September 13, 2025 • 27 mins
Here's my reaction and review of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building Season 5 episodes 1, 2, and 3 as I dive into everything Charles, Mabel, and Oliver, and some possible suspects in Lester & Nicky's deaths. Stick around for my clue & theory corner where I dive into some frigid ideas, including the link to Pabo Neruda's "Death Alone" poem and...a possible Antarctic bird nickname connection?From Hulu: Season 5 finds Charles-Haden Savage (played by Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) confronting the shocking death of their beloved doorman Lester, while the mob creeps into the Arconia’s storied halls. The ten-episode run blends sharp investigative puzzles with the trio’s razor-sharp banter and New York City charm.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to media Melanie TV. Today I'm back to talk about
Only Murders in the Building season 5.
And I've just got to say, this season kicked off into high gear
with these first 3 episodes, something I appreciated the
most. Though.
Every time the show returns withanother season, I ask myself,
how many murders can there actually be in one building?
(00:20):
I loved that the show actually leaned into the absurd fact that
there are so many murders in theArconia.
Lester's wife says at one point.Well, Lester, it's not that bad,
just, you know, one murder in all these years and Lester's
like, well, actually, you know, it's been more.
And then we have of course, Lester's murder in the fountain
and Nikki Cachemilio's corpse was found in the dry cleaner.
(00:42):
And by the way, the whole autopsy scene when Mabel's like,
oh, I'm getting Meredith Grey vibes from this.
I loved every single second of that.
That was definitely one of the highs for me throughout these
first 3. And these episodes are called
Nail in the Coffin, After You and Rigor.
So far, the stand out for me is definitely After you.
I loved getting to know Lester Moore.
(01:05):
He's been a prominent part of the series from the very
beginning. And actually, it's funny because
my friends over at Matt and JessTV put out a video last season
about how Lester could actually be one of the big bats.
And even though he is involved in some definite shenanigans
that contributes to this deeper and darker lore of the Arconia
itself, now that he's been a victim, yeah, he was involved in
(01:28):
some bad stuff. But given that he is such a
foundational part of the show and now he's dead, I like this
victimology a little bit more than others because we really do
know him very well. And yeah, we've known some of
the other victims before, but something about Lester,
something about this After You episode aging the characters
(01:49):
backwards was amazing. They easily could have cast
younger versions, but leaning into this absurdity of instead
making Charles Hayden Savages hair around, making a younger
Martin Short, a younger Mabel. I thought that was hilarious
that they did not cast younger versions of these actors because
again, it just plays into the actual comedy of the show, which
(02:12):
is about murder. So that episode for me was done
very well. But something I also picked up
on, we were directly told that there are things going on here
and that you have to pay attention.
So in all of my videos for this season, I am putting together a
clue corner where we're going toto track all of the clues, what
we know so far, and then some ofmy leading theories to see if we
(02:35):
can actually guess who this perpetrator might be before the
big reveal. But before I get more into this
review of episodes 1:00 and 3:00, please be sure to go
ahead, hit that like button and subscribe to my channel if you
have not already. I will be here every week with
reviews on Only Murders in the Building Season 5.
And I'm working towards my very next big milestone, which is to
(02:56):
hit 5000 subscribers by the end of the year.
So I would appreciate if you stick with me for more TV talk,
hit that subscribe button. I've also got some other great
shows coming up, including finishing out the final season
of the summer. I turned pretty Team Conrad, by
the way. Looking ahead, I may be giving
Gen. V Season 2 a look.
(03:17):
I've got other shows on my radar, including the Telemasca,
Fallout It, Welcome to Derry, and many others.
So be sure to stay tuned here for more details on my coverage.
And the best way to get all of that again is to hit that
subscribe right button. And thank you to everybody who
has already done that. OK, back into the review.
One thing this series does well is to cast big name guest stars
(03:38):
in this season is definitely no exception.
We've got the likes of Renee Zellweger, Tea Leoni, Christoph
Waltz, Keegan, Michael Key, we've got Logan Luhrmann,
Jermaine Fowler, Beanie Feldman,Bobby Cannavale, and we're also
going to have some returning favorites like Meryl Streep and
Nathan Lane. So, so far, so good.
We've been introduced to most ofthose characters within these
(04:00):
first 3 episodes, but somebody I'm not quite as sure about
Althea or the the as they are calling her.
I think it's really funny first of all, that she shortened her
name like that. And we did see her in the
flashback of a younger Mabel in the building as they were
talking to Lester. But why bring her in now?
She's obviously a very big musicstar.
(04:23):
Most searched on Spotify becauseof course she starts her name
with THE which is an article anddefinitely does help those
search results. But what is her place here going
to be as of right now, it seems maybe a little bit extraneous.
They are introducing somebody ofMabel's age, of course, coming
back into the building and they go back.
(04:44):
So bigger picture, still not sure exactly where she's going
to fit in, but I would imagine there's got to be some sort of
tie in to Lester's death and this new character.
So Episode 1, nail in the coffinset the table.
We got to revisit Sophia Catchemilio, who wants the trio
to investigate the disappearanceof Nikki, who is the dry
(05:05):
cleaning king of New York. And of course, they end up
finding his body in the dry cleaner, which for some reason
Oliver was just able to seamlessly enter no problem.
And then Charles is able to go back after Oliver took the body
out. You definitely have to suspend
quite a bit of disbelief for theshow, but once you do and just
lean into the humor, the absurdity and the mystery, it is
(05:27):
fun. And hey, I'm not a big Martin
Short fan myself. He's probably the least favorite
of the trio. And I do think that Steve Martin
carries a lot of this acting weight on his shoulders, but
that's that. I also love Selena Gomez.
So it does work and it does create sort of a more
intergenerational appeal for both younger and older viewers.
This first episode takes place after Oliver's wedding.
(05:49):
And of course, we know Lester's body was found in that fountain
in a literal pool of blood, but yet they are calling it
accidental. And now with everything we know
about the ties of this casino, obviously somebody on the police
force must be tied into this illegal gambling operation,
which I think is actually quite cool that they're incorporating
(06:09):
what used to be allegedly these stables below the building into
this very secret gambling room, which has been something hidden
from us up until now. They've got the playing cards
embedded here with that had the map and that allows them entry
into there. And of course, that's where we
also got to see some of our big guest stars this season who are
(06:30):
playing these billionaires, these very wealthy corporate
moguls. Are any of them part of the
reason why Lester could have ended up dead?
Are they going there to convene about the death of Lester and
also the death of Catch Emilio? And by the way, I have just
loved this corpse talking to Charles.
(06:50):
I think it's really funny. Bobby Cannavale is a fantastic
actor and it just adds another level of humor to a show about
murders, and I love how they do balance that quite well.
Finger in the shrimp cocktail. At first, I'm like, why are we
watching Oliver slurping on thisold shrimp?
I don't know about you, but for me, I am not eating shrimp
(07:12):
that's been leftover from whatever event anyway.
I mean, who knows? Was it sitting out too long?
Did they refrigerate it properly?
Too many questions there with food handling.
But this set the table, of course, for this mysterious
finger to be found in the shrimp.
And I'm gonna get a little bit more into all of the clues
later. I'm gonna have a recurring clue
corner where I go over my leading theories, leading
(07:34):
suspects. So stay tuned for that A little
bit later in the video, Episode 2, after you got into the
flashbacks of Lester and his journey working for the Arconia,
How he got to where he was, how he got involved with taking this
money from the mob in order to sort of run and let people into
this casino hidden within that closet of Lester's.
(07:55):
And the way they incorporated inall of the present day clues as
these sort of black and white little montage and directly told
us to pay attention to all of the little things.
I don't know about you, but I'vegot my detective hat on and
magnifying glass out and I am ready to solve this season's
crime. Episode 3 rigor.
We got the DIY autopsy action, which again, I thought was
(08:16):
fantastic. But overall, these first 3
episodes really did set the table for what's to come.
Establishing this group of corporate moguls, establishing
the fact that there has been this ongoing story and plot with
an underground casino at the Arconia and then the tie in with
the dry cleaning, King Nikki Catch, Emilio, and the fact that
(08:36):
we actually now have two murders.
Fortunately, one of them actually did occur within the
building and the other one, while it was in the dry
cleaners, obviously is somewhat connected to the Arconia
tangentially because when we hadMabel and Charles down in the
casino, they could actually communicate with Oliver who was
up in the dry cleaner. This season so far does feel
(08:58):
like one of the earlier seasons because it is so deeply embedded
with the Arconia and creating more levels of lore within the
building that has played such a big character within this series
from the very start. I mean, the show is called Only
Murders in the Building. The Arconia is the building in
question. And while they've got away from
it in different seasons with different storylines, it is nice
(09:19):
to be rooted again where it all began and with the character
who's been part of the fabric ofthis story from the very start.
One of my biggest hopes is that they are going to leverage some
of these bigger names a little better than they did with, say,
Paul Rudd back in his season. I want to see Christoph Waltz,
Renee Zellweger. I want to see more of Keegan
Michael Key, who is playing the mayor, by the way, and attended
(09:41):
Lester's funeral without actually knowing Lester.
I find that to be very SUS. And did he actually know Lester
and he was just saying that because he wanted to cover his
identity, perhaps as part of this underground gambling
situation? It's likely.
And in terms of highs, as I saidin my initial reactions, I
appreciate that we are getting some really solid guest stars.
(10:02):
Some of the jokes land pretty well in terms of lows.
Suspension of disbelief is at anall time high.
But again, once you look past that, I think it's fine.
Oliver continues to be as over the top as always, and while he
does really annoy me at times and some of his jokes are just
so silly and I think they intendto write them that way to really
(10:22):
portray Oliver in that way. Thank goodness we still have
Charles and Mabel as part of thetrio, who are the ones who I
definitely gravitate towards themost.
I do think the whole dry cleaner, your situation felt a
little bit convenient, and obviously they're probably not
going to be doing an autopsy in their building in any stretch of
the mind in real life. But that truly was a high for
(10:44):
me. But one of the lows that I don't
think landed quite well was the humor at Lester's funeral.
I just thought that was far too over the top.
I didn't love Charles getting down into that casket.
I don't know. I just didn't love any of that
funeral humor. It was not my favorite, but some
of the jokes that actually landed, I kind of liked the
(11:04):
Brando imitations that both Oliver and Charles were doing.
I think that was funny. And obviously it ties into the
bigger theme here of the Godfather and mob activity and
going into a little bit of New York's past and these mob
connections and then how they currently tie into the new
mobsters or these corporate characters that we did get
(11:24):
introduced to already. I actually thought Oliver using
Riz was kind of cute. I also thought it was funny when
Mabel is like, oh, and this is how I die As the trio is
entering Sophia catch Emilio sons mob house.
Now I thought that they were actually going to be there for
something mobster related as well.
So imagine my surprise along with Oliver's when they bust out
into this whole theme song for apodcast.
(11:47):
That's right, these mob Bros arepitching a podcast and I think
that was just so zany and off the wall, but I kind of enjoyed
it and I'm interested to see exactly where Nikki catch
Emilio's sons come into play. I've got to say, just judging by
who they are and what we learnedfrom them so far, I don't think
they have anything to do with anything.
(12:08):
In fact, I wouldn't be surprisedif they didn't even know about
this whole casino situation and that their dad just kind of kept
that disconnected from them. When we had that flashback
episode when Howard's mom was like, oh, my son is the G and
the LGBT, he's gay. And the fact that she's wearing
all the rainbow clothing, I thought that was funny.
But what's interesting about Howard is he was one of the ones
(12:31):
at the very beginning who were saying, oh, the police footage
showed that this was an accident.
Why is Howard so dead set on saying this was an accident?
Is it possible that he had something to do with it?
I think at some point through these past seasons, Howard has
been looked at as a suspect. Could this be the season where
maybe he is finally guilty of doing something?
(12:52):
Is he involved with this underground casino in some way?
I guess we'll find out. And can we talk about some of
this peak out of touch comedy? I already mentioned Oliver using
rizz, but when they are hiding behind the bar in the
underground casino and Charles was like, oh, I'll safari it.
And he starts typing in HTTP andthen Oliver's like, no, that's
not how you do it. And he starts typing in
(13:13):
www.oneofmyfavoritethings is when Selena Gomez's character,
Mabel brings these two back downto earth and puts them more in
touch with current reality. For me, it's giving the whole
progressive commercial vibes. I do love how they are so
different. Mabel is so young.
These two are so old. It really does add an
(13:33):
interesting and fun perspective.And then Mabel, when they're in
the casino, she's like, hey, should I be videoing this?
A lot of podcasts are doing video now.
Hey girl, you should absolutely be adding video because if
you're putting your podcast on Spotify, we all know you can do
video. So get it.
And hey, while you're at it, maybe you guys should also start
a YouTube channel. Although I will say there is an
official podcast from the show. So I mean, they are kind of
(13:55):
having that meta experience having a podcast about a show
about a podcast. The three top jokes for me that
did not land when they were talking about Permed hands just
didn't need to hear that. When Oliver's talking about I
asked for extra starch, like I don't know that we really needed
that dry cleaning joke. And then again, all of the
funeral humor, those were probably my low 3 humor moments
(14:16):
from these first 3 episodes. All right, we're going to get
into the clue in Theory Corner, starting with the episode clues
that they actually give us at the end of each episode.
All right, the three clues from the end of episode 1, the
envelope with the blood on it, aplaying card with a red backing
and some circles with some kind of branches out to other circles
on it. And then a logo for that mob
(14:38):
podcast pitch, which I thought was really funny.
So if they're including that logo as one of the clues, maybe
we should could actually be looking at Nikki Sons in terms
of potentially being tied into his murder or the murder of
Lester. What do you guys think?
Alright, the end of episode 2. It was not actually physical
clues, but I'm wondering are they meaning for these to
(15:01):
somehow mirror something within the plot?
In one corner we had young Lester, in the other corner
older Lester. In one corner we had a young
photo of Lester and his wife, and then in the other corner it
was a current day photo of Nikkiand Sophia Catch Emilio.
So I asked this question, how are the two couples mirroring
each other? Because obviously we have the
(15:22):
older Lester and younger Lester and then we have the younger
Lester married couple and then this other couple.
And yes, one of the men are victims in each one of those
clues. Are they just putting it out
there because they are victims or is there more to the
relationship between these two couples then we actually know?
(15:42):
Besides the fact that they are both dead and besides the fact
that Lester was in fact working with Nikki for this underground
casino and just going over some early clues as well.
In the Lester flashback episode,Lester and his wife Lorraine
met. Lorraine looked to be pushing a
baby carriage. Now.
Did they get together and she had a son maybe with somebody
(16:04):
tied into the Catch Emilio family and there's a stepson
somehow tied into this. I'm not sure, but it has to mean
something, right? Then at the end of episode 3, we
had a King of Hearts card and then Nicki's Death Alone tattoo.
Now, so Death Alone is a poem byPablo Naruto which is actually
narrated at the end of this veryepisode by Nikki Catch Emilio.
(16:28):
And I think this ties into my Big Bird theory which I am going
to get into soon, so do not missthat.
And then we also have the cleanups dry cleaner hanger that
had the paper on it advertising as any dry cleaner does.
And just in terms of the victim and forensics, obviously Lester
is the victim. He was found floating in a pool
of red within the Arconius Fountain.
(16:48):
And then we also had Nikki CatchEmilio's corpse hung up in the
dry cleaner and his body was obviously meant to be discovered
the next Monday after this weekend.
And it was alluded to that his body was probably kept in
refrigeration or freezer becausethe decomp didn't exactly match
the rigor. And by the way, shout out to
(17:08):
Mabel for being so forensically smart.
I mean, obviously she must be watching a lot of CSI and
Forensic Files. And good for our girl.
Nikki also had that cleaver in his chest and he was still
wearing wearing the clothes thathe was wearing at Lester's
wedding where they found the picture of Lester actually
having the envelope that Nikki gave him.
(17:29):
We also had some rope marks, thewhite substance, the green felt
from the casino underneath the nails of both victims and the
missing finger who may be tied into Fluke, who we saw at the
end with his hand up on the bar with the bandage on.
All right, some different objects and codes that were
present in these first 3 episodes.
That wedding envelope that was found with that whole let wheel
(17:50):
code, who was the envelope actually intended for?
Is that what these corporate moguls are actually coming to
look for or was it intended for somebody else?
We also learned that Lester keptthat Ledger and there were some
missing Ledger pages and one of them was actually stuffed into
Nikki Catch Emilio's mouth. Some of the bird names
mentioned, cowbird, cockapoo, bowerbird and brown headed
(18:12):
cowbird and banker. I think there's actually a big
clue within the birds because wewere told by Lester's wife that
she liked to nickname the residents of the building with
the birds. But what actually really got me
was one of Nikki's lines, which alludes to a poem.
And I'm going to go ahead and read it and let you know exactly
(18:33):
where my head is at with this poem and the bird imagery of it
all. I'm going to read the excerpt
from that poem and see where it might tie in with the whole bird
imagery of it all. Death lies in our beds and the
lazy mattresses, the black blankets, lives a full stretch
and then suddenly blows, blow filling out the sheets.
And these are beds sailing into a harbor dressed as an Admiral.
(18:55):
I think that is a big clue. And while there is not a bird
named Admiral, Admiral Byrd was one of the first people to ever
fly over the South Pole and Antarctica.
So could there be a clue embedded in there that whoever
the perpetrator is has to do with an Admiral related bird,
which to me would mean one of these Antarctic birds?
(19:16):
And if we're looking at the mostprevalent birds on the South
Pole, Penguins, that's a big one, and also the albatross.
Then we've also got prions, petrels, scuas, fulmars, all
sorts of birds. So I think we all need to keep
our ear to the ground and if we hear any sort of bird that is
either related to somehow an Admiral or one of these
(19:37):
Antarctic birds, then I think they could actually be telling
us who committed the crime time.And I'm assuming that the same
person probably killed Lester and Nikki, but they always
subvert our expectations. So we could actually be looking
at two different perpetrators here.
The deck of cards was obviously a very big clue.
Nikis cards that had the map on it and then what Charles figured
(19:58):
out in order to enter that vaultwhich led to the casino.
The elevator crank that was an important part of Lester's
flashback episode, alluding to the fact that he always had that
in order to maybe fend off any unsavory characters outside of
the building. And then we saw somebody picking
up that elevator crank at the end with a trash bag.
So I'm surmising it could possibly be either the murder
(20:22):
weapon or it could just be something that was left there,
maybe that Lester was using in self-defense in order to send
off this perpetrator who ended up killing him.
Now, I mean, there's still the possibility maybe it was an
accidental death. I don't know.
Maybe Lester's running from a bird, which sounds absolutely
absurd. And and then maybe Nikki's death
(20:43):
is the one where somebody actually kills him because
there's a literal cleaver through his heart.
I don't think that Nikki Catch Emilio was the one to kill
Lester. I think there's definitely a
bigger picture at play here. And anytime there's a politician
in the mix, I don't know, I think we should automatically
add them to our list of suspects.
So looking at you, Mayor Tillman, could you have
something to do with this? I think it's highly possible.
(21:03):
All right, so some other clues. I mentioned the roulette wheel
with that hidden compartment where the envelope was found,
that white gardenia, which signifies some sort of casino
insider because Lester was very clear when he's training this
new doorman. Hey, if anyone comes in with a
white gardenia, that's on me, bro.
Nikki also calls Lester, Lester the jester.
And a big theme in these episodes as well is the
(21:24):
sacrifice that Lester gave. He didn't want to end up as a
doorman for his entire life, wanted to be an actor, but he
became very good at his job, well respected within the
building. And that recurring theme of
after you, It makes me wonder ifthe actual murderer came into
the building. Did Lester do that same thing?
Hold the door and say after you and then literally walk out to
(21:46):
his death in the fountain? I'd say there's a pretty high
probability. And even though Nikki did
directly threaten Lester and sayyou're not done until I say
you're done, I still don't thinkit's him.
I think that that's obviously a big red herring and part of the
setup for whatever this bigger picture at play is going to be.
And there is such a big focus onthis transition from the mob and
(22:06):
what now the mob means. And we learned that in Charles's
dialogue. He said as the city has changed,
so too have those in power, the mafia as we once knew them,
maybe no more, but the idea of many losing in order for an
elite few to gain has never beenmore true.
Gone are the velour track suits and chains, replaced by boat
(22:26):
shoes and Dogecoin. Now obviously there's going to
be this big set up for these corporate people to be involved
in something. I mean, they're all
millionaires, billionaires and whatnot.
And we have the mayor in play aswell.
So I'm thinking there's got to be some sort of connection
between them and the mayor. And I'm wondering if they're
actually there to gamble or if they are going to meet.
(22:48):
Maybe this is more of a meeting spot than an actual gambling
destination for these people andthey're committing some kind of
corporate espionage. And then just back to that
Admiral reference for a second. Second, the way in which that
narration played out makes me think, OK, if it's not connected
to a bird. And Admiral is obviously a
person in power and the only person in a major power position
(23:11):
that we've seen besides the corporate people.
The mayor, That's right. I'm just going to call early on,
I think he's got something to dowith this.
And whether he directly committed one or both of those
murders or just had a hand in it, he's got to be involved
somehow. And I think one of the saddest
parts about these episodes is the fact that Lester did
sacrifice so much and was basically enslaved into staying
(23:35):
in this position as long as he was asked to.
And then he just gets murdered after having that confrontation
with Nikki. SUS AF.
Just back to the bird names for a second.
Some of those ones we mentioned,I mentioned above, but the
banker, it's not a bird, but it's listed with the birds.
Could this mean some sort of a financial player tying into one
of these three big characters? And by the way, I'm just so
(23:58):
excited to see more from Krista Roth Waltz and Renee Zellweger.
They're probably my top two favorite guest stars of the
season. And I should also mention we
will be getting Richard Kind back.
We haven't seen any of the otherWesties at this point, but we
will be seeing Richard Kind at some point.
So curious to see exactly where that goes.
And Speaking of other returning cast, Nathan Lane's going to be
(24:19):
back too. So is he going to be part of the
murder, part of the solution or just part of the story?
But really my biggest theory so far has to do with this Admiral
clue, whether it is related to to a potential Antarctic bird or
whether it is related to somebody in a position of power.
The fact that they're telling usto pay attention to the small
things I am watching. Another thing I loved was all of
(24:42):
the pop culture references, and this show is definitely known
for doing that. But just in the first 3 episodes
alone we got references to Dua Leap of Laverne and Shirley, The
Godfather, Greece, Charles the Savage, Swagger, Grey's Anatomy
during that DIY autopsy, and then Thea talking about all of
the different recording artists.But then the Dixie Chicks and
(25:03):
the Chicks and how she wasn't impacted by that name change
which is just absurd and funny. And again, not exactly sure
where this Althea plays into it all, but I imagine we will be
finding out at some point. Unless she is just there to be
some kind of big red herring which also makes sense.
And if the billionaires are thisnew mafia, what about the Caputo
(25:23):
crime family who allegedly has something to do with all of this
as well? Is their tie in with the
billionaires and the Caputo crime family?
Or is the Caputo crime family maybe a network of some of these
billionaires who are at the top of that sort of power structure?
So moving into these next episodes, first of all, I'd like
(25:44):
to know what does everybody think about the first three?
Do you think we're off to a goodstart here?
As somebody who has been critical of some of these past
seasons, I think this is actually off to a great start,
especially compared to the one with Paul Rudd and the whole
playwright situation. That was just not my favorite
season whatsoever. I'm liking the direction this is
going with that secret gambling room, how it's tied directly
back to the Arconia, how they'reinfusing this mystery with the
(26:08):
mob and the billionaires and nowthis musician with the paparazzi
who is somehow tied into Mabel'slife as well.
I will say again that Oliver Putnam, not my favorite
character. I think out of all of the jokes,
his land the worst. But I also do wonder if that's
intentional because he is kind of meant to be this sort of
washed up, over the top character.
(26:29):
But I encourage everybody to puttheir detective hats on, put
those magnifying glasses really close to your eye because
literally the show directly toldus to pay attention to the small
things. So I'm going to be tracking all
the characters, all the theories, all of the clues, and
keeping a very close eye on these bird references moving
forward because I am convinced that it has something to do with
(26:49):
who we will end up finding out to be the perpetrator.
And again, I hope you hit the like button on this video and
subscribe to my channel. Like I said, I am really hoping
to hit the goal of 5000 before the end of the year.
I'm on a journey to become a full time TV content creator.
So every time you tune in here with me, you comment you like it
all helps me get one step closer.
So seriously, thank you to everybody who is here and I hope
(27:10):
you stick with me for more TV talk.
Like I said, I've got a ton of great shows on the radar for
this fall and winter and then for early 2026 as well.
So I will be back again soon. Media Melanie clicking off.
Welcome to media Melanie TV. Today I'm back to talk about
Only Murders in the Building season 5.
And I've just got to say, this season kicked off into high gear
with these first 3 episodes, something I appreciated the
most. Though.
Every time the show returns withanother season, I ask myself,
how many murders can there actually be in one building?
(00:20):
I loved that the show actually leaned into the absurd fact that
there are so many murders in theArconia.
Lester's wife says at one point.Well, Lester, it's not that bad,
just, you know, one murder in all these years and Lester's
like, well, actually, you know, it's been more.
And then we have of course, Lester's murder in the fountain
and Nikki Cachemilio's corpse was found in the dry cleaner.
(00:42):
And by the way, the whole autopsy scene when Mabel's like,
oh, I'm getting Meredith Grey vibes from this.
I loved every single second of that.
That was definitely one of the highs for me throughout these
first 3. And these episodes are called
Nail in the Coffin, After You and Rigor.
So far, the stand out for me is definitely After you.
I loved getting to know Lester Moore.
(01:05):
He's been a prominent part of the series from the very
beginning. And actually, it's funny because
my friends over at Matt and JessTV put out a video last season
about how Lester could actually be one of the big bats.
And even though he is involved in some definite shenanigans
that contributes to this deeper and darker lore of the Arconia
itself, now that he's been a victim, yeah, he was involved in
(01:28):
some bad stuff. But given that he is such a
foundational part of the show and now he's dead, I like this
victimology a little bit more than others because we really do
know him very well. And yeah, we've known some of
the other victims before, but something about Lester,
something about this After You episode aging the characters
(01:49):
backwards was amazing. They easily could have cast
younger versions, but leaning into this absurdity of instead
making Charles Hayden Savages hair around, making a younger
Martin Short, a younger Mabel. I thought that was hilarious
that they did not cast younger versions of these actors because
again, it just plays into the actual comedy of the show, which
(02:12):
is about murder. So that episode for me was done
very well. But something I also picked up
on, we were directly told that there are things going on here
and that you have to pay attention.
So in all of my videos for this season, I am putting together a
clue corner where we're going toto track all of the clues, what
we know so far, and then some ofmy leading theories to see if we
(02:35):
can actually guess who this perpetrator might be before the
big reveal. But before I get more into this
review of episodes 1:00 and 3:00, please be sure to go
ahead, hit that like button and subscribe to my channel if you
have not already. I will be here every week with
reviews on Only Murders in the Building Season 5.
And I'm working towards my very next big milestone, which is to
(02:56):
hit 5000 subscribers by the end of the year.
So I would appreciate if you stick with me for more TV talk,
hit that subscribe button. I've also got some other great
shows coming up, including finishing out the final season
of the summer. I turned pretty Team Conrad, by
the way. Looking ahead, I may be giving
Gen. V Season 2 a look.
(03:17):
I've got other shows on my radar, including the Telemasca,
Fallout It, Welcome to Derry, and many others.
So be sure to stay tuned here for more details on my coverage.
And the best way to get all of that again is to hit that
subscribe right button. And thank you to everybody who
has already done that. OK, back into the review.
One thing this series does well is to cast big name guest stars
(03:38):
in this season is definitely no exception.
We've got the likes of Renee Zellweger, Tea Leoni, Christoph
Waltz, Keegan, Michael Key, we've got Logan Luhrmann,
Jermaine Fowler, Beanie Feldman,Bobby Cannavale, and we're also
going to have some returning favorites like Meryl Streep and
Nathan Lane. So, so far, so good.
We've been introduced to most ofthose characters within these
(04:00):
first 3 episodes, but somebody I'm not quite as sure about
Althea or the the as they are calling her.
I think it's really funny first of all, that she shortened her
name like that. And we did see her in the
flashback of a younger Mabel in the building as they were
talking to Lester. But why bring her in now?
She's obviously a very big musicstar.
(04:23):
Most searched on Spotify becauseof course she starts her name
with THE which is an article anddefinitely does help those
search results. But what is her place here going
to be as of right now, it seems maybe a little bit extraneous.
They are introducing somebody ofMabel's age, of course, coming
back into the building and they go back.
(04:44):
So bigger picture, still not sure exactly where she's going
to fit in, but I would imagine there's got to be some sort of
tie in to Lester's death and this new character.
So Episode 1, nail in the coffinset the table.
We got to revisit Sophia Catchemilio, who wants the trio
to investigate the disappearanceof Nikki, who is the dry
(05:05):
cleaning king of New York. And of course, they end up
finding his body in the dry cleaner, which for some reason
Oliver was just able to seamlessly enter no problem.
And then Charles is able to go back after Oliver took the body
out. You definitely have to suspend
quite a bit of disbelief for theshow, but once you do and just
lean into the humor, the absurdity and the mystery, it is
(05:27):
fun. And hey, I'm not a big Martin
Short fan myself. He's probably the least favorite
of the trio. And I do think that Steve Martin
carries a lot of this acting weight on his shoulders, but
that's that. I also love Selena Gomez.
So it does work and it does create sort of a more
intergenerational appeal for both younger and older viewers.
This first episode takes place after Oliver's wedding.
(05:49):
And of course, we know Lester's body was found in that fountain
in a literal pool of blood, but yet they are calling it
accidental. And now with everything we know
about the ties of this casino, obviously somebody on the police
force must be tied into this illegal gambling operation,
which I think is actually quite cool that they're incorporating
(06:09):
what used to be allegedly these stables below the building into
this very secret gambling room, which has been something hidden
from us up until now. They've got the playing cards
embedded here with that had the map and that allows them entry
into there. And of course, that's where we
also got to see some of our big guest stars this season who are
(06:30):
playing these billionaires, these very wealthy corporate
moguls. Are any of them part of the
reason why Lester could have ended up dead?
Are they going there to convene about the death of Lester and
also the death of Catch Emilio? And by the way, I have just
loved this corpse talking to Charles.
(06:50):
I think it's really funny. Bobby Cannavale is a fantastic
actor and it just adds another level of humor to a show about
murders, and I love how they do balance that quite well.
Finger in the shrimp cocktail. At first, I'm like, why are we
watching Oliver slurping on thisold shrimp?
I don't know about you, but for me, I am not eating shrimp
(07:12):
that's been leftover from whatever event anyway.
I mean, who knows? Was it sitting out too long?
Did they refrigerate it properly?
Too many questions there with food handling.
But this set the table, of course, for this mysterious
finger to be found in the shrimp.
And I'm gonna get a little bit more into all of the clues
later. I'm gonna have a recurring clue
corner where I go over my leading theories, leading
(07:34):
suspects. So stay tuned for that A little
bit later in the video, Episode 2, after you got into the
flashbacks of Lester and his journey working for the Arconia,
How he got to where he was, how he got involved with taking this
money from the mob in order to sort of run and let people into
this casino hidden within that closet of Lester's.
(07:55):
And the way they incorporated inall of the present day clues as
these sort of black and white little montage and directly told
us to pay attention to all of the little things.
I don't know about you, but I'vegot my detective hat on and
magnifying glass out and I am ready to solve this season's
crime. Episode 3 rigor.
We got the DIY autopsy action, which again, I thought was
(08:16):
fantastic. But overall, these first 3
episodes really did set the table for what's to come.
Establishing this group of corporate moguls, establishing
the fact that there has been this ongoing story and plot with
an underground casino at the Arconia and then the tie in with
the dry cleaning, King Nikki Catch, Emilio, and the fact that
(08:36):
we actually now have two murders.
Fortunately, one of them actually did occur within the
building and the other one, while it was in the dry
cleaners, obviously is somewhat connected to the Arconia
tangentially because when we hadMabel and Charles down in the
casino, they could actually communicate with Oliver who was
up in the dry cleaner. This season so far does feel
(08:58):
like one of the earlier seasons because it is so deeply embedded
with the Arconia and creating more levels of lore within the
building that has played such a big character within this series
from the very start. I mean, the show is called Only
Murders in the Building. The Arconia is the building in
question. And while they've got away from
it in different seasons with different storylines, it is nice
(09:19):
to be rooted again where it all began and with the character
who's been part of the fabric ofthis story from the very start.
One of my biggest hopes is that they are going to leverage some
of these bigger names a little better than they did with, say,
Paul Rudd back in his season. I want to see Christoph Waltz,
Renee Zellweger. I want to see more of Keegan
Michael Key, who is playing the mayor, by the way, and attended
(09:41):
Lester's funeral without actually knowing Lester.
I find that to be very SUS. And did he actually know Lester
and he was just saying that because he wanted to cover his
identity, perhaps as part of this underground gambling
situation? It's likely.
And in terms of highs, as I saidin my initial reactions, I
appreciate that we are getting some really solid guest stars.
(10:02):
Some of the jokes land pretty well in terms of lows.
Suspension of disbelief is at anall time high.
But again, once you look past that, I think it's fine.
Oliver continues to be as over the top as always, and while he
does really annoy me at times and some of his jokes are just
so silly and I think they intendto write them that way to really
(10:22):
portray Oliver in that way. Thank goodness we still have
Charles and Mabel as part of thetrio, who are the ones who I
definitely gravitate towards themost.
I do think the whole dry cleaner, your situation felt a
little bit convenient, and obviously they're probably not
going to be doing an autopsy in their building in any stretch of
the mind in real life. But that truly was a high for
(10:44):
me. But one of the lows that I don't
think landed quite well was the humor at Lester's funeral.
I just thought that was far too over the top.
I didn't love Charles getting down into that casket.
I don't know. I just didn't love any of that
funeral humor. It was not my favorite, but some
of the jokes that actually landed, I kind of liked the
(11:04):
Brando imitations that both Oliver and Charles were doing.
I think that was funny. And obviously it ties into the
bigger theme here of the Godfather and mob activity and
going into a little bit of New York's past and these mob
connections and then how they currently tie into the new
mobsters or these corporate characters that we did get
(11:24):
introduced to already. I actually thought Oliver using
Riz was kind of cute. I also thought it was funny when
Mabel is like, oh, and this is how I die As the trio is
entering Sophia catch Emilio sons mob house.
Now I thought that they were actually going to be there for
something mobster related as well.
So imagine my surprise along with Oliver's when they bust out
into this whole theme song for apodcast.
(11:47):
That's right, these mob Bros arepitching a podcast and I think
that was just so zany and off the wall, but I kind of enjoyed
it and I'm interested to see exactly where Nikki catch
Emilio's sons come into play. I've got to say, just judging by
who they are and what we learnedfrom them so far, I don't think
they have anything to do with anything.
(12:08):
In fact, I wouldn't be surprisedif they didn't even know about
this whole casino situation and that their dad just kind of kept
that disconnected from them. When we had that flashback
episode when Howard's mom was like, oh, my son is the G and
the LGBT, he's gay. And the fact that she's wearing
all the rainbow clothing, I thought that was funny.
But what's interesting about Howard is he was one of the ones
(12:31):
at the very beginning who were saying, oh, the police footage
showed that this was an accident.
Why is Howard so dead set on saying this was an accident?
Is it possible that he had something to do with it?
I think at some point through these past seasons, Howard has
been looked at as a suspect. Could this be the season where
maybe he is finally guilty of doing something?
(12:52):
Is he involved with this underground casino in some way?
I guess we'll find out. And can we talk about some of
this peak out of touch comedy? I already mentioned Oliver using
rizz, but when they are hiding behind the bar in the
underground casino and Charles was like, oh, I'll safari it.
And he starts typing in HTTP andthen Oliver's like, no, that's
not how you do it. And he starts typing in
(13:13):
www.oneofmyfavoritethings is when Selena Gomez's character,
Mabel brings these two back downto earth and puts them more in
touch with current reality. For me, it's giving the whole
progressive commercial vibes. I do love how they are so
different. Mabel is so young.
These two are so old. It really does add an
(13:33):
interesting and fun perspective.And then Mabel, when they're in
the casino, she's like, hey, should I be videoing this?
A lot of podcasts are doing video now.
Hey girl, you should absolutely be adding video because if
you're putting your podcast on Spotify, we all know you can do
video. So get it.
And hey, while you're at it, maybe you guys should also start
a YouTube channel. Although I will say there is an
official podcast from the show. So I mean, they are kind of
(13:55):
having that meta experience having a podcast about a show
about a podcast. The three top jokes for me that
did not land when they were talking about Permed hands just
didn't need to hear that. When Oliver's talking about I
asked for extra starch, like I don't know that we really needed
that dry cleaning joke. And then again, all of the
funeral humor, those were probably my low 3 humor moments
(14:16):
from these first 3 episodes. All right, we're going to get
into the clue in Theory Corner, starting with the episode clues
that they actually give us at the end of each episode.
All right, the three clues from the end of episode 1, the
envelope with the blood on it, aplaying card with a red backing
and some circles with some kind of branches out to other circles
on it. And then a logo for that mob
(14:38):
podcast pitch, which I thought was really funny.
So if they're including that logo as one of the clues, maybe
we should could actually be looking at Nikki Sons in terms
of potentially being tied into his murder or the murder of
Lester. What do you guys think?
Alright, the end of episode 2. It was not actually physical
clues, but I'm wondering are they meaning for these to
(15:01):
somehow mirror something within the plot?
In one corner we had young Lester, in the other corner
older Lester. In one corner we had a young
photo of Lester and his wife, and then in the other corner it
was a current day photo of Nikkiand Sophia Catch Emilio.
So I asked this question, how are the two couples mirroring
each other? Because obviously we have the
(15:22):
older Lester and younger Lester and then we have the younger
Lester married couple and then this other couple.
And yes, one of the men are victims in each one of those
clues. Are they just putting it out
there because they are victims or is there more to the
relationship between these two couples then we actually know?
(15:42):
Besides the fact that they are both dead and besides the fact
that Lester was in fact working with Nikki for this underground
casino and just going over some early clues as well.
In the Lester flashback episode,Lester and his wife Lorraine
met. Lorraine looked to be pushing a
baby carriage. Now.
Did they get together and she had a son maybe with somebody
(16:04):
tied into the Catch Emilio family and there's a stepson
somehow tied into this. I'm not sure, but it has to mean
something, right? Then at the end of episode 3, we
had a King of Hearts card and then Nicki's Death Alone tattoo.
Now, so Death Alone is a poem byPablo Naruto which is actually
narrated at the end of this veryepisode by Nikki Catch Emilio.
(16:28):
And I think this ties into my Big Bird theory which I am going
to get into soon, so do not missthat.
And then we also have the cleanups dry cleaner hanger that
had the paper on it advertising as any dry cleaner does.
And just in terms of the victim and forensics, obviously Lester
is the victim. He was found floating in a pool
of red within the Arconius Fountain.
(16:48):
And then we also had Nikki CatchEmilio's corpse hung up in the
dry cleaner and his body was obviously meant to be discovered
the next Monday after this weekend.
And it was alluded to that his body was probably kept in
refrigeration or freezer becausethe decomp didn't exactly match
the rigor. And by the way, shout out to
(17:08):
Mabel for being so forensically smart.
I mean, obviously she must be watching a lot of CSI and
Forensic Files. And good for our girl.
Nikki also had that cleaver in his chest and he was still
wearing wearing the clothes thathe was wearing at Lester's
wedding where they found the picture of Lester actually
having the envelope that Nikki gave him.
(17:29):
We also had some rope marks, thewhite substance, the green felt
from the casino underneath the nails of both victims and the
missing finger who may be tied into Fluke, who we saw at the
end with his hand up on the bar with the bandage on.
All right, some different objects and codes that were
present in these first 3 episodes.
That wedding envelope that was found with that whole let wheel
(17:50):
code, who was the envelope actually intended for?
Is that what these corporate moguls are actually coming to
look for or was it intended for somebody else?
We also learned that Lester keptthat Ledger and there were some
missing Ledger pages and one of them was actually stuffed into
Nikki Catch Emilio's mouth. Some of the bird names
mentioned, cowbird, cockapoo, bowerbird and brown headed
(18:12):
cowbird and banker. I think there's actually a big
clue within the birds because wewere told by Lester's wife that
she liked to nickname the residents of the building with
the birds. But what actually really got me
was one of Nikki's lines, which alludes to a poem.
And I'm going to go ahead and read it and let you know exactly
(18:33):
where my head is at with this poem and the bird imagery of it
all. I'm going to read the excerpt
from that poem and see where it might tie in with the whole bird
imagery of it all. Death lies in our beds and the
lazy mattresses, the black blankets, lives a full stretch
and then suddenly blows, blow filling out the sheets.
And these are beds sailing into a harbor dressed as an Admiral.
(18:55):
I think that is a big clue. And while there is not a bird
named Admiral, Admiral Byrd was one of the first people to ever
fly over the South Pole and Antarctica.
So could there be a clue embedded in there that whoever
the perpetrator is has to do with an Admiral related bird,
which to me would mean one of these Antarctic birds?
(19:16):
And if we're looking at the mostprevalent birds on the South
Pole, Penguins, that's a big one, and also the albatross.
Then we've also got prions, petrels, scuas, fulmars, all
sorts of birds. So I think we all need to keep
our ear to the ground and if we hear any sort of bird that is
either related to somehow an Admiral or one of these
(19:37):
Antarctic birds, then I think they could actually be telling
us who committed the crime time.And I'm assuming that the same
person probably killed Lester and Nikki, but they always
subvert our expectations. So we could actually be looking
at two different perpetrators here.
The deck of cards was obviously a very big clue.
Nikis cards that had the map on it and then what Charles figured
(19:58):
out in order to enter that vaultwhich led to the casino.
The elevator crank that was an important part of Lester's
flashback episode, alluding to the fact that he always had that
in order to maybe fend off any unsavory characters outside of
the building. And then we saw somebody picking
up that elevator crank at the end with a trash bag.
So I'm surmising it could possibly be either the murder
(20:22):
weapon or it could just be something that was left there,
maybe that Lester was using in self-defense in order to send
off this perpetrator who ended up killing him.
Now, I mean, there's still the possibility maybe it was an
accidental death. I don't know.
Maybe Lester's running from a bird, which sounds absolutely
absurd. And and then maybe Nikki's death
(20:43):
is the one where somebody actually kills him because
there's a literal cleaver through his heart.
I don't think that Nikki Catch Emilio was the one to kill
Lester. I think there's definitely a
bigger picture at play here. And anytime there's a politician
in the mix, I don't know, I think we should automatically
add them to our list of suspects.
So looking at you, Mayor Tillman, could you have
something to do with this? I think it's highly possible.
(21:03):
All right, so some other clues. I mentioned the roulette wheel
with that hidden compartment where the envelope was found,
that white gardenia, which signifies some sort of casino
insider because Lester was very clear when he's training this
new doorman. Hey, if anyone comes in with a
white gardenia, that's on me, bro.
Nikki also calls Lester, Lester the jester.
And a big theme in these episodes as well is the
(21:24):
sacrifice that Lester gave. He didn't want to end up as a
doorman for his entire life, wanted to be an actor, but he
became very good at his job, well respected within the
building. And that recurring theme of
after you, It makes me wonder ifthe actual murderer came into
the building. Did Lester do that same thing?
Hold the door and say after you and then literally walk out to
(21:46):
his death in the fountain? I'd say there's a pretty high
probability. And even though Nikki did
directly threaten Lester and sayyou're not done until I say
you're done, I still don't thinkit's him.
I think that that's obviously a big red herring and part of the
setup for whatever this bigger picture at play is going to be.
And there is such a big focus onthis transition from the mob and
(22:06):
what now the mob means. And we learned that in Charles's
dialogue. He said as the city has changed,
so too have those in power, the mafia as we once knew them,
maybe no more, but the idea of many losing in order for an
elite few to gain has never beenmore true.
Gone are the velour track suits and chains, replaced by boat
(22:26):
shoes and Dogecoin. Now obviously there's going to
be this big set up for these corporate people to be involved
in something. I mean, they're all
millionaires, billionaires and whatnot.
And we have the mayor in play aswell.
So I'm thinking there's got to be some sort of connection
between them and the mayor. And I'm wondering if they're
actually there to gamble or if they are going to meet.
(22:48):
Maybe this is more of a meeting spot than an actual gambling
destination for these people andthey're committing some kind of
corporate espionage. And then just back to that
Admiral reference for a second. Second, the way in which that
narration played out makes me think, OK, if it's not connected
to a bird. And Admiral is obviously a
person in power and the only person in a major power position
(23:11):
that we've seen besides the corporate people.
The mayor, That's right. I'm just going to call early on,
I think he's got something to dowith this.
And whether he directly committed one or both of those
murders or just had a hand in it, he's got to be involved
somehow. And I think one of the saddest
parts about these episodes is the fact that Lester did
sacrifice so much and was basically enslaved into staying
(23:35):
in this position as long as he was asked to.
And then he just gets murdered after having that confrontation
with Nikki. SUS AF.
Just back to the bird names for a second.
Some of those ones we mentioned,I mentioned above, but the
banker, it's not a bird, but it's listed with the birds.
Could this mean some sort of a financial player tying into one
of these three big characters? And by the way, I'm just so
(23:58):
excited to see more from Krista Roth Waltz and Renee Zellweger.
They're probably my top two favorite guest stars of the
season. And I should also mention we
will be getting Richard Kind back.
We haven't seen any of the otherWesties at this point, but we
will be seeing Richard Kind at some point.
So curious to see exactly where that goes.
And Speaking of other returning cast, Nathan Lane's going to be
(24:19):
back too. So is he going to be part of the
murder, part of the solution or just part of the story?
But really my biggest theory so far has to do with this Admiral
clue, whether it is related to to a potential Antarctic bird or
whether it is related to somebody in a position of power.
The fact that they're telling usto pay attention to the small
things I am watching. Another thing I loved was all of
(24:42):
the pop culture references, and this show is definitely known
for doing that. But just in the first 3 episodes
alone we got references to Dua Leap of Laverne and Shirley, The
Godfather, Greece, Charles the Savage, Swagger, Grey's Anatomy
during that DIY autopsy, and then Thea talking about all of
the different recording artists.But then the Dixie Chicks and
(25:03):
the Chicks and how she wasn't impacted by that name change
which is just absurd and funny. And again, not exactly sure
where this Althea plays into it all, but I imagine we will be
finding out at some point. Unless she is just there to be
some kind of big red herring which also makes sense.
And if the billionaires are thisnew mafia, what about the Caputo
(25:23):
crime family who allegedly has something to do with all of this
as well? Is their tie in with the
billionaires and the Caputo crime family?
Or is the Caputo crime family maybe a network of some of these
billionaires who are at the top of that sort of power structure?
So moving into these next episodes, first of all, I'd like
(25:44):
to know what does everybody think about the first three?
Do you think we're off to a goodstart here?
As somebody who has been critical of some of these past
seasons, I think this is actually off to a great start,
especially compared to the one with Paul Rudd and the whole
playwright situation. That was just not my favorite
season whatsoever. I'm liking the direction this is
going with that secret gambling room, how it's tied directly
back to the Arconia, how they'reinfusing this mystery with the
(26:08):
mob and the billionaires and nowthis musician with the paparazzi
who is somehow tied into Mabel'slife as well.
I will say again that Oliver Putnam, not my favorite
character. I think out of all of the jokes,
his land the worst. But I also do wonder if that's
intentional because he is kind of meant to be this sort of
washed up, over the top character.
(26:29):
But I encourage everybody to puttheir detective hats on, put
those magnifying glasses really close to your eye because
literally the show directly toldus to pay attention to the small
things. So I'm going to be tracking all
the characters, all the theories, all of the clues, and
keeping a very close eye on these bird references moving
forward because I am convinced that it has something to do with
(26:49):
who we will end up finding out to be the perpetrator.
And again, I hope you hit the like button on this video and
subscribe to my channel. Like I said, I am really hoping
to hit the goal of 5000 before the end of the year.
I'm on a journey to become a full time TV content creator.
So every time you tune in here with me, you comment you like it
all helps me get one step closer.
So seriously, thank you to everybody who is here and I hope
(27:10):
you stick with me for more TV talk.
Like I said, I've got a ton of great shows on the radar for
this fall and winter and then for early 2026 as well.
So I will be back again soon. Media Melanie clicking off.
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