The Biggest Unanswered Questions From Only Murders In The Building Season 1
Contains spoilers for "Only Murders in the Building" Season 1
When Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) cross paths in the elevator of The Arconia for the first, fateful time on the Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building," they're joined by one Tim Kono (Julian Cihi) — a mysterious man who is about to meet his grizzly and untimely demise. Due to their shared love of true crime podcasts, the trio takes it upon themselves to ask the questions: Who is Tim Kono, who killed him, and why?
As Charles, Oliver, and Mabel create their own podcast to investigate Tim's murder, they wind up answering a slew of questions along the way. Indeed, over the course of the show's first ten episodes, the trio's list of suspects ends up including everyone from the podcast's sponsor, Teddy Dimas (Nathan Lane), to Sting. It's not until the season's final episode, though, that viewers finally learn that Tim's killer is actually bassoonist, serial poisoner, and Charles' new girlfriend, Jan (Amy Ryan). However, even in the season's final moments, it's revealed that the show's story isn't over yet, when the building's super, Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell), is killed long after Jan has been taken away.
As "Only Murders in the Building" Season 1 concludes with its central, intrepid podcasters arrested for Bunny's murder, we're left with a lot of unanswered questions — and these are the biggest ones.
Who killed Bunny?
If the central question of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 1 was, "Who killed Tim Kono?" then the central question of the show's second season seems to be, "Who killed Bunny?" The biggest problem is that, as Mabel herself says to Bunny in the final episode of the show's first season, Bunny is "the most hated person in the building" at the time of her murder. In fact, Bunny's push to have Charles, Oliver, and Mabel evicted from The Arconia nearly leads to Jan successfully killing every tenant in the building. That means that, as of now, practically everyone who lives in The Arconia is a potential suspect in Bunny's murder.
Perhaps Dr. Grover Stanley (Russell G. Jones), who'd lost many of his clients due to the ongoing slayings, finally snapped and killed Bunny? Or could it be that Lester (Teddy Coluca), The Arconia's doorman, has long harbored a secret desire to kill the building's super? For what it's worth, he does seem to have the keys to every door in the building and he knows a lot of the tenant's secrets. Then again, the killer could always be Sting. Sure, he seems like a Zen guy, but it's always the quiet ones, isn't it? After all, what sort of person turns up their nose at a free turkey? Sting is definitely guilty of something, of that we're certain (even if it isn't murder).
However, there are other questions that still need to be answered from "Only Murders in the Building" Season 1 — some that might even connect Bunny's murder to Tim's.
Who sent Charles and Oliver that warning text?
"Get out of the building now!!!" is the text both Charles and Oliver receive near the end of the "Only Murders in the Building" Season 1 finale, as they stand atop the roof of The Arconia, basking in their triumph over Jan. As the sound of sirens grows louder, the pair rush to find their young friend Mabel, only to discover her covered in blood and hunched over the body of Bunny. It's a series of events that leaves us with another, enormous question: Who sent that text to Oliver and Charles? More importantly, was the person who sent the text also who also alerted the authorities of Bunny's demise?
While we're all inquiring over who sent that text, here's another, related question for us all to gnaw on: How is it that everyone in the building was already waiting outside, seemingly aware of what had transpired before our trio was even walked out the door by the police? In fact, not only were the residents of The Arconia there, so were world-famous podcaster Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) and her assistant Poppy White (Adina Verson). How did Cinda know to be there with recording equipment in hand? Did someone text her too?
The bottom line is this: There's at least one person who knows what's going on and is trying to help Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, but we have no idea who that someone is or why they're getting involved now. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait for the premiere of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 2 to find out said person's identity.
What happened to the season's actual murderers?
"Only Murders in the Building" Season 1 may end with its heroic podcasters being carted off to jail, but viewers know that they are innocent of the crime they're being arrested for committing. However, their arrest could result in a lot of their good work from earlier in the season being undone.
For instance, viewers know for a fact that Jan killed Tim Kono, and that she not only tried to poison Charles to death but also planned on escaping conviction by killing everyone in The Arconia as well. That said, if the police are convinced that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel killed Bunny, do they still believe Jan is a killer, or do they now think she was framed by a trio of murderous true-crime podcasters? For all we know, Season 2 of "Only Murders in the Building" could begin with Jan walking away scot-free.
If that does, in fact, happen, then Jan may not be the only one who is gifted with a get-out-of-jail-free card at the end of Season 1. Teddy Dimas and his son Theo (James Caverly) were also accused of murder by Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, though, Theo did actually kill Mabel's friend all those years ago. Teddy and Theo are also — and this is worth noting — actual jewel thieves. Unfortunately, all these truths came out on a podcast whose hosts now appear to be guilty of murder. It's possible that Teddy and Theo's arrests may be called into question as a direct result of that.
With that in mind, we're left to wonder what roles these villains might play in "Only Murders in the Building" Season 2? Will they remain villainous, or will unlikely alliances be formed between them and the show's central trio in the interest of uncovering who really killed Bunny?
How did Howard's cat die?
There is one other mystery that may prove to be more important than "Only Murders in the Building" fans initially realize, and it all has to do with Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton). In specific, how did Howard's cat, Evelyn, really die? Jan is convinced that the cat licked up Tim Kono's poisoned blood and subsequently died as a result, but the show never explicitly confirms that.
As a matter of fact, one of the weirdest things about Jan's whole performance leading up to her big confession in the Season 1 finale is that she keeps trying to pin Tim's murder on Howard, even when everyone is convinced that the Dimas family is responsible. It's a plot point that forces viewers to wonder: Why would Jan try to blame Howard when turning the focus towards him doesn't protect her in any obvious way?
Additionally, Howard reveals in the Season 1 finale that he has a new kitten named "Evelyn Seven." It's an odd detail, one that could very well be nothing more than a funny character quirk. Alternatively, it could be a hint that, like the bassoon cleaner in Tim Kono's apartment, there's more to Howard and his cats than meets the eye.
Could he be the show's latest killer? There does, after all, appear to have been some tension between Howard and Bunny prior to the latter's death. Or could the truth behind Evelyn Six's death merely point us in the direction of the real guilty party?
Hopefully, fans will get to find out the answers to these questions and more when "Only Murders in the Building" returns for Season 2.