Only Murders in the Building Season 5, Episode 4, “Dirty Birds,” sets the table and asks if the richest people in the world are also the smartest. More immediately, it begs whether they can outsmart the show’s central trio. Written by Kristin Newman and directed by Chris Koch, this episode acts as a reminder that Only Murder in the Building’s mysteries are better when the supporting characters go toe-to-toe with Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. That back-and-forth is what makes Jan Bellows still stand out – four seasons after she murdered Tim Kono.
That success rate has ebbed and flowed with murderers and red herrings for them over the last four seasons. Only Murders in the Building Season 5 has a strong start with the developments in “Dirty Birds.” This episode spends enough “quality” time with billionaires Bash, Camila, and Jay to prove it.
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What’s Happening at and to the Arconia?
To do so, Only Murders in the Building spends a significant amount of time in Oliver’s apartment; the episode’s longest sequences take place there. In turn, “Dirty Birds” finds the perfect backdrop for its thematic meditations on personal change and technological advancements, and how both intertwine with the trio’s double-murder investigation. As the Arconica evolves internally and externally, to varying degrees of resistance among the three main characters, it’s apt to pass time in a place that’s essentially stuck in it. That set acts as a comfort after encountering a robot that replaces Lester and, likely, Randall.
Even though LESTR’s arrival is a bit on the nose, its unnerving ability to interact with humans after being taught by them is a growing reality beyond Only Murders in the Building. The robot’s ability to replace humans plays into the characters’ concerns about not keeping up. Charles does heel raises after meeting LESTR; Mabel lies about a Wondify deal to prove her success; Oliver takes Winnie’s Ritalin to be one step ahead in the investigation. That uneasiness folds into Bash saying that one becomes old when they don’t keep up with the times. Still, time is an unstoppable force, but “Dirty Birds” may be fortifying – for better and worse – the Arconia and its residents as immovable objects.
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Getting to Know the Billionaires — Or Not
This episode’s dinner party proves there is still a long way to go before there’s any semblance of solid ground, and thankfully so, or there wouldn’t be more of the season to anticipate. Even so, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s individual motivations are crystal clear leading into that event, and that’s what makes it work; there’s a desire to see them succeed. Albeit, Mabel’s history with THĒ – a driving force for Mabel wanting to flourish further – still feels too undefined. Some flashbacks, as Only Murders in the Building has done well in the past, would ground that dynamic better. Perhaps it would do them more favors than Mabel continually detailing their friendship and its demise through dialogue.
Regardless, the dinner party’s pairings are perfect. Chales, Oliver, and Mabel interacting with Bash, Camila, and Jay could have been the entire episode, and there would be zero complaints from me. Christoph Waltz is particularly excellent with every action, expression, and line read. Bash is the most elusive of the three, at least so far, which only makes Waltz more compelling to watch.
The billionaires sell everything that “Dirty Birds” asks of them. Only Murders in the Building bookends the episode with evidence from their digital footprints that confirms they are capable of doing so. There’s even a scene when Vince (It’s a delight to see Richard Kind on OMITB again!) and Oliver tell Charles and Mabel exactly who these billionaires are. They do so through the birds in Lester’s ledger, but there’s an awareness. There’s even an aside when the original trio questions the authenticity of the new trio. So, it’s important for “Dirty Birds” to show how easy it is for Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to be swept up in the charm.
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The Billionaires Come to Dinner
Bash, Camila, and Jay come across as the most unrelatable yet relatable people. Any honesty in their stories is so thinly veiled that it’s translucent, but they’re so alluring that it’s impossible not to fall into it all. For example, Bash swings around a cleaver, yet he somehow helps Charles preserve a family recipe.
Meanwhile, Camila remodels an entire part of Oliver’s home, which surely won’t come around to haunt the trio’s investigation. Then, Jay taps into Mabel’s self-declared history of bad choices to make himself more appealing. The billionaires use that leverage of connection to feed Charles, Oliver, and Mabel a story that reflects their innocence. Even when that becomes obvious, Only Murders in the Building ensures that the plot is far from underwhelming.
Like Wondify’s new ownership, it’s predictable yet entertaining and enjoyable. Then again, it is strange for the trio to sign the Wondify contract without reading it. They just signed away their life rights with the contracts in Season 4’s movie plot. Either way, at least the Wondify connection feels more significant now. Before “Dirty Birds,” THĒ name drops the company in every scene without any follow-through. Now, it’s more so. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are contractually bound to the audio company for at least three years. As daunting as that is, “Dirty Birds” is, excitingly, too early in the season’s run to assume anything.
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What did you think of Only Murders in the Building Season 5, Episode 4, “Dirty Birds?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 stream on Tuesdays on Hulu.
