[This story contains spoilers from the penultimate episode of season five of Only Murders in the Building.]
Intrepid podcasters Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam and Mabel Mora are on the cusp of solving their latest murder mystery. Which, of course, can only mean one thing: another murder is on the horizon.
Throughout four seasons, Only Murders in the Building has ended each and every iteration with a brand new prominent death, setting the stage for the following season’s storyline — quite literally, in the case of season two’s finale, which set up the theatrical death of Paul Rudd’s Ben Glenroy. With the season five finale on its way next week, there’s no reason to expect anything different, at least in terms of breaking the pattern. But what exactly does the show have up its sleeve next?
Each season, the Hulu comedy ramps up the stakes with their flashy finale killings. Season one ended with the death of a prominent neighbor, Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell). Season two, the aforementioned surprise cameo (and even more surprising death) from Rudd. The following year, Jane Lynch became the next marquee murderee, taking a bullet that only lifelong friend Charles could solve.
Most recently, beloved building doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca) fell into the proverbial (and literal) fatality fountain. Heading into the finale, it’s looking increasingly like Lester’s death came at the hands of the mob, but it’s never quite so simple on this show; there are still plenty of possible swerves, from New York mayor Beau Tillman (Keegan-Michael Key) to Martha Stewart wannabe Camila White (Renee Zellweger).
Solving that particular puzzle? Well, that’s up to the Arconia trio. Trying to guess who’s going to die next? We’ll take that task on. Below are a few possibilities for what we could see in season five’s final fatal hour.
The Murder of the Building: Camila White’s plan to turn the Arconia into a casino is all but assured after the penultimate episode. The building’s inhabitants are on the cusp of losing their home and short of a miracle, there’s nothing they can do to stop it. Could season five put an end to the Arconia for good, paving the way for a sixth season set somewhere else entirely? It might help the case for viewers who no longer believe one building could house so many murders, but it would be a huge casualty for the vibe of the show. Not betting on it, but it’s at the very least in the cards with only one episode left this season.
The Murder of Two Loved Ones: Nathan Lane’s Teddy Dimas returned this season for the first time since season three, reappearing in a prominent role in the penultimate episode. Likewise, his son Theo (James Caverly) popped back up. Both characters were deeply linked to the murder board back in season one, and have had roles of varying degrees since then. Seeing them emerge again here raises the possibility that one of the Dimas men could wind up on the business end of the show’s title. Killing both of them, however, would really infuse a sixth season with intensely personal stakes for Oliver and Mabel in particular.
The Murder of Two New Lovers: Season five’s penultimate episode promised a sandwich, if not a relationship, between two of the most notable residents of the Arconia: Richard Kind’s Vince Fish and Jackie Hoffman’s Uma Heller. It would feel a bit like retreading old ground, since season five has dealt so much with Lester’s death and its impact on his widowed wife. It would also be ruthlessly rude on the show’s part, dangling a romance between Vince and Uma in front of the audience, only to deny us in the harshest terms possible. If Lester’s death proved anything, however, it’s just how ruthless this show’s willing to get when it comes to offing its beloved cast.
The Murder of the Big Three: However unlikely, it’s something worth considering: could one of Martin Short, Steve Martin or Selena Gomez see their time on Only Murders cut short? After years investigating murders in the building, is it perhaps even inevitable that the podcasters themselves become the subject of their own narrative? Only Murders always celebrates the murder victim with heightened roles in their “death seasons,” from flashback episodes to unearthed footage and beyond. In the case of Charles and Oliver in particular, both men have a long past still ripe for exploration, not to mention all of their shows (both televised and staged) that could get reexamined onscreen. But killing any one of Charles, Oliver or Mabel is strictly endgame territory; the show cannot outlast losing any one of the core three, but if we’re ever entering final season territory, we should consider whether creator John Hoffman and his fellow conspirators are daring enough to mark one of the central cast members for death.
The Murder of Only Murders: While we’re on the subject of a final season — what if we’re already in it? As of this writing, Hulu has not yet renewed Only Murders for season six, even if it feels like a foregone conclusion. For their part, both Martins and Gomez have made it clear they’re up for making the show as long as there’s still material left to mine. And not that there aren’t other stories worth telling about the Arconia and its various inhabitants; far from it. But as nice an adage as “the show must go on” is, Oliver Putnam knows firsthand that all shows eventually come to an end. The Arconia is on the cusp of becoming a casino, the residents are on the eve of moving out… in some ways, the stage is truly set for one final episode before the curtain falls. Is it curtains for Only Murders, then? No, probably not. But is it worth preparing for a stealth grand finale? Five seasons of the Hulu hit have taught us anything, it’s that anything and anyone is suspect until proven otherwise.
Only Murders in the Building releases its season five finale next week, Wednesday on Hulu.
