one of the tenants, Uma (Jackie Hoffman), we clearly feel that Bunny is very afraid of feeling unwanted. Therefore, the episode heavily relies on the emotional component, although it also throws us a few purely detective clues, such as a call from a mysterious art connoisseur.
The situation reaches its peak at the final meeting of the residents' council, where Bunny declares that she has no intention of leaving, provoking the righteous wrath of the heavily pregnant Nina. Thus, 'Only Murders in the Building' presents us with another suspect on a silver platter. And what do you think, dear listeners, are they trying to mislead us again?
Part 3. Could 'Only Murders in the Building' Have Saved Bunny?..
Here comes, in my subjective opinion, the most important scene of the entire episode. Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted so overwhelm Bunny that she goes directly to the celebrating podcasters to negotiate a truce, armed with a bottle of real champagne (that is, directly from the Champagne region). And how do our heroes respond?
'Only Murders in the Building' closes the door right in her face. And here, each of you, dear listeners, will surely recall a similar event from your own life. Indeed, why invite someone to a party who has nothing to do with it? Only out of politeness? Yet this simple act of kindness could have saved a woman's life. Because it is precisely after returning from the neighbors in distress that Bunny becomes the victim of a killer.
The episode very cleverly explains several moments from the first season. For example, why Charles and Oliver ended up on the roof (it's simple – they didn't want to be caught by the upset Bunny), or why Bunny was wearing the familiar colored hoodie (a gift in return for the champagne). However, so many questions still remain unanswered. Why did Bunny return to Mabel's apartment? What do her dying words mean? We still have to figure that out, but for now, the main suspect is Nina.
In the end, we can already form our own guesses. So, besides Nina, special attention is required from neighbor Uma and neighbor Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton). Not only do they often find themselves in the sight of the heroes and viewers, but they also visited Bunny's apartment in the first episode, incidentally informing us about the value of the missing painting.
Well, 'The Last Day of Bunny Folger' is such a long-awaited strong episode that grabs attention for the second season. 'Only Murders in the Building' is gaining momentum and re-establishing an emotional connection with the viewers. Let's see if they can maintain the standard. Stay tuned!
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