Only Murders In The Building season 3 finale: A predictable whimper

Behold: Only Murders In The Building closes with its first and only C+ rating in season three. Unfortunately, the finale is the most disappointing episode yet. “Opening Night” isn’t necessarily a bad installment overall. But it’s subpar at best. Its major flaw is that, for a murder mystery, the half hour is far too predictable and, therefore, uneventful. Don’t expect any switcheroos or twists, at least not until the last two minutes, when a fan-favorite character meets a shocking end, obviously setting up a recently announced season four. But we’ll get to that after unpacking how OMITB straightforwardly solves superstar Ben Glenroy’s (Paul Rudd) murder.

To no one’s surprise, there are sort of two killers: Mother-son producing duo Donna (Linda Emond) and Cliff DeMeo (Wesley Taylor). We shouldn’t have expected anything different considering the show’s theme this year was sacrificing for your family. In this case, Donna sprinkled Ben’s cookie with rat poison but not enough to kill him. She merely wanted to halt the production of Death Rattle enough to save it from bad reviews from the likes of Maxine (Noma Dumezwemi), which she shredded. (Look at OMITB making it clear that a well-written piece of criticism is, in fact, life-changing.) Donna can’t let her child’s first Broadway venture be a failure. So what if she gave birth to him while on a work call; he’s still her favorite “production” ever, so she’ll resort to drastic measures instead of using her position of power to fire Ben.

Anyway, Ben finds out the truth from the hospital reports and confronts Cliff, realizing that the DeMeos think he sucks. He ensures him Donna will spend time behind bars for attempted murder as soon as he figures out how to call the cops (He thinks he needs to Google the word “cops” instead of calling 911.) To save his beloved mother, Cliff gets into a fight with Ben, accidentally pushing him to his death at the Arconia. He would’ve gotten away with it too if Mabel (Selena Gomez) hadn’t put the puzzle pieces together. She doesn’t believe Donna poisoned and pushed him, as she confessed, realizing that Donna—who has stage-four lung cancer—is attempting to save Cliff. It’s very par for the course. Where’s the jaw-dropping thrill? The last-minute shocking reveal? The suspense ends with a lackluster thud, not unlike Ben’s last moments.

I know, I’m complaining about what is essentially an expected conclusion. Even The A.V. Club’s roundtable earlier this week predicted a similar outcome. But this is OMITB we’re talking about, so I hoped for a more exciting adventure to close out a grand, star-studded season. There were no fireworks, only a melodramatic Death Rattle Dazzle showcase, which was quite amusing, I guess. “Opening Night” is a mostly standard curtain call, tying up a few (but not all) loose ends that could be labeled as somewhat satisfying. Still, it’s not nearly as fun or funny as the rest of the season. The episode feels like an afterthought to an extent, as if the writers knew they had to rush in order to pave the way for what comes next.

To prove my point further, the plan Mabel, Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) initially come up with to nab Donna’s confession is also so cartoonish. Mabel delivers a bouquet to her at Gooseberry Theater before Death Rattle Dazzle launches with a fake note from Maxine asking her to come to K.T.’s office. When the trio gets her to admit to poisoning Ben there, Tobert (Jesse Williams) is hiding behind the door dressed as a coat rack, recording everything for the podcast. What is this, Scooby freaking Doo? At least their plan to get Becky Butler to confess in season two had more theatrics involved.

“Opening Night” at least delivers in terms of its title. Death Rattle Dazzle gets its opening night with everyone in attendance, including Matthew Broderick, who bonds with Arconia resident Uma (Jackie Hoffman) over Oliver’s confusing work. (“Thank god I’m not in this,” Broderick tells her). Meanwhile, Oliver makes his own acting/singing/dancing debut after Ben’s understudy, Jonathan (Jason Veasey), gets too drugged up. He gets to perform his heart out alongside the love of his life, Loretta (Meryl Streep), who helped deliver major evidence to the trio with Cliff’s handkerchief, which was stained with Donna’s lipstick alongside Ben’s blood. That’s one powerful red lip color, huh?

Loretta might’ve been a meaningful addition to the group, but Streep’s inclusion in OMITB was maybe the most gratifying part of season three. Streep and Short are easily 2023's greatest new on-screen couple. (Loretta and Oliver being all-in on PDA is a fun detail as well.) I sincerely hope their relationship continues in season four, even if it is long-distance as she pursues career opportunities in LA. She’s not the only one. Tobert is heading to Hollywood as well, inviting Mabel to join him despite dating her for barely any time. Okay, my guy, sure. Thankfully, Oliver and Mabel can only take L.A. in short doses and choose to remain in New York City with Charles.

This is good news because he’s going to need all the support he can get. Once the cops arrest Donna and Cliff (where’s Detective Williams?), everyone is back at another afterparty, including Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch). Charles’ good friend and longtime body double has come to celebrate his Broadway debut. But that’s not all. She quickly and quite urgently tells him that she needs to talk to him about something important. Before she can do that, however, she goes up to his apartment to grab a bottle of wine. She’s dressed exactly like him again, which is her ultimate downfall because an unknown assailant shoots her right in the chest with a bullet that’s presumably meant for Charles.

I will admit that after a pretty boring 30 minutes, I sat up straight as soon as Sazz entered Charles’ darkened house. “Opening Night” initially tricks us into thinking he’s going up to get more wine, and Lynch has mastered mimicking Martin by now with the walking and whistling, so it’s easy to be confused. It would’ve been fucking baller of OMITB to at least brutally injure Charles. It would’ve swept the rug from under us after a season in which Oliver had two heart attacks. But no. Sazz gets gunned down with a bullet presumably meant for her friend. In her seemingly final minutes, she uses the blood trickling down from her body to write a message for her crime solving pals.

Wouldn’t the Arconia should shut down with all these deaths? Who would want to keep living there realistically? My bags would have been packed long ago. At least it makes narrative sense to circle back to the beginning for what I hope will be the show’s final run next year. Remember, Sazz was still dating Jan (Amy Ryan), the imprisoned killer from season one who is also Charles’ ex-girlfriend. It’s safe to assume the urgent matter Sazz wanted to discuss with him has something to do with her. I suspect Ryan will make her return to OMITB in a big way. It’ll add to Charles’ complicated love life as well now that Joy (Andrea Martin) has moved on with Scott Bakula.

“Opening Night” didn’t work for me as strongly as the rest of the season, but the performances remained pretty impeccable. Gomez, Short, and Martin are a stellar group, with Streep, Rudd, and Creighton proving valuable additions. I can’t say I’m surprised we’re getting more episodes, but I do hope OMITB’s creators figure out a way to sensibly end the Hulu comedy now instead of stretching out a fantastic thing. What did you think of the ending? And is there a loose end that you’re upset didn’t get tied up?

Stray observations

• FYI, Donna DeMeo has produced 34 Broadway shows and won nine Tony Awards. I like knowing these details.
• “How many rats is one Ben Glenroy?” That was the dilemma Donna dealt with while trying to figure out how much rat poison to drop on his cookie.
• Has the show completely forgotten Jonathan and Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) are a couple? Howard is more concerned with calming the local theater ghost than his partner, who is about to make his big debut. It’s weird, right?
• Maxine’s actual review of Death Rattle Dazzle includes the following: “It’s Putnam-inspired insanity…The dusty old chestnut has been bedazzled and Botoxed back to life.”
• Tobert asks Mabel if she’s done any “California dreaming” since he asked her to move with him. Um, no, in the hour or two since you did, she used her big brain to get Cliff to confess and stopped him from falling to his death onstage. She’s been busy!
• I did love this little joke at his expense:
  Charles: “Do you not call Tobert cuddle pup?”
  Mabel: “I have a hard enough time calling him Tobert.”
• You know how I spent all my recap saying “Opening Night” was boring. Well, I also thought Loretta finally telling Dickie the truth about being his mom was anticlimactic as hell. He already knew because he had a “feeling.” Kudos to Streep and Jeremy Shamos, though, for great performances.
• RIP SAZZ PATAKI. I’ll miss having your goofy self around in season four.
• Why does someone want to kill Charles? Damn you, OMITB, just when I spent the finale thinking this show needs to end, you pull me back in. Don’t get me wrong. I could spend seasons with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, but I need the show to make some sense.
• It’s been a joy recapping the series again. Thanks for following along. See you next time.

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