In the words of Mabel Mora… “well, sh*t.”

Only Murders in the Building concluded its second season with a few satisfying twists, including a killer cliffhanger! 

The murderer was revealed, though, it likely wasn’t the person you suspected all along. Or, maybe it was, and in that case, you’re a much better detective than our trio of podcasters. 

Upon getting a call from Detective Williams, who got a positive DNA hit on the knife used to stab poor Bunny Folger, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver were finally able to piece it all together. And the evidence did not point back to Cinda Canning, as we all previously believed, or, as Poppy, aka Becky, wanted us to believe. 

It surprisingly also didn’t lead back to Alice. While Mabel’s theory at the killer reveal party (a killer party where they revealed the killer on a live stream) declaring Alice as the mastermind was well-executed, it was, as Poppy herself pointed out, missing a motive. Nothing connected the “Australian girl” to Bunny. And in that revelation, Poppy gave herself away as the culprit instead. Then, she solidified it with a handful of sneezes—just like the killer.

In simple terms, she slipped up. 

Earlier in the day, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver realized that Poppy’s desire to be acknowledged, respected, and recognized would be her demise. After they staged the reveal that made Alice the scapegoat, Cinda was so impressed that she offered Mabel a job and her own podcast, two things that Poppy has been desperately seeking from Cinda this whole time. 

Once she realized that she was being undervalued yet again, she started unraveling like a sweater until she was in handcuffs. 

Bunny was, unfortunately, an innocent bystander in Poppy’s quest to matter and become the best podcaster in the world.

She murdered Bunny in order to provide a good story for her podcast, working simultaneously with Kreps—the corrupt cop we initially thought was sleeping with Cinda—in order to get away with it.

It was truly a great twist, proving that the series excels at modern-day murder mysteries. Even if the whole plot wasn’t as clean as the Tim Kono murder investigation, it was a still a fun ride across 10 episodes that gave us a deeper look at the protagonists we’ve come to love. 

Poppy was definitely top of mind on the suspect’s list, but since we didn’t know her backstory until the beginning of the episode, there wasn’t anything connecting her to it. Once fans realized that she faked her own death because she was miserable working for a misogynistic mayor and taking care of a drunk father, while also being the one to suggest diving into the mystery of Rose Cooper for a podcast, it became clear that there were just too many things linking back to Poppy. 

It was enjoyable to see everyone at the Arconia involved in the final chapter of the murder mystery as they all loved Bunny and deserved to be part of this journey. Even though their roles are minimal, they are all such well-developed characters who contribute to the hilarity with witty one-liners. I was fully expecting Nina and Amy Schumer to make an appearance, and I’m kind of disappointed the latter was just added for the sake of uplifting the Arconia as “the spot” to be. 

Once Poppy and Kreps were behind bars, the trio could breathe a sigh of relief. And it was understandable that they were all eager to put solving murders behind them. The success of the podcast, and the unlikely collaboration with Cinda, propelled Charles and Oliver back into the spotlight as one landed a much bigger role on the Brazzos spinoff, while the other got a job directing on Broadway. Their dreams are coming true! Oliver also told Will that he wasn’t his biological father, but not only did Will already know (he knows his father’s tells), he didn’t care. 

Meanwhile, Mabel decided it was time to stop being defined by her sad past, so she remodeled her Arconia apartment (yep, she painted over that incredible mural) with Alice’s help. 

And then, the series did a time jump one year into the future, which was unexpected but necessary as it allowed the characters to grow into their new lives, which are about to be derailed by yet another murder. 

This time, the murder happened to the star of Oliver’s Broadway play and Charles’ co-star/ enemy, Ben (played by Paul Rudd!), who was poisoned just as he took the stage for his big moment. 

As Oliver, Charles, and Mabel watched on in horror, they simply couldn’t believe that they were the center of yet another murder mystery. 

And this time, Charles definitely looked guilty as there was clearly some beef between the actors right before Ben’s death.

But while Bunny’s death was a great cliffhanger, I’m even more intrigued now to see how these new, more successful, and self-confident, versions of our trio take on this new mystery. 

Not to mention that the new murder setting—the theater— will undoubtedly provide us with new opportunities and new suspects, which is an exciting change of pace. 

The third time’s the charm, right?

What did you think of the Only Murders in the Building season 2 finale? Did you like the season? Were you surprised by who the murderer ended up being?

She’s not Becky with the good hair, but Becky Butler is a crucial piece of the puzzle as Mabel discovered on Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 9. 

Who knew that splitting up the core trio would do the show so many favors? When Mabel, Charles, and Oliver went their separate ways, they made more progress in one 25-minute episode than they did throughout the entire season. 

It was mostly Mabel who did the heavy-lifting, swapping the Arconia for a boxing ring with Detective Kreps, who she previously discovered was Glitter Guy. Mabel got into the ring with the detective solely to get some answers out of him, and while he thought he was dodging all her questions, he was unintentionally leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that she would later piece together.

At this point, someone needs to get her a job with the NYPD because her interrogation skills were on point! Also: she’s not corrupt!

Kreps didn’t outright confirm he was Glitter Guy — though the red glitter on his neck was proof enough — but he did drop some key pieces of information that took this investigation in a whole new direction. 

There were two majors clues that really solidified Mabel’s theory: Kreps bragging about how he was able to lock down the smartest woman in the room (clearly podcaster Cinda Canning) and how he was also into podcasts like All Is Not Okay in Oklahoma, which, if you’ll remember, was what brought Oliver, Mabel, and Charles into each other’s orbit in the first place back in Season 1. They were podcast junkies who found themselves thrown into a murder mystery of their own! 

After her meeting with Kreps, Mabel began to dissect everything he told her, starting with replaying episodes of the aforementioned podcast, in which Cinda Canning reveals that she worked with freelance level cops from other cities on the case to solve Becky Butler’s murder. She even explained that they met at the local bar, the Chicken Chug, which connected back to Kreps as he had two items with the bar’s logo.

Mabel knew that she wouldn’t get any more intel out of Kreps, so she went to the source… well, the second-best person, Cinda’s PA Poppy, who once offered up her help in bringing Cinda down as she “knew where the skeletons were buried.”

At the time, Poppy’s call to Mabel didn’t make much sense, but it’s all starting to come together when she reveals that she’s actually Becky Butler. How could Cinda Canning solve a murder if Becky was right there alive and well? This all seems to prove Poppy’s original point that Cinda is a fraud. 

But with such a big secret hanging over them, why does Cinda treat Poppy/Becky so poorly? Are they related? Did she promise Becky a better life in return for her silence? Did she simply blow into town in hopes of conjuring up a fake crime so that she had an interesting story to tell?  Is that what she’s doing now?

While Mabel was putting two and two together, Charles met with the fake Leona Folger, who turned out to be the real Rose Cooper, the missing woman from his father’s past. What is with people lying about their identities on this show?

Rose, however, didn’t have any ill intentions. She informed Charles that she loved his father, but she had to fake her own disappearance so that she could keep them both safe from her abusive ex-husband. As for the portrait, which the trio found hidden in the parrot’s cage, it was actually a piece of art that covered up another piece painted in tribute to Charles, showcasing that his father also wanted to be a better dad to his son. In one moment, Rose gave Charles all the closure he ever wanted and needed.

She then revealed that a rude and pushy woman, who Charles immediately identified as Cinda, came by and tried to get her hands on the portrait a few weeks ago. 

However, it’s unclear what connects Cinda to the portrait. Does she want her hands on it in order to frame the protagonists and set up a narrative for her podcast? With Cinda as the criminal mastermind, it seems like she’s doing everything in her power to ensure that the trio, specifically Mabel, looks guilty. 

And why hasn’t anyone called Detective Williams yet?

Is this even something they want to broadcast on their own podcast? It would incriminate Cinda, but we have no idea what she’s capable of or how far she’ll go to preserve her own name. 

There are plenty of lingering questions as well, including what’s Amy Schumer got to do with it (unless she’s in cahoots with Cinda because she wants the TV rights) and most importantly, who killed Bunny Folger? Would Cinda go as far as killing the old lady simply to set the scene? If Kreps is Glitter Guy, he has to be the person to have killed Bunny and snuck out via the tunnels. It’s clear he’d do anything for extra cash to support the skyrocketing cost of living in NYC (finally something realistic!), but now that he’s in love with Cinda, I don’t think murder is off the table! 

The episode also addressed Mabel’s fallout with Alice, and while I hate to see Mabel get hurt, I’m more than happy to see Alice exit. She wasn’t trustworthy, nor did she seem to have Mabel’s best intentions at heart. 

Oliver also got the results of the DNA test, and though he told Charles, Mabel, and Will that he was the father, an elevator scuffle with Teddy shortly after proved that wasn’t the case. 

Despite everything that went down between them, Teddy and Oliver found common ground while talking about wanting to do right by their children. Hopefully, Teddy is genuine about them being even (“you put me in jail, I slept with your wife”) and keeping the paternity a secret so that Oliver and Will’s relationship can continue to flourish. Will is an adult, so he could handle the truth, but I don’t think it would help him in any way considering Teddy doesn’t even seem interested in pursuing a relationship with him after learning the truth. 

What did you think of the episode? Do you think we’re closer to figuring out this mystery?

Only Murders in the Building season 2 carries the torch of the first season, putting a unique spin on the murder mystery genre.

The killer, who is most likely also the person framing Mabel, Charles, and Oliver (who are all persons of interest) likely won’t be revealed until the final episode, but we’re creating an online murder board to keep track of all suspects and possible clues hinting at this person’s identity.

Join us — and the characters who attempt to solve the whodunnit on their podcast via new weekly episodes that air every Tuesday on Hulu– as we theorize who is responsible for the latest murder at the Arconia!

*Cue the theme song*

Victim: Bunny Folger

Her Last Words: 14 and Savage

Cause of Death: 8 stabs wounds

Murder Weapon: A knife that was found in Charles’ apartment and a knitting needle

Place of Death: Mabel’s apartment

Possible Suspects

Alice Banks

Played by Cara Delevigne, Alice slides into Mabel’s DM’s shortly after she lands the front page of the tabloids as “Bloody Mabel.” The art artist collective owner invites Mabel to a gallery opening in an attempt to cozy up to her and get her to open up. Maybe she just sees past Mabel’s flaws, but considering the whole mystery hinges on a missing painting by the artist Rose Cooper (who also died a mysterious death), we simply cannot rule it out. Maybe she wants the painting… maybe she wants Mabel. Honestly, maybe Rose was Alice’s mom who was murdered by Charles’ dad, her lover, and Alice is trying to get revenge on him by getting close to Mabel.

Alice admits that she’s been lying about her rich upbringing, so it begs the question — what else is she lying about? And when Mabel sees her reenacting Bunny’s murder in the name of “art,” it definitely comes off as obsessive, even if she isn’t the killer. 

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer is playing an exaggerated version of herself who just moved into Sting’s former penthouse. She’s a fan of the podcast — almost to an obsessive point — who wants the rights to it so she can turn it into a streaming service series and channel her inner Jan. You need a murder mystery in order to have a successful podcast… and then a show, I’m just saying. Plus, I have to believe that there’s a reason the series included her character! 

Uma Heller

I’m sorry to do this to you Uma, but there’s no one that knew Bunny better than her best friend. She not only knew about the painting, but she knew its worth. Maybe jealousy got the best of her?

Nina Lin

We don’t know much about Nina other than the fact that she’s the New Board President. Howard says she has wanted the gig for a long time, which gives her motive. And he also warned the trio not to be fooled by her “maternal glow,” comparing her vibe to Rosemary’s Baby instead.

We learn a bit more about Nina in the third episode as she gets into a heated altercation with Bunny. Nina and Bunny seemed to be on good terms with the former training the latter and passing on her Board President wisdom and duties. Nina seemed like a star pupil worthy of taking on the title, but when Bunny suddenly had a change of heart during her “retirement party,” things got pretty ugly between the women. Nina told Bunny the only reason she was Board President was because of her mother. She called her a “selfish, self-important, stuck in the past relic,” which is, well, harsh. When Bunny told the “power-hungry baby bumpy bitch” that she wouldn’t let her “get away with this,” Nina seemingly threatened back with “I won’t let you stop me.” The altercation happened mere hours before Bunny was accosted in her home.

On the fourth episode, we find out that Nina was hoping to modernize the Arconia with some kind of space pod, a plan Bunny would never agree to. However, when she goes into labor later in the episode, she mourns Bunny’s death hoping that she was around to meet her future child. She then tells Charles to find the murderer and give her a few minutes alone with them! There’s always the possibility that she’s acting, but a woman in labor strikes me as someone who will tell the truth. 

Jarred

Nina’s baby daddy is kind of at the top of our list of suspects. He has a stake in modernizing the Arconia, he gains from removing Bunny and making Nina the Board President, and he would have all the blueprints to the Arconia, which means there’s a possibility he knew about the tunnels. 

He also seems to come from wealth, so there’s a chance he could’ve been an art fanatic and wanted the artwork from Bunny. Who knows, maybe he was even Bunny’s secret child who came back to get what was his and when she refused, he decided to kill her.

Leonora Folger

Killing your own daughter is certainly cruel, but crazier things have happened. Leonora wasn’t really phased by her daughter’s passing, but she was very interested in finding her painting. She even came with the original bill of sale in order to retrieve her prized possession. Yes, she’s technically blind and can’t cut a piece of cheese to save her life, but it could’ve all been an act. And there’s also the whole affair with Charles’ father that she casually mentioned after informing Charles that she knew exactly who he was this whole time. She clearly knows way more than she’s leading on. 

Cinda Canning

If she’s devious enough to blatantly steal a podcast, she’s not above murder. A murder suspect has to benefit from the crime, and Cinda sure does! By giving the Arconia another murder victim, she deepens the mystery and secures herself a compelling season.

Ursula

I don’t ever want to think badly of Ursula, but she was really suspicious when angrily throwing out a random box of documents and looking around to make sure there weren’t any witnesses. What’s she trying to hide? This couldn’t have been a routine dump.

Rose Cooper

Yes, she supposedly went missing in the ’50s and is believed to be dead, but no one ever found a body. There could be so many unknown twists and turns about her identity that we have yet to discover. What’s her true connection to all of this? Or is Rose Cooper actually Leonora?

Oscar

Mabel’s sort-of ex. What happened to him? Why are they moments away from the friend zone? Are we to just believe the streamer couldn’t get him back this season, or is there another reason he’s staying away… I don’t know, maybe like framing your girlfriend and her friends for murder?

Oliver

While I don’t actually think that Oliver has what it takes to kill Bunny, the truth is that he had a deep hate for her, at one point even calling her a witch. Furthermore, he did mention that Bunny would “die at the Arconia,” so he’s slightly suspicious. It could also be why he’s gunning for the team to revitalize the podcast and clear their names. Of course, he was also on the rooftop celebrating his podcast success with Mabel and Charles, so the odds of him being the killer are slim.

Lester

Bunny was a lot to handle, so it’s safe to say that as Board President, she harped on Lester quite a lot. We saw a brief scene where she called him “useless” as she belittled his work ethic and even said she would have him fired. 

Howard

Howard is a longtime Arconia resident who could definitely know about the secret passages. He strikes me as an allergy sufferer, and Lucy, who laid eyes on the hooded killer recalled them sneezing as they made their getaway through the tunnels. Howard also tried to divert attention to Nina by saying she has a violent streak and explaining that she will “cut a b**ch.” It’s possible that he’s the brains behind the whole operation because he wanted to get rid of Bunny.

Detective Kreps

We know one thing for sure — he’s definitely Glitter Man. Okay, maybe we’re not certain of it, but the glitter on his neck seems to indicate as much, though, it’s possible he also just came into contact with the Glitter Man. Either way, GM seems to be working with the killer, so this puts a huge question mark above Kreps, a man we’re supposed to be able to trust. Shady law enforcement, who would have thought? Who is Kreps working for? Why? And why did he want Bunny killed/Mabel, Charles, and Oliver framed? 

Jonathan

The new sub-letter on Howard’s floor arrives at a questionable time. We also find out that he’s allergic to Howard’s cat as he experiences a sneezing fit. Is it possible that he’s the murderer even if he wasn’t the one chasing Lucy through the secret tunnel during the blackout. We can’t rule him out just yet. 

READ ALSO:

Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Premiere Review – Bloody Mabel

Only Murders in the Building Review – Framed (2×02)

Only Murders in the Building Review – The Last Day of Bunny Folger (2×03)

Only Murders in the Building Review – Here’s Looking At You (2×04)