Only Murders in the Building – Opening Night

By: Sammi Turano

The season finale of “Only Murders in the Building” opens with Donna (Linda Emond) looking back at the night her son Cliff was born. She was closing a business deal as she gave birth and once he was in her arms, came up with the idea to name one of her show’s songs “The Rest of Your Life” in his honor. She talks about the dangers of producing as we go back to present day.

Loretta (Merly Streep) is helping Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) solve the case and prove Donna was involved. She is grateful they bailed her out of jail and loves bonding with them as they build their case. They realize Donna did this to protect Cliff due to the show getting  a bad review. They also realize that she is sick and that is part of her motive. The four of them come up with a plan to get a confession out of her….but not before the trio argues about how to make it happen.

Loretta, for her part, is excited about telling Dickie she is his mother. She then presents the hankie that he gave her that might tie Donna to the murder.

Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton), Jonathan (Jason Veasey) and Kimber (Ashley Park) prepare for opening night, with Jonathan taking too many pills. Mabel gives Donna flowers with a note that tells her to go to KT’s office. She kisses Cliff (Wesley Taylor) goodbye (one on the lips, one on the heart) and heads to the office, where the trip is waiting. They put their plan into action, but she throws them off by confessing to poisoning Ben. She realizes it is for the podcast and looks for the mic, which is being held by Tobert (Jesse Williams) behind the door.

Donna confesses to the poisoning, but claims she never pushed Ben. They try to prove it was her by matching the lipstick on the hankie to her own shade, which leads to her confessing on tape….confusing everyone. She promises to turn herself in after the show, but she is dying and has to see her son’s debut. She reminds Oliver she gave him a shot, so she wants him to give her this.

As she confesses to the murder, Howard runs in and says Jonathan cannot go on because he took too many pills….but he will take over.

Showtime! As the curtain rises and the play begins, Tobert and Mabel bond and share a kiss. He also tells her he is going to LA and wants her to come with him….or to think about it. Meanwhile, Uma (Jackie Hoffman) and Matthew Broderick bond over their distaste for Oliver and the play.

As the play continues, Dickie (Jeremy Shamos) cries watching Loretta and Cliff finally arrive. When Loretta exits the stage, she and Dickie finally have their talk. He admits he knows there is a connection between them and they share a tearful moment and hug.

Mabel watches Cliff and Donna in the audience and figures out Cliff is the killer and goes to find him in the attic. She realizes that “fucking pig” was Ben talking to himself since he has such a fondness for the cookies that Cliff tried to give him. So, when he saw one sitting on his table, he couldn’t resist. She realizes it also must have been sprinkled with poison – thus Ben “dying” the first time.

Mabel confronts Cliff as Charles performs. Cliff tells Mabel that he used to watch Donna’s shows from the attic and admits that he knows about the poisoning….and we see how Cliff originally found out in a flashback with Ben (Paul Rudd). He figured out his mother did it on opening night and Ben knew because the only thing he ate that night was the cookie. It led to Ben threatening to call the cops, the two of them fighting and Ben falling through the elevator.

Cliff threatens to kill himself as Charles goes to the attic and the play goes on with the illusion of Ben performing….and the play actually ending with Loretta’s character killing Oliver’s.

Oliver also goes to the attic with Donna close behind. They all talk Cliff down and encourage him to go back in the attic and downstairs after Cliff tells Donna it was an accident. They all go down for the curtain call.

Donna and Cliff are arrested and kiss one last time.

At the cast party, Oliver reads the review with the help of Mabel….and it is wonderful! He kisses Loretta, who now has two offers in LA. Oliver encourages her to take it as they seal the deal with another kiss.

Tobert and Mabel decide that she will stay in NYC, but visit him in LA.

The trio chat about their futures when Sazz (Jane Lynch) arrives with beer. She takes a picture with Charles and says they need to talk later about a sensitive topic. He agrees but wants to get wine first. As he leaves, he gets a text from Joy. Charles goes to enter his apartment when he is shot…..or is he?

Everyone wonders where he is when he arrives in the room with the wine….as Sazz lays dying in his apartment, trying to leave a message with her blood…..as the season ends.