Only Murders in the Building – Ah, Love!

By: Sammi Turano

This week’s episode opens with Joy (Andrea Martin) narrating about love as a montage of couples is shown. It leads to Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) listening in on a fight between Charles (Steve Martin) and Joy.

When Charles emerges, they ask him if he asked Joy about the lipstick message in the dressing room.  He claims to be working on it, so Oliver turns the subject to himself and asking Loretta out on a date. Mabel calls him out on it and reveals she is going on a stakeout (not date!) with Tobert for the case. She promises to keep in touch as Charles goes back into is place, with Joy still screaming.

Joy continues to narrate about love as Mabel and Oliver leave. He is still stuck on Loretta and how he is going to ask her out on a date, with Mabel making snarky comments.

Joy and Oliver have seemingly made up. He finally broaches the lipstick topic, but she avoids the subject by taking care of her fish, talking about Presidents and quoting Brazzos. Once she realizes what he is talking about, she is upset, but is interrupted by Sazz (Jane Lynch) coming over with a gift.

Sazz chats like nothing is amiss, but Joy is still upset with the accusation. She leaves and Sazz wants to know what is happening.

Oliver goes to visit Loretta (Meryl Streep), who is upset with her microwave being broken and dinner being ruined. Oliver doesn’t mind and explores the apartment, only to knock into her Murphy bed.

Mabel and Tobert (Jesse Williams) go do their own investigation, which turns out to be just watching Jonathan’s (Jason Veasey) cabaret performance. She is upset that he lied about the lead, but stays for a drink anyway.

Charles opens up to Sazz about everything that is happening and she tries to calm him down and see things more clearly. She also lets him know that he has Murderous Girlfriend Derangement Syndrome.

Loretta and Oliver enjoy dinner, but he ends up breaking a tooth on her food. She feels bad, but they end up making a joke out of it and the mood lightens. She talks about her past career and pigs, saying she thinks Ben was a pig. This makes Oliver suspicious.

Mabel and Tobert begin to bond and open up to one another, making her feel more comfortable around him.

Sazz role plays with Charles by pretending to be Joy and allowing him to say what he feels. She tries to help him stop being scared in this relationship.

Loretta and Oliver go on the ferry around the city. She smokes pot and shares some of memories smoking with a roommate….whom Oliver knows. They realize they ran in the same circles years ago, causing them to bond even more. They kiss.

Tobert and Mabel continue to drink and notice Jonathan with another man…..wondering if he is cheating on Howard. They see them exchange paper and an envelope and cause a scene, deciding to follow the mystery man.

Loretta opens up about an incident with Ben that led to the collapse. She knew everyone hated him and says that he was nasty to everyone, including his kind-hearted brother. Oliver understands and they share a romantic moment on the ferry where she throws his tooth overboard like she did when she was a kid. They kiss again.

Tobert says the mystery guy was a celebrity concierge doctor who saw Ben several times over the past year. It isn’t much to go on and Mabel wonders why Jonathan is seeing them. They leave the bar.

Joy brings Charles food and says she was helping Ben cover a scar on opening night. She claims she dropped her lipstick in the chaos. He admits that he saw the incident with Ben and Loretta. She is still upset thinking that he thought she was the killer. They end up fighting with her throwing cake on him and storming out.

Tobert takes Mabel home and looks over her suspect board before kissing her.

Oliver and Loretta are in bed together as Joy narrates some more about love. Later on, as Loretta waits in the bath, Oliver snoops and finds a shrine to Ben….as the episode comes to a close.