It’s been almost eight months since Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building left us with that jaw-dropping season one finale. And with so much going on since we last saw our friends at the Arconia, we thought we’d remind you of where we left off in season one.
What Is Only Murders in the Building About?
For those who don’t know, Only Murders in the Building is a murder-mystery comedy starring Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, a semi-retired actor who was the star of a popular 1990s detective drama called Brazzos; Martin Short as Oliver Putnam, a struggling theatre director who’s idea it is to create a podcast about the murder in the building; and Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, a young woman who’s living in her aunt’s apartment and was also childhood friends with the murder victim, Tim Kono.
The trio, who all live in the same Upper West Side apartment building called the Arconia, meet in the elevator and, after giving it some thought, agree to Oliver’s idea to create a podcast investigating the death of their neighbour Tim Kono. Season one sees them solve Tim’s murder before discovering another murder that they can’t help but get their hands into, as Mabel Mora is found covered in the blood of Arconia’s board president, Bunny.
What Key Details Do I Need to Know About Season One of Only Murders in the Building?
At the end of the first season, it is revealed that the murderer of the infamous Tim Kono is none other than Charles’s girlfriend bassoonist Jan, who is played by Amy Ryan. But why did she kill Tim?
In the final episode, the show has us follow Tim Kono’s last day from Tim carrying a garbage bag in an elevator ride with Mabel, Charles and Oliver to his fling with Jan, who later poisoned and shot Tim when he ended their affair.
We are also given a recap of the large secret that hung between Tim, and Mabel and led to Oscar going to prison. Tim saw Theo Dimas push their friend Zoe off the roof of the Arconia but was made to keep silent by Theo’s dad, Teddy Dimas. This then caused Tim to want to destroy their underground jewellery business.
Back in the present, Mabel and Oliver are the first ones to figure out that Jan is Tim’s killer and rush up to Charles’s apartment to find him having a nosebleed. Charles, who we’ve seen throughout the season have nose bleeds from his anxiety, has just returned from Jan’s concert where he realised that Jan lied to him about being the first chair bassoonist. However, even though Charles knows that Jan has lied to him in the past he chooses not to believe Mabel and Oliver when they tell him Jan is the murderer. This leaves the iconic trio to become a duo as Mabel and Oliver set off to search Jan’s apartment where they find the poison that killed Tim, the Dimases’ emerald ring and the murder weapon.
While Mabel and Oliver are in Jan’s apartment, Jan turns up at Charles’ door and attempts to explain her lie over some cocktails. However, despite Charles saying to Mabel and Oliver that he didn’t believe them, Charles reveals to Jan that he knows she poisoned Tim and is attempting to do the same to him so will not drink the cocktail. But Jan being the seasoned killer that she is reveals that she didn’t need Charles to drink the cocktail as it was his handkerchief — the one he used for his nosebleed– that she laced with the poison. Jan then goes on this incredible monologue detailing how she killed Tim and got away with it, similar to that iconic Brooklyn 99 confession scene.
What’s even more of a twist is before she leaves Charles she reveals killing Tim Kono wasn’t enough so she’s currently filling the whole building with gas and plans to set it on fire.
Ever-strong Charles manages to flip flop into the elevator where he is reunited with Mabel and Oliver, who wheel him down to the boiler room so they can stop Jan’s plan. However, nothing is ever as easy as it seems as they come face to face with Jan who aims a gun at Oliver’s head. Luckily she doesn’t get a chance to shoot as Mabel punches her, giving the police enough time to arrest Jan and cart her off.
Due to their murder-solving skills, Bunny reinstates the trio’s leases allowing them to remain living in the building, Oliver gets his dog Winnie back (she’d been poisoned earlier in the season by Jan) and reconnects with his son, Mabel and Oscar seem to be all loved up and Charles reaches out to the daughter of his ex, Lucy who he previously had a strong relationship with and misses.
But that isn’t the end as after Charles recovers from his poisoning, the trio go up to the roof to celebrate solving the murder. Mabel then feels that moment is the appropriate time to ask the question no one should ever ask on a murder show: “Does anyone else feel like there’s still a couple of loose ends?”
Of course, at this point, they’ve run out of champagne, so Mabel runs downstairs to her apartment to get some more. At this point Charles and Oliver hear sirens and get a text from an unknown number telling them to “Get out of the building now!!!” But knowing they can’t leave without Mabel, they run to get her. However, they are shocked to find her covered in Bunny’s blood. Of course, the police chooses this moment to walk in and arrest the trio, one of whom is covered in blood and the others leaning over the dead body.
It turns out Mabel was right, there are just a few loose ends that need tying off, including who killed Bunny and who texted Oliver and Charles to get out of the building?
Hopefully, we’ll get answers in Only Murders in the Building Season two when it launches on June 28th.
