We're only one episode away from the conclusion of Only Murders in the Building Season 3. So, from what we know now, can we crack the case ahead of Mabel, Oliver, and Charles? Let's dig into the penultimate episode's burning questions to find out.
In episode 9, "Thirty," Mabel (Selena Gomez) and her favorite "olds" (Steve Martin and Martin Short) are reunited and dedicated to proving Loretta's innocence. As she gave a false confession to save her secret son, Dickie Glenroy (Jeremy Shamos), the trio first go to suss out Ben's brother's alibi. While embarrassing, it seems Dickie is in the clear. But he also reveals a new clue.
What was Ben’s big secret?
Ben: movie star, pain in the ass, secret stitcher Credit: HuluIt turns out that Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) wasn't hated by everyone. He had a sewing circle he referred to as "the five whores." Trixie, Marigold, Emerald, Dot, and Mei Mei are elderly women who sew in the back of a kitschy fabric shop called Snitches Get Stitches. They were Ben's closest friends and helped him sew the hankies that he gave out as gifts on opening night! But despite Ben's attempt at a peace offering, things unraveled very quickly.
What were Ben and Loretta arguing about?
Credit: HuluThe Arconia's sleuths lay out the timeline from Ben's late arrival to the theater to his private time in his dressing room before the show began. And here, courtesy of their covert recording of the police investigations, they discover that Loretta (Meryl Streep) had been urging Dickie to leave Ben. That is what pushed Ben to battle Loretta during the Fight Call, which led to him getting punched by Charles, and having his make-up touched up by Joy (Andrea Martin) — who left her lipstick behind.
According to this timeline, it's after this that Tobert (Jesse Williams) has his run-in with Ben, in which the frustrated movie star snatches away his camera, resulting in the mysterious footage of Ben yelling at someone in his dressing room.
SEE ALSO: 'Only Murders in the Building': Every word of that silly end credits article about Ben GlenroyWho did Ben yell at in his dressing room?
Ben wanted so badly to do good. Credit: HuluWe called it. When Ben said, "I want you so fucking bad, but you're gonna ruin my career, and I'm gonna like it," he was talking to a Schmackary cookie. Dickie warned the whole cast and crew at the first table read that cookies are Ben's weakness. So, naturally, after all the slings and arrows suffered before curtain, he gave in and presumably gobbled it up. Which answered another question.
Who wrote "fucking pig" on Ben's mirror?
Mabel, Oliver, and Charles suspect it was Ben himself. He used Joy's forgotten lipstick and Loretta's insult from their fight as a means of reflecting his self-loathing over breaking his fast with a sugar bomb of a cookie. However, our favorite detectives might have gotten that wrong. Wouldn't Ben's handwriting have been on the sign-in sheet? And if it was Ben, that still doesn't account for why Mabel made a remark about Tobert's handwriting.
Who tried to kill Ben at the theater?
Could it be the producer(s)? Credit: HuluTurns out Ben was poisoned and Dickie covered up the blood test results in fear that other salacious findings might get out. (Little did he know Ben had given up "street drugs" for sewing!) So, who poisoned the cookie that Ben couldn't resist? The podcast crew thinks it's Donna DeMeo (Kinda Emond), the big deal producer. (Called it!) Her motive: saving her son Cliff's (Wesley Taylor) reputation by killing the star who would have gotten rotten reviews.
Having meticulously taped together the paper found in the theater's shredder, neighbor/assistant Howard literally pieced this motive together. The trash was Maxine's bad review, which described Ben as the show's worst bit, as "wooden as the lighthouse."
SEE ALSO: Those 'Only Murders in the Building' episode 7 cameos may have given away who did itHowever, in her interview, Donna may have dropped a clue that points to someone else. She notes she saw Ben after giving Cliff "a little pep talk". Her darling son lamented, "I put everything in this play. I need it to be a hit." And Cliff's energy — though usually very hyper theater kid — is glum, even angry. Notably, while Donna reportedly bought the Shmackary cookies, it was Cliff who tried to hand one to Ben. Could it be it was he who saw Maxine's bad review, put rat poison — from K.T.'s office — on the cookie, and placed it in Ben's dressing room where he knew the star couldn't resist it?
Look back at episode 1. Cliff certainly seems not just shocked but even dismayed at Ben's return. And maybe not just because the arrogant actor repeatedly called him "boy." But does this mean Cliff killed Ben at the Arconia? According to Oliver, Donna was in and out of the party all night. But what about Cliff?
Who called Ben at the opening night party?
Back in the first episode, Dickie tells Ben he has a phone call, and Ben exits being the center of attention — very unlike him — to take it somewhere quieter. Presumably, Ben took the call up to his penthouse suite. But who was on the line? Could it have been his whores — calling to check on him? Or could it have been the killer?
Who pushed Ben?
Bye bye Benny Credit: HuluSo, Cliff might seem an obvious suspect. Did he slip away from the party to push Ben and finish the job the cookie started? OR is it someone else entirely?
Whose handkerchief does Ben have in his hand?
This might be the clincher clue! We know that all the cast had theirs accounted for. But Ben also gave them to the stage manager, the director's assistant, presumably the producers and…who else?
Will these final questions be answered in the show's finale? Find out next Tuesday on Hulu.
