We’ve got to keep talking about Season 4 Episode 7!
We’ll hear from husband and wife directing team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Showrunner and Co-creator John Hoffman, Production Designer Patrick Howe, and the amazing Molly Shannon who plays Bev Melon!
We're finally going into detail about the dolls (so many dolls), including Meryl Streep's reaction to seeing the Loretta doll. We'll learn about Doreen's signature cocktail, the Sweaty Betty. And we'll talk about Bev Melon's breaking point. Because sometimes a big bad boss lady has to cut loose and throw back a few beers!
As always, there are spoilers for episode seven ahead. So listeners, if you haven't watched yet, stream it now and come right back!
Send us your thoughts and theories (in a voice memo!?): onlymurders@strawhutmedia.com
Or chat with fellow fans on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyMurdersHulu
The Giveaway
Want to win tickets to the Only Murders themed escape room!?
There are locations in both Los Angeles and New York. If you’re located around one of those two cities and you’d like to test your mystery solving chops with 3 of your best buds, here’s how you enter.
Leave this podcast a rating and review on Apple or Spotify — wherever you listen from — take a screenshot, and email it to us at onlymurders@strawhutmedia.com. Include which city you want to visit the Escape Room in — either NYC or LA.
We’ll pick 2 winners in LA and 2 in NYC. Each winner will get four tickets. We’ll choose the lucky detectives right before the season finale! Good luck!
We’ll hear from husband and wife directing team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Showrunner and Co-creator John Hoffman, Production Designer Patrick Howe, and the amazing Molly Shannon who plays Bev Melon!
We're finally going into detail about the dolls (so many dolls), including Meryl Streep's reaction to seeing the Loretta doll. We'll learn about Doreen's signature cocktail, the Sweaty Betty. And we'll talk about Bev Melon's breaking point. Because sometimes a big bad boss lady has to cut loose and throw back a few beers!
As always, there are spoilers for episode seven ahead. So listeners, if you haven't watched yet, stream it now and come right back!
Send us your thoughts and theories (in a voice memo!?): onlymurders@strawhutmedia.com
Or chat with fellow fans on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyMurdersHulu
The Giveaway
Want to win tickets to the Only Murders themed escape room!?
There are locations in both Los Angeles and New York. If you’re located around one of those two cities and you’d like to test your mystery solving chops with 3 of your best buds, here’s how you enter.
Leave this podcast a rating and review on Apple or Spotify — wherever you listen from — take a screenshot, and email it to us at onlymurders@strawhutmedia.com. Include which city you want to visit the Escape Room in — either NYC or LA.
We’ll pick 2 winners in LA and 2 in NYC. Each winner will get four tickets. We’ll choose the lucky detectives right before the season finale! Good luck!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Straw Hot Media.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
It was a real bucket list to get to perform
with Meryl Streep and yeah, get to know her, and
I just could. I went back to my hotel room
that night was like I think I did a little
like Dan.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hello, and welcome to the Only Murders in the Building Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm Ryan Tillotson and I'm Maggie Bowles, and we are
looking behind the scenes and mining for clues as we
meet the casting creators of the WHO original series Only
Murders in the Building.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Today on the show, we're continuing our conversation all about
season four, episode seven, The Valley of the Dolls.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We'll hear from husband and wife directing team Sherry Springer
Berman and Robert Pulcini, showrunner and co creator John Hoffman,
production designer Patrick Howe, and the amazing Molly Shannon.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Today we'll talk about the dolls, so many dolls, Meryl
Streep's reaction to the Loretta doll. We'll talk about Doreen's
signature cocktail, the Sweaty Betty, and we'll talk about Bev
Mellon's break point.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Because sometimes a big boss lady has to just cut
loose and throw back a few beers.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Let's start with Bob and Sherry, who directed this episode
and also episode eight.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So talk to us about the dolls.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
The episode is called Valley of the Dolls. There are
literally quite a lot of dolls.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
What can you tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
We also value. Have you seen Valley of the Dolls?
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Absolutely, it's actually a movie I've seen several times.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Really, I'm like a weird valley.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
I saw.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
It for me.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I saw when I was younger, and I really kind
of liked it because it was like these young women
moving to New York wanted to be in the you know, Hollywood,
and I mean be in the showbiz and then they
go to Hollywood. And then I saw it as an
adult because it was so camp to understand the camp
of it. Like when I was young, I was like, oh,
this is good, and then I was like, oh, this
(02:01):
is amazingly camping.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
The doll. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 8 (02:08):
That's speed.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
That's episode eight, right.
Speaker 9 (02:13):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I remember.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
So we came in and it was just, you know,
she has this insane, like extreme doll collection, but nothing
could prepare us for what And I remember the first
time I started to see them, because they were being made,
I think Patrick had a lot of them made. They
(02:37):
they were huge, you know, like human almost human size.
And we were in the we were on the stage
shooting and I walked by and there was like a pile.
It was like, I screamed. It was terrifying, and there
was like a pile of them, and I like and
then they just got more and more of them, and
you just couldn't stop like looking at them and all
(02:57):
that they would. Some of them had like little matching purses.
One had a little dog, remember, with a little leash, like.
Speaker 8 (03:04):
A running joke with our a d Becky. I kept
like taking pictures of the most horrific dolls that I
would come across and just to her all day and
she would do the same to me.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
They were literally back and forth for like the whole shoot.
Speaker 8 (03:18):
Anytime I'd get asked the question, I would just respond
with a doll.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
One of them looked like Meryl Streep though, right like
that was that was that was.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Quite intentional that they definitely got the Meryl Streep looked alike,
which was really good, it was.
Speaker 8 (03:33):
And she was like wow when she first saw that doll.
That was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Oh, I can imagine what was she did she know
that she was going to walk in to see a
little MARYL.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Streep dollar Almost yeah, I think she they think someone
had prepared her pretty freak.
Speaker 8 (03:52):
She was still pretty freaked out, I mean rightly so,
as you can imagine, Marty was doing all kinds of
crazy things with the dolls.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Since they mentioned Patrick Haw, the production designer, Emmy winning
production designer, Yes, we had to ask him about the dolls,
and it turns out there were some doll experts on
the crew.
Speaker 9 (04:14):
Thankfully, Diana Burton's mother was one of these crazy doll people,
so she had a lot. So Diana had familiarity and
access to a lot of a lot of small, normal
collector sized dolls.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
But okay, not the life size like Meryl Streep doll. No,
that's all me.
Speaker 7 (04:32):
That's all me.
Speaker 9 (04:33):
Look call of it my decorator finding us sort finding
a place that would make those for us. So all
of those life size dolls are all custom built for
us at you know, a very modest expense. And he
said facetiously. But so it was great that she found
that because that was a troubling thing because for some
(04:55):
reason there was you know, John had said all along
there would be this house would have dolls in it,
and then it sort of morphed into yeah, and they're
like adult size and they're creepy and you know. And
then so Mila was like, where are we going to
get these? Because that's what's really unusual. I mean there's
a whole world of doll collecting, but usually not life size,
(05:19):
I mean not adult size and you know I.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Mean adults many.
Speaker 9 (05:23):
Yeah, well exactly that. We had a you know, well
kind of an infinite number. It's like over two hundred,
but I you know what I mean, they're everywhere. So
it was really more than I wanted. It was like
I kind of wanted to pull back a little, like,
come on, John, you know, after he dressed it all in,
it was like, come on, can I take a few away?
Speaker 7 (05:44):
I think we get the idea, and he was like,
don't touch a thing.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
But it's so funny because as soon as anyone sits anywhere,
it's like a dolt leans up against him.
Speaker 7 (05:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
It does add to the comedy a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (05:57):
Yeah, and even and Crew and people were like, at
night when the lights are out on, you know, maybe
there's just work lights and ghost lights on here and there,
but there's not set lights on. There was a hallway
where with a doll in a chair in a corner
with a door right in this hallway, and the feet
were kind of poking out, you know, like cross legs
(06:17):
kind of poking out.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
You would just see, you know, and you were like,
you walk by, and news started, like who the hell
is sitting there? You know, there's like it's just one
of these damn dolls.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
If you're wondering who to blame for all the dolls,
John Hoffman is probably the one. Maybe I shouldn't laugh one.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
No, I think it's I think it's fair we should
all blame John Hoffman for the dolls.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
In an earlier episode, he talked to us about the
fact that the show is odd.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Here's John.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
This is another one. I guess now I'm giving myself
up in the oddness way. But I do remember thinking
this one came from putting that character of Doreen together
and thinking, you know, it's a story always about loneliness.
It's a story about what you're missing. It's about where
the connect if Tishoe got separated and all of that.
(07:03):
And when we hear story, you know, as brilliantly funny
as Melissa is as Doreen. I think she just kind
of decimates you when she's with Charles and she tells
her story and she talks about that sort of loneliness
and all of it comes around again in a very
real way. And I love being able to do both
sides of madness and the sort of guts your side
(07:27):
underneath it, and boy to have actors like that who
can pull off those scenes in such beautiful ways all
the way through Molly Shannon, same thing, but with Melissa
and this character, I just wanted one other element to
embody like that thing, because now that she's got these
daughters all named with d names, and they've all left her,
(07:49):
and now she's going through it with Big Mike, her
husband booted out to the boat, and what is the
core thing that happened with Charles that could start to
repair that little bit felt really interesting? How could you
embody that? And that came basically for me realizing, oh, oh,
you know what a lot of it was was in
Palm Springs. I was in Palm Springs. It was at
(08:09):
a consignment shop and there was this beautiful framed photo,
not a poster, but it was a photo taken from
the set of the original Valley of the Dolls movie,
and I was like, well, that is quite a shot,
and that made me think, oh, maybe there's an episode
(08:31):
called Valley of the Dolls, which made me think, oh,
that's the thing that I can sort of point to
for Doreen. I can sort of point to that quality
in Doreen if her house is filled with dolls, and
because it's it's sort of filling in the blank of
the love that's lost now that all our daughters are gone.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well all Ever says it right away as soon as
he sits down, So you have replaced your daughters with dolls.
And she's like, the reaction made that connection, made that
connection so good. It's good.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (09:06):
I started collecting after Don's wedding, and then when Dina
and Danielle wanted to rye and then dad mar which
is my youngest fellow baby, she really just left to
wound me.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So I guess you replaced your children with dolls.
Speaker 10 (09:21):
Huh, wow, I have never made that connection.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
You are intuitive. That is much more important a man
the night, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
It must have been a lot of work sourcing that
many dolls. We talked to Patri Howe and he told
us there were over two hundred dollars.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
That's that what he said.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
That's what he said.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
I never counted, and I just was so excited by
the idea of filling that house with dolls, and then
the balance of life sized dolls or larger sized dolls
with smaller dolls also got me very excited and where
they might put them, how they might do that. I
have to give all of the credit to this incredible
(10:14):
this season, our prop team, and it's every season. It's
been incredible Susanna McCarthy last year, and now Diana Burton
has come in and just bowld us over with her
work this season, especially on this episode with these damn dolls.
I don't know how. I hope they didn't yell at
me in their heads or vocally every minute. I wasn't
(10:36):
around them for this, but when they showed up with
that doll in braids that looked just like Meryl Streep,
I nearly fell over. And there was no better moment
than walking on set with Meryl Streep and Martin Short
to show them those dolls.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
What was Meryl's reaction when she saw that, or did
she know she screamed.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
She literally screamed, and then we all took about four
thousand pictures of her with it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Good.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Where did that Meryl Streep doll end up?
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I want to know that?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Is that on a back lot somewhere or.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
That's a very very exciting idea, isn't it. It's like,
you know, that's going to be one of those like
sometime we'll see a Halloween pick on someone's Instagram. Maybe
our propmaster Diana Burton will show up a doll that
looks like Amanda Seifered on one side and Meryl Streep
on the other, and she's all dressed in Greek like
(11:30):
white flowing mama me aware.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yes, that's what we'll That's what we'll hope for.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Right And what was even sweeter was when I was
telling Melissa about that part of her character on that
first phone call she was she was she had to
remind me because I actually kind of knew it but
for ridiculous reason. But she said, you know, I do
have dolls myself.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Are any of her dolls visible in the episode?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
She bring any from home?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
No? But boy, she brought a lot. She really did.
She did, she did, and then she brought her own
wigs and she brought I mean, she just picked it
right in and found that character walked on set that day.
I will never forget it. Like she was fully formed
and ready to go as Doreen. And I what I
love about her and this is that I feel like,
(12:19):
as much as you think you know Melissa McCarthy and
what she does and all that, I feel like I
haven't seen her do anything like this before. And in
many ways it felt like a whole new discovery.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I love it. And I just the accent. I mean,
she was so good.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
She's so good when she comes out with the pigtails on.
I just lost it watching it. I just laughed out loud.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Aw if you.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Will, is this the episode? The episode written by Matteo
Borghesi and Rob Trubowski so superbly again directed by Sherry
and Bob you know, are brilliant director from last season.
And I just feel like that one had something around
it and it just thought, well, if we can pull
(13:04):
off this mad house safe house that starts revealing deeper things,
thought what fun it would be. And so yeah, it
was very fulfilling that one one of.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
The reveals we get in that house is the Sweaty Betty,
which is that this season's cocoa tiny is that the
cocktail of the season.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I've never heard of it.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
That is so good, A light and vodka. No, we
don't a lot of times with our just we've gotten
used to it because I know you've heard this before.
But our central trio is always, you know, asked questions
about do you improv a lot? Do you do like
lots of improv? And they very often say, no, we
really don't. We follow the script. And I think that,
(13:49):
for the most part, is true. Every now and then
you have brilliant people come on set with some ideas
and thoughts and you say, hell, yes, go ahead and
do that. And Melissa McCarthy came up with this Betty
Betty and went deep on you know, can we get
some crystal light? And like that crystal light might have
been there, but naming it the Sweaty Betty was a
(14:09):
biggie brought on by.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
It was so good, it was perfect for Duran.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
It was clearly during it was embedded by her by
her friend also named Betty, also sweat like a pig.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
See that you've misplaced your watermelon liqueur?
Speaker 10 (14:25):
Oh why don't I make you one of my seconds contails.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Okay, let me just behind you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Almost got it. Here we go.
Speaker 10 (14:33):
I think you are going to like this is mostly
entirely vodka and crystal light. You know, we call it
a sweaty Betty named it have to my dear friend
also named Betty, who also happened to sweat like a pig.
So there we go in crystal light. If you dunk
anything in it, it's a great exfoliance, a long pour
(14:57):
for my short king.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well here's the Betty be I.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Think she's a genius back too directors Sherry Springer Berman
and Bob Paulcini.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
I mean just period like and full stop. Like I
was so blown away with her talent. I mean I
knew she was going to be funny obviously, but it
went beyond that. It was like she improvised. She always
would improvise a line that was like, there's like on
the cutting room floor a million funny lines. I don't
(15:29):
know if you've seen her improvisations from Bridesmaids, Like yes,
it's so you could fill a movie with everything that
there's no time for her improvisations. And she's a brilliant
dramatic there's you know, a very serious, kind of heartrending
scene between her and Steve Martin. And she's amazing in that.
(15:52):
She is really truly and such like such a great
spirit on set, and it was just fantastic.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
You know what.
Speaker 10 (16:02):
I remember one of my probably fondest memories. God must
have been what five, Mom was taking me to see
my big brother in one of his first places.
Speaker 7 (16:16):
It was so good.
Speaker 10 (16:19):
You're always meant to be missed, Hollywood, sonya are you
even lightening to me?
Speaker 11 (16:29):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 8 (16:29):
She's one of these actors too, and I've had this
a few times. Who can take like just a little
bit of business and make it into a set piece,
do you know what I mean? Like if you give
her a little bit of business, just making that cocktail
crystal light her nails, the way she stirred it, you know,
the way she sprays it on herself.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I mean, yeah, it was And again we had to
cut down because it was like there was so much
amazing stuff in there, but like you just it's only
a half hour show, so we couldn't, you know, put
it all in. But she's really incredible with business.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Just a little aside because I didn't realize business was
like a real film directing term. So Ryan, you went
to film school. Give me a quick explanation of business.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's just any business that an actor is doing while performing,
while saying lines, well saying lines or you know, in
the background, even that could be business.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
And it's not in the script or do isn't this?
Sometimes it could be in the script, but sometimes it
can be improvised. So that's business, the more you know. Okay,
back to Bob and Sherry.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Would you say that was one of the biggest challenges
of this whole episode, or you know, having to having
too much and having to cut it down or is
that always.
Speaker 8 (17:47):
A challenge on these It was challenging, particularly changing, because
you know, you have to kill things that are funny,
you know, and to keep it going, and that's always
very hard to do because you know, you fall in
love with them.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
But it was, I mean, it was but I mean
John had to really like, we killed some and then
John had to come in and kill the rest. So
it was like, it's it's hard because so much, I mean,
it was a wealth of material.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
There's another scene in this episode that is so special,
and that is Loretta and Oliver getting engaged I guess technically,
can you tell us about that sort of like tender moment?
Speaker 8 (18:28):
What can I say about it other than like they're
just so wonderful together. I mean, they have so much
chemistry and there is a natural sweetness between them, you
know that you see just you know, when the cameras
aren't rolling, it's I mean, we decided to do kind
of French overs mostly, which just kind of on their
backs because it just felt more romantic that way. But yeah,
(18:53):
I mean they're just like, what can I say? And
you could let the cameras anywhere, and that was another
going to be magic with them, you know, it's They're
just great.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
That was another scene that was we had to cut
down because it was so good and there was some
improv that they did that was really warm and beautiful.
But again, it's only a half hour show, so we
had to cut that. But it was really hard because
there was so many beautiful moments. Betray Lound.
Speaker 12 (19:17):
You must have, by my account, six different stories about
running into Linda Carter at grocery stores.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Wonder woman and a wonderful lady. Well to the.
Speaker 12 (19:29):
Point, despite your obvious pathologies, I'm here still and I'm
not going anywhere and I sign on to your crazy.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
For a lifetime. You're giving me a Dolls bracelet.
Speaker 12 (19:53):
I'm proposing to you, Oliver, I want to marry you.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Well before I accept, just out of curiosity. Is there
any family money? I accept? After the break, John Hoffman's
(20:24):
longtime friendship with the hilarious Molly Shannon and How to
Be Drunk on set convincingly correct Welcome Back.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
The first unexpected visitor to show up at Dorian's house
in Long Island after the trio I Guess is Bev Mellon,
played by Molly Shannon. Showrunner and co creator John Hoffman
has known Molly for a long time, many years.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
We had the pleasure to speak with Mally Shannon thanks
to you, and it was so fun.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
She's the best, right, she is.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
The best, so incredible. She kind of enlightened us that
she's actually kind of similar to Bev Mellon in terms
of the fact that I mean, I guess she just
is kind of on top of things.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
She gets things done.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
And I noticed it it just in scheduling.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
You made the connection for her, and she went, You're right.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
I think I think you're the one that pointed it out.
I don't think she necessarily saw herself a bev Melon.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Until she was so on top of just like giving
the right links for the recording and making sure it
was her like just anyway. So I'm just curious if
you've noticed this about her her.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
I noticed this about her to say that this was
one of my biggest dreams when this show happened, to
get Mollie to do something that, like, I've known Molly,
and she probably said this, but I've known her since
we were kids, basically first out here in Los Angeles,
and let's just say this. We would be there used
(22:06):
to be a restaurant in Los Angeles that was open
very late, even on weeknights, called Kate Mantalini. And it
was in the Wilshire off of Wiltshire over by all
those agencies, in a weird place. But Mollie and I
would end up talking late night at Kate Mantalini, and
a lot of times, you know, we were all sort
of trying to find our way, like, oh, we had
(22:28):
shitty auditions on things or bad meetings, and like how
do we make things work here? This was before Molly
got Saturday Night Live. This is early days and then
we'd be in relationship things and be working through like
heartbreak or whatever. And there was one moment where she
was working through a bit of heartbreak at Kate Mantalini
(22:50):
and I'll never forget it because it's still to this
day what she'll do. And I'll be like, Mollie, look,
you need to just and I'll just advise her. And
she's like, wait, hold on a second, can you repeat that?
And she would write it down on a napkin and
she would like say that again, okay, and I say
what And I'm like, well, so the moment, it's kind
(23:11):
of like happened already. But I'm like you, we'll find
the perfect eye for you. They will come when you least,
They will come when I least expect it.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
So like.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
And just like a mantra. I think she even said
on a talk show recently or in the last few years.
I think I said to her at some point in
like talking her through this breakup, Molly, let me put
it to you this way. The luckiest guy in the
world just got luckier because you became available. Try and
(23:47):
think of that way. And she was like, wait, that's
so sweet. Wait what And then she was like say
that again, and she had to write it on a
gay Maddelina Napkin. And I think she really surprised me.
I think she was an interview only about five years
three to five years ago where she sent it to
me and she said, John, look what I did. And
(24:08):
she did this interview and she quoted that line at
some point I was like, what she remembered it for
many many years later. But that is that's both sides
of Molly. It's this thing that I'm sure will surprise
no one. But she's the most beautiful heart and delightful
(24:29):
energy of making sure she has everything right. And that's
she's just great.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I can only imagine how many notes she has well.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
And notes and like notes and talking through and like
when she was dealing with the script, I loved it
because she would get in there on like certain words
that felt right as dev and too, but they were
like just like the perfect It was like someone coming
in and just doing little surgical work to just make
it run just right for her.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, it was great that I found you finally. I
have left you so many messages. It's a good thing
Howard knew where you were.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So listen, this is serious the studio is asking if
the brother sisters are the killers, if they are the killers,
out to fire them if they might be, but we
can't prove it.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
That is a great area that I can sell. So
what does it tell me? It's definitely not them?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I think, Okay, he says they're not the killers.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
He's right here.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
He seems like sixty percent sure.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
That sounds low.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Well, fifty percent on one Margarita was enough for you
to flash your boobs of the Fableman's premiere, Bev.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
This is an emergency safe house situation, so I need
your fall.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
He did see them, Monica. So we partially shoot it outside.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
When I did, like when I arrive and I see
Steve Martin on the boat. So that was really fun
and easy. It's always fun when you shoot outside. Everybody's
in a good mood. See's outside on the boat. We're
all just hanging out, laughing the you know, everybody's around.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
The camera's outside. That's Molly Shannon obviously obviously.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So it was just.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Fun and easy.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I just remember it being like a sunny, good weather,
beautiful morning, and Steve's out finished early. I finished early,
and then we did the rest of the stuff. At
the studio UH in New York. But they really copied
the inside of that house. They just took pictures and
rebuilt it at the stage. So so we shot that
(26:27):
those kitchen scenes that I shot when I show up
with the actors and Selena and Merrill and Sack and
everybody was on the stage, and that was so fun
and easy, very contained, and I was definitely nervous. I
really wanted to do a good job. But it's like
a pretty short See I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Did it come out? Okay, it's so good. It doesn't good.
I mean it doesn't feel short. I mean it feels
all very I mean I guess like your years gone
because you leave and you come back a little tipsy.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Oh okay, got it? Oh, interwoven throughout that, yeah, so
it feels like you're president for the whole time. I'm
sick of this bullshit studio and the script with its
bullshit plot holes and all you self centered actors memorizing
your lines in your little baby set slippers eating your
special actress food.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I was shot, and I bet it's infected. I am
weeping fluid here. Oh my god, Zach, cut it out.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
All you do is complain I'm a self centered Greek
smurf and I got hit by a.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Sniper and now I have a boo boo. Can't take
it anymore. Bra, I'm done with Hollywood. Do you have
a secret for playing drunk? I'm sure you've had to
play drunk multiple times? Is that hard? Well?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Ye, uh no, it's not hard. It's kind of like
you just I mean, I was at that chunk. I
was just kind of uh loose, I would say, you know,
not like so drunk. She's just kind of having fun.
And you know, I'm picky about that though. I don't
like if people just throw it in. Yes, always just
to make sense. Like, I'm picky about that because I
think it's easy to just make it, oh, pimp pop drunk.
(28:14):
I always get like, I'll question people about that, like
so why is that?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Why did she do that? Or why did she go
back to that? Or what's going on or what are
you just you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I just think it can be easy, so I always
want it used properly. Otherwise it's just too easy to
use if it's just.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Not thought out.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Does that make sense? Yeah, I'm picky about that kind
of stuff. I don't know, you should be that's great.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, yeah, but I mean Bev Mellon's going through some
life changes right there, so it all makes sense.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
And she probably feels stuck at the house and just like, oh,
there's no food, Like at least let me have a beer,
you know. And so yeah, so I would say I
think that when you play drunk, you're always trying to
act more straight. You're trying not to act drunk, or
you become is the word, where you're just focused on
one thing. I think people become very like they're just
(29:06):
focused on that one person's face and everything else is
kind of blurred out. It's a blur my myopic. Is
that the right word? I think that is scientifically what
happens when people are drunk, you know, and you know,
if somebody says something, it could be like what, Like,
they're just focused on that thing and that's it. Everything
(29:27):
else is a blur. So I think I kind of
play it like that. But you learn stuff while you're
doing it, because sometimes I'm like, oh, that's really hard
to do. Once I had to play drunk and walk
back upstairs and I was like, Oh, that doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
You can't do that.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Because it doesn't work with your body and kind of
being drunk to have to go up gravity wise. But
this has felt loose, and then I felt like with
Meryl Streep, I think we kind of improvised a little,
like she she wanted to take the beer from me.
And I don't know if this is in the cut,
but I was like, okay, mom.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know, just acting kind of childlike, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Actors all sitting together talking about their craft.
Speaker 12 (30:08):
Hey, actors, fuck you can I want some drink of water?
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Okay, mom, fuck you TV actor? You know my work work,
let me sum up the quality of your acting ability.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
In one word.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
So it's kind of immature, wild, like, you know, I
just play it loose.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
I don't plan it. I'm very spontaneous in the moments.
I would say, oh yeah, fun loose, yeah yeah, yeah yeah.
Is that how you kind of approach everything or just
like kind of the drunken the drunken approach.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I would say, I try to approach everything like that,
but loose.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
I don't overly plan it all.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I'll have an idea and I will know the lines
very well and everything, but I would like to be
in the moment and then and then it's nice too,
Like that particular day, the crew was laughing a lot,
like I was being really silly and they would laugh
so hard. So I love making them laugh because you
get a real meter for like, oh good, I'm so
glad that because I had to come back to the
(31:14):
kitchen when I exit and they were like courver in
their mouths and I really made them laugh. So I
loved it. It feels like theater live theater, because when
you're doing movies, everybody has to be quiet, so you
can't get a response. So it's great when they're like
and then cut and then they burst out laughing. It's
it's the greatest feeling, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
So I'm like, oh good, oh good, what did you guys?
Like okay, good good? And then I do it again
kind of kind of like that.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Yeah, there must have been so many moments like that,
you know, throughout the entire shoot of the season, Like,
can you share any other particularly like moments that were
just like super hilarious on set.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Well, Selena is so easy going and so sweet, so
and you know, not all everybody, all the special guests
stars this year, we're just amazing. I just and Steve
and Marty I've known for a long time, so it's
it's a pleasure to just work with them, and then Eu,
Gene and Zach and I mean just everyone. It was
like an all star studded Eva. It was just like unbelievable.
(32:18):
But anyhow, I did a lot of scenes with Selena,
of course, and Selena is really easy going. She will
let me do anything. I'm like, do you mind if
I kiss you? You know, like in that scene, I'm drunk,
so I think I kids are like hello, suiting one
and she lets me do anything. She's so easy going
and she just laughs and she's so generous, and she's
such a good actress and she just she's just the
(32:41):
greatest to perform with that way because she's so because
some people aren't like that, like they might not like
you to do that, or they might want to really
practice it. She does not care at all, she she
or they won't like if you if you improvise a
little or change it. Selena is like a team player,
like she is just easy and goes at the flow,
(33:02):
and she's so great.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
And of course Meryl's like.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
That too, She's just in the moment like of course,
so I had direct contact with Merrill and Selena in
that scene. Those were my two points, and they are
both just you know, I feel that we all performed
the same way, like in the moment. You know, it
was wild. It was wild. I was very nervous. I
just wanted to do a good job.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I was nervous. You were so so great. Oh, thank you,
thank you. That's so sweet.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
And then Zach was so silly, like I think he
was because I kind of make fun of actors in
that scene, right, yeah, I'm like, so sick of little actors,
self centered actors, and so I I wanted it to
sound very much coming from like a genuine place of
(33:55):
how irritated she is with little.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Actors memorizing your lines.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
And I don't know if this is in the thing,
but I'm talking about how they wear slippers and RESI
their nines and eating special actress food. They's special food,
you know. So I it's fun that she's just like
so sick of it. And then she so I didn't
know the backstory, so I had to ask. I was like, wait,
does bet Melon know Loretta's work? That's what I had
(34:21):
to ask. Sherry and Bob Our directors They're like, oh, yes,
you do know her, And then Merril and I talked
about it, and then I'm like, so because I had
to walk in the door and know my history what
I think of her because I clock her, I'm like, uh, Loretta,
Like so, I my character does not think that much
of Loretta. She's like TV actor, Hello actor, she could
(34:43):
give a shit, and she's drinking a beer and she
does not care. But so we had to establish that
very quickly because I did. I didn't really know. It's
just a TV show that was just written, so we
don't know the full backstory, you know. But Sherry and
Bob were great, and they were very they're very loose
organic directors too, Like they they kind of just like
(35:03):
want me to have fun in the space, which is
so fun because you're not limited to just like having
to stand on one spot near your suitcase.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
You could kind of shake it up a little. So
that was great. I absolutely love that. I mean, I
just look, I'm assessed with their their work and some
of the movies that they've done in shows obviously that
they've directed. So of course they directed this episode and
it was such a great episode.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
We're really big fans of theirs too huge good.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
There's another thing we have in this in this season
and in this episode is like all of these actors
that have had these long, long careers, like yeah, Marles
streep'sen around forever, you know, Steve Marty.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I mean, you just so many.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
What you think contributes to like longevity in a career
that we like have so many prime examples of this.
You might not have any opinion on it. It's totally fine.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
But and they're all here in this in this episode,
in this season.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Only when we're missing is Richard.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
He's got a long career. Yeah, yeah, Like, what what
do you have it? What's the secret you mean these
actors in real life having life?
Speaker 9 (36:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
I was like, oh, yeah, well, it definitely takes a
lot of hustle.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
People don't know. It's a hustle for everyone.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It's it's like I always say, I'm like, it's a hustle,
you know, you really, I guess it's just staying in
the game. Just stay in the game, stay at it.
You never know, you know, someone can come through and
there can be there are always ups and downs and
you just have to go with the flow and you know,
just stay in the game. Stay in the game. Stay
(36:37):
in the game. You know, That's what I would say.
But obviously these people, they've been around a long time
and probably have seen a lot of things. But it's
just it's people don't know. It's it's hard. These people
have worked hard. I have a friend who left show
business a long time ago. We both went to NYU
Drama School and she left and just gave it up.
(36:57):
And she's like, how did you do it all? She
calls me, mal, how did you do it?
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Ma?
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Oh my god?
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I'm like, I have worked so hard, you know, Like
I worked so hard. I stayed in town, I auditioned,
I worked my ass off.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
That's what I did. A lot of hard work.
Speaker 6 (37:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's good, it's nice.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Yeah, yeah, And I think but my philosophy is that
I think that if you're doing what you want, pursuing
what you want, it doesn't feel like work, and you
shouldn't look at us like, oh, once I get there,
I'll be happy. Just enjoy where you are and being
creative and you know, wherever you are in the moment,
because there's not somebody who gets to some point and
they're like, now I'm happy. Just enjoy that you're living
(37:38):
in Los Angeles or New York or River in the arts.
That alone is like really good and a lot of
people give up on those dreams. So that was always
my positive philosophy. Does that make sense?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Totally?
Speaker 4 (37:50):
Totally, And you know, it sounds a lot like Loretta's
character and.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Only murders sun out.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
She stuck it out and then she landed a role.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
In the Victims. Meryl's character. Loretta is so funny.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I told Meryl, I know a real person I cannot
say who is exactly like Loretta and she just plays
it so well, Oh my god, it's so funny. But
I know a lot of Loretta's like that, and they're right.
They're very positive and they're just like here we are, Hollywood,
and you know, it's so funny.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
She's great. Absolutely, It was a real.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Bucket list to get to perform with Meryl Streep and
get to know her, and I just could. I went
back to my hotel room that night and was like,
I think I did a little like dance and I
told I told him after I was it was just
she and she She is just so funny and generous
(38:51):
and interested and ask questions and she disarms everyone because
I think people get nervous. She wants everybody to feel comfortable,
and it's she's just like the greatest and so beautiful
and thoughtful and intelligent and yeah, so curious, like really
asks a lot of questions and just an absolute joy.
(39:14):
And then of course you know Selena and Steven Marty.
I got to work with the whole season and they
are just so great. And I had met Selena before too,
so I know her, but just the whole cast, it
was just where else would you want to be?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
It was the greatest set.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
To be on.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
All right, listeners, We got a lot of emails this week.
Thanks to you all, we now know what the actual
Easter egg was the braids. It was the braid, so
the true Huad braids to get see them through the window.
Thank you for correcting me, Stephanie d Kate f Paris,
Jay Ashton, Nick d emilypa Leslie, s Mego, Tim and Jen.
(40:00):
Thank you all for correcting me. I feel like I
felt like I needed to. He did tell you exactly
how many people.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Correct I wasn't going to get it ever, so it
was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
And that's like in two days that many people corrected me.
Thanks to the folks who responded to whether or not
you guys like the theories, We'll keep sharing them. Thank
you Beth, Pamela, Kitty Liz for your feedback, and thank
you for the new entries into these s Cape rooms
and for all the rest of the emails. We really
are excited to pick a winner.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
We cannot wait. Soon we will have winners for the
LA and New York Only Meers Escape Room.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah, but keep keep trying, keep sending in things because
it's going to be random, so your chances are random.
Random anyways, all right, here are the theories you all
sent in. What did we call this last season?
Speaker 9 (40:47):
Ryan?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
I remember I had an idea, the theory airy, but
that was a bad one.
Speaker 9 (40:51):
No.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
We had the accusation station, Oh, the accusation statu and
with Keener and KK was the who done It summit?
Who Done It summit with them? So I don't know
should we name this? It's probably too late, all right.
Vinnis noticed something he thinks vince fish is a red herring,
and he noticed pink eye and fish red herring and
(41:14):
red hairing vince fish sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
I love that, just a big Reding then huh yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
I also liked he had this idea that maybe Tawny
Brothers is the blonde in the photo, since he knows
she was blonde in the flashbacks and we know the
actor herself is blonde.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Whoa interesting interesting thought. It seems that a few people
are suspicious of Uma.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Yeah, the callback to she likes to collect stuff from
dead people, maybe explaining why she would have SAS's cell phone. Interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Laura Bee also thinks that maybe Marshall is involved in
that he stole the script from Sas, which is very interesting.
Jenna from Kansas City also thinks maybe Uma thinks maybe
she's in on the cheap rent with Dudanoff. Uh knows
that she doesn't like the film taking place.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
Well, it's just annoying for her, you know.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
And she also noticed that the text not your fucking
friend sounds very Uma.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Sounds just like Uma.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Stephanie d also thought it was Uma.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Irene P from Milwaukee says, what if both deaths were
staged with fake replacement joints? Sas is still alive and
watching over them, trying to protect them. Bev Melan is
Jan's sister and Jan is the murderous one.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
That one's a little far fetched for me, but I
love the idea that maybe Sas is alive.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I also love that idea. That's the thing that makes
it exciting.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
Yeah. Nick d noticed the same ease, and he noticed
this before episode seven came out and the actors figured
out O.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
So, Nick, I think sent screenshots with the of stills
from the he did.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
He noticed the ease are the same, including some of
the ease on Rudy's chest.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
So maybe that's interesting, that's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
He's involved. He also noticed, well, Rudy.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
Can't write those on his own chest like that I
could write on my own of course.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
The weird thing is two different easy.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
That's what I noticed also in the Nick's email of
the photo of that still. It's like Rudy had someone
else write the names on the which is how I
would do it if I was a Christmas Instagram influencer.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Yeah, if you were. Another thing Nick noticed is that
Vince Fish's alibi for the window was that his windows
were painted shut, but then in episode six they opened
his window to fly the drune.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
That's right, they do interesting, very interesting. Aaron H noticed
that many of the people surrounding the trio are in
on a multi season plot and maybe SAS's murder if
there is one.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
They can't see you doing air quotes, Ryan.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Sorry, what I was is so is some sort of setup?
Then the title of the last episode of this season
would be The Truman Show. I Love that, which is wow? Okay,
mind blown?
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Yeah? And then our last thing was Garth m said,
did anyone notice Taylor Swift sitting next to Mabel the
doll with the black shirt with eighty seven on it?
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I did not.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
I did not notice a Taylor Swift doll?
Speaker 3 (44:15):
Is that a Taylor Swift thing?
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Eighty seven eighty nine nineteen eighty nine? You want to
say was an album she released?
Speaker 11 (44:21):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (44:21):
But I did not notice that. But I'm not a Swift.
Ye don't come for me. But I feel like I
wish I'd asked Patrick Howe and John Hoffman if there
were any secret dolls, Like, did we ask them that?
We didn't ask him, So that was a missed That
was a missed opportunity.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
We asked him about the Loretta doll. That was it.
It was as far as we got with the dolls.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
But he said they made a few custom ones, so
should it's worth a rewatch, I think to see what
kind of dolls you can see? All of the big
dolls those are the ones that they had special made.
So were the rewatch to see what you can see.
That's it for the emails this week. Thank you so
much for sending them. We love reading them.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
And now here is Hannah from the Only Murder's subreddit.
Speaker 11 (45:02):
Hey Maggie, Hey Ryan, and hello to everyone listening. This
week gave us another great episode, and our members feel
so heard by the writers who are seemingly rap to
answer questions we've had for years on the Only Murder's subreddit.
This episode's revelations have sent the investigation in a whole
new direction with the actor's theory that somebody has been
(45:23):
after our trio since season one, and some of our
members are growing suspicious of none other than Detective Williams
East Library five three Sixcess. This might sound crazy, but
I think a potential killer could be Detective Williams. While
she seems like your typical rough on the outside but
soft on the inside, cut with a good heart, it's
(45:45):
hard for me to find another plausible suspect. After the
actor has declared everything connects back to season one. She's
been a recurring character throughout the show. She definitely has
experience with firearms, so she could be the sniper, and
she's likely strong enough to carry Saz's body. She's also
always associated with the Trio's cases for some reason. As
(46:07):
a detective, she has access to all sorts of information, evidence, weapons.
She could have gotten to SAS's phone and unlocked it
with her NYPED resources. Not your fucking friend really sounds
like something she would say. And finally, she's a lefty.
She's seen writing with her left hand in episode one,
season six. This week's revelations have also validated our suspicions
(46:33):
of the Westies, but people still aren't certain that they
are actual killers. A popular theory remains that they somehow
found out about Dudonov's death and they're cashing in the
checks to keep their rents low. A question remains, though,
where is the ham coming from? If Dudonov isn't sending
it from Portugal, then amongst all of our theorizing, a
(46:58):
name came back which we haven't heard season yet. Luna
Lemon says there are some signs that point to the Demuses. Firstly,
value of the doll was the seventh episode, which, as
others have pointed out, usually involved far Secondly, the actor's
big jewels sticky note, which wasn't addressed explicitly but was
(47:20):
featured prominently on the murder walls. And Thirdly, there have
been several references to jewels in conversation, while the crystall
Light jokes Bev saying it's crystal clear that she will
stay in Hollywood, the doll bracelets Loretta gives Oliver, etc.
And finally, it wouldn't be the only murders in the
(47:40):
building subreddit without a theory about Howard, whether people think
he's been secretly evil all along or he's an innocent
cat lover who wouldn't hurt a fly. We're always talking
about his relations to the plot. Pacific Mermaid Girl says,
Howard gets more and more suspicious. He's been there from
the very beginning. In season three, he made a big
(48:03):
deal about wanting to be involved with the podcast. This season,
he always seems to be there during important moments. He
happens to show up with a cadaver dog that he
didn't have before. At the scene of the murder, he
happens to get involved with the movie set the day
that people get shot, and this last episode he's the
(48:23):
only one who knows the tree Year's location at the
safe house, which he shares carelessly, and he's the one
who tells the trio about the Westies. And somehow he
got Big Mike's phone number, which felt odd and important
to me. So I'm more and more suspicious of him
every week. So there you have it. Whether we think
(48:44):
Howard is guilty or not, he's always on our minds
and we love him. I'll be back next week with
more theories from the Only Murders That Reddit as we
get closer to the season finale.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
That's it for today. Thank you so much for listening.
Please continue to send us your thoughts and theories to
Only Murders at straw hutmedia dot com.
Speaker 3 (49:10):
Take a minute to subscribe, rate the show, follow us,
and leave a review if you're enjoying the show.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
Only Murders in the Building podcast is a production of
straw Hut Media, hosted and produced by Ryan Tilton and
Maggie Bowles. Our associate producer is Stephen Markley, with original
music by Kyle Merret and Only Murders in the Building
theme music by Siddartha Coslave. Our assistant editor is Daniel Ferreira,
and our production assistant is Caroline Mendoza.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
Thank you so so much to Sherry Springer Berman, Robert Paulcini,
Patrick Howe, Molly Shannon. Well, that's everybody, Thanks so much for.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
Talking to us, and big, big thanks as always to
John Hoffman and the entire Hulue team.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
See you next week. Bye.
Speaker 8 (50:06):
Marty was doing all kinds of crazy things with the
dolls constantly.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
So like to be had.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Yeah, like what I'm trying to imagine, I would imagine
just hands, just hands stuff.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
I don't know
Straw Hot Media.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
It was a real bucket list to get to perform
with Meryl Streep and yeah, get to know her, and
I just could. I went back to my hotel room
that night was like I think I did a little
like Dan.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hello, and welcome to the Only Murders in the Building Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm Ryan Tillotson and I'm Maggie Bowles, and we are
looking behind the scenes and mining for clues as we
meet the casting creators of the WHO original series Only
Murders in the Building.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Today on the show, we're continuing our conversation all about
season four, episode seven, The Valley of the Dolls.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We'll hear from husband and wife directing team Sherry Springer
Berman and Robert Pulcini, showrunner and co creator John Hoffman,
production designer Patrick Howe, and the amazing Molly Shannon.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Today we'll talk about the dolls, so many dolls, Meryl
Streep's reaction to the Loretta doll. We'll talk about Doreen's
signature cocktail, the Sweaty Betty, and we'll talk about Bev
Mellon's break point.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Because sometimes a big boss lady has to just cut
loose and throw back a few beers.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Let's start with Bob and Sherry, who directed this episode
and also episode eight.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So talk to us about the dolls.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
The episode is called Valley of the Dolls. There are
literally quite a lot of dolls.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
What can you tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
We also value. Have you seen Valley of the Dolls?
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Absolutely, it's actually a movie I've seen several times.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Really, I'm like a weird valley.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
I saw.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
It for me.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I saw when I was younger, and I really kind
of liked it because it was like these young women
moving to New York wanted to be in the you know, Hollywood,
and I mean be in the showbiz and then they
go to Hollywood. And then I saw it as an
adult because it was so camp to understand the camp
of it. Like when I was young, I was like, oh,
this is good, and then I was like, oh, this
(02:01):
is amazingly camping.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
The doll. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 8 (02:08):
That's speed.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
That's episode eight, right.
Speaker 9 (02:13):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I remember.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
So we came in and it was just, you know,
she has this insane, like extreme doll collection, but nothing
could prepare us for what And I remember the first
time I started to see them, because they were being made,
I think Patrick had a lot of them made. They
(02:37):
they were huge, you know, like human almost human size.
And we were in the we were on the stage
shooting and I walked by and there was like a pile.
It was like, I screamed. It was terrifying, and there
was like a pile of them, and I like and
then they just got more and more of them, and
you just couldn't stop like looking at them and all
(02:57):
that they would. Some of them had like little matching purses.
One had a little dog, remember, with a little leash, like.
Speaker 8 (03:04):
A running joke with our a d Becky. I kept
like taking pictures of the most horrific dolls that I
would come across and just to her all day and
she would do the same to me.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
They were literally back and forth for like the whole shoot.
Speaker 8 (03:18):
Anytime I'd get asked the question, I would just respond
with a doll.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
One of them looked like Meryl Streep though, right like
that was that was that was.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Quite intentional that they definitely got the Meryl Streep looked alike,
which was really good, it was.
Speaker 8 (03:33):
And she was like wow when she first saw that doll.
That was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Oh, I can imagine what was she did she know
that she was going to walk in to see a
little MARYL.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Streep dollar Almost yeah, I think she they think someone
had prepared her pretty freak.
Speaker 8 (03:52):
She was still pretty freaked out, I mean rightly so,
as you can imagine, Marty was doing all kinds of
crazy things with the dolls.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Since they mentioned Patrick Haw, the production designer, Emmy winning
production designer, Yes, we had to ask him about the dolls,
and it turns out there were some doll experts on
the crew.
Speaker 9 (04:14):
Thankfully, Diana Burton's mother was one of these crazy doll people,
so she had a lot. So Diana had familiarity and
access to a lot of a lot of small, normal
collector sized dolls.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
But okay, not the life size like Meryl Streep doll. No,
that's all me.
Speaker 7 (04:32):
That's all me.
Speaker 9 (04:33):
Look call of it my decorator finding us sort finding
a place that would make those for us. So all
of those life size dolls are all custom built for
us at you know, a very modest expense. And he
said facetiously. But so it was great that she found
that because that was a troubling thing because for some
(04:55):
reason there was you know, John had said all along
there would be this house would have dolls in it,
and then it sort of morphed into yeah, and they're
like adult size and they're creepy and you know. And
then so Mila was like, where are we going to
get these? Because that's what's really unusual. I mean there's
a whole world of doll collecting, but usually not life size,
(05:19):
I mean not adult size and you know I.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Mean adults many.
Speaker 9 (05:23):
Yeah, well exactly that. We had a you know, well
kind of an infinite number. It's like over two hundred,
but I you know what I mean, they're everywhere. So
it was really more than I wanted. It was like
I kind of wanted to pull back a little, like,
come on, John, you know, after he dressed it all in,
it was like, come on, can I take a few away?
Speaker 7 (05:44):
I think we get the idea, and he was like,
don't touch a thing.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
But it's so funny because as soon as anyone sits anywhere,
it's like a dolt leans up against him.
Speaker 7 (05:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
It does add to the comedy a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (05:57):
Yeah, and even and Crew and people were like, at
night when the lights are out on, you know, maybe
there's just work lights and ghost lights on here and there,
but there's not set lights on. There was a hallway
where with a doll in a chair in a corner
with a door right in this hallway, and the feet
were kind of poking out, you know, like cross legs
(06:17):
kind of poking out.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
You would just see, you know, and you were like,
you walk by, and news started, like who the hell
is sitting there? You know, there's like it's just one
of these damn dolls.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
If you're wondering who to blame for all the dolls,
John Hoffman is probably the one. Maybe I shouldn't laugh one.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
No, I think it's I think it's fair we should
all blame John Hoffman for the dolls.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
In an earlier episode, he talked to us about the
fact that the show is odd.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Here's John.
Speaker 6 (06:42):
This is another one. I guess now I'm giving myself
up in the oddness way. But I do remember thinking
this one came from putting that character of Doreen together
and thinking, you know, it's a story always about loneliness.
It's a story about what you're missing. It's about where
the connect if Tishoe got separated and all of that.
(07:03):
And when we hear story, you know, as brilliantly funny
as Melissa is as Doreen. I think she just kind
of decimates you when she's with Charles and she tells
her story and she talks about that sort of loneliness
and all of it comes around again in a very
real way. And I love being able to do both
sides of madness and the sort of guts your side
(07:27):
underneath it, and boy to have actors like that who
can pull off those scenes in such beautiful ways all
the way through Molly Shannon, same thing, but with Melissa
and this character, I just wanted one other element to
embody like that thing, because now that she's got these
daughters all named with d names, and they've all left her,
(07:49):
and now she's going through it with Big Mike, her
husband booted out to the boat, and what is the
core thing that happened with Charles that could start to
repair that little bit felt really interesting? How could you
embody that? And that came basically for me realizing, oh, oh,
you know what a lot of it was was in
Palm Springs. I was in Palm Springs. It was at
(08:09):
a consignment shop and there was this beautiful framed photo,
not a poster, but it was a photo taken from
the set of the original Valley of the Dolls movie,
and I was like, well, that is quite a shot,
and that made me think, oh, maybe there's an episode
(08:31):
called Valley of the Dolls, which made me think, oh,
that's the thing that I can sort of point to
for Doreen. I can sort of point to that quality
in Doreen if her house is filled with dolls, and
because it's it's sort of filling in the blank of
the love that's lost now that all our daughters are gone.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well all Ever says it right away as soon as
he sits down, So you have replaced your daughters with dolls.
And she's like, the reaction made that connection, made that
connection so good. It's good.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (09:06):
I started collecting after Don's wedding, and then when Dina
and Danielle wanted to rye and then dad mar which
is my youngest fellow baby, she really just left to
wound me.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So I guess you replaced your children with dolls.
Speaker 10 (09:21):
Huh, wow, I have never made that connection.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
You are intuitive. That is much more important a man
the night, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
It must have been a lot of work sourcing that
many dolls. We talked to Patri Howe and he told
us there were over two hundred dollars.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
That's that what he said.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
That's what he said.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
I never counted, and I just was so excited by
the idea of filling that house with dolls, and then
the balance of life sized dolls or larger sized dolls
with smaller dolls also got me very excited and where
they might put them, how they might do that. I
have to give all of the credit to this incredible
(10:14):
this season, our prop team, and it's every season. It's
been incredible Susanna McCarthy last year, and now Diana Burton
has come in and just bowld us over with her
work this season, especially on this episode with these damn dolls.
I don't know how. I hope they didn't yell at
me in their heads or vocally every minute. I wasn't
(10:36):
around them for this, but when they showed up with
that doll in braids that looked just like Meryl Streep,
I nearly fell over. And there was no better moment
than walking on set with Meryl Streep and Martin Short
to show them those dolls.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
What was Meryl's reaction when she saw that, or did
she know she screamed.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
She literally screamed, and then we all took about four
thousand pictures of her with it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Good.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Where did that Meryl Streep doll end up?
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I want to know that?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Is that on a back lot somewhere or.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
That's a very very exciting idea, isn't it. It's like,
you know, that's going to be one of those like
sometime we'll see a Halloween pick on someone's Instagram. Maybe
our propmaster Diana Burton will show up a doll that
looks like Amanda Seifered on one side and Meryl Streep
on the other, and she's all dressed in Greek like
(11:30):
white flowing mama me aware.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yes, that's what we'll That's what we'll hope for.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Right And what was even sweeter was when I was
telling Melissa about that part of her character on that
first phone call she was she was she had to
remind me because I actually kind of knew it but
for ridiculous reason. But she said, you know, I do
have dolls myself.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Are any of her dolls visible in the episode?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
She bring any from home?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
No? But boy, she brought a lot. She really did.
She did, she did, and then she brought her own
wigs and she brought I mean, she just picked it
right in and found that character walked on set that day.
I will never forget it. Like she was fully formed
and ready to go as Doreen. And I what I
love about her and this is that I feel like,
(12:19):
as much as you think you know Melissa McCarthy and
what she does and all that, I feel like I
haven't seen her do anything like this before. And in
many ways it felt like a whole new discovery.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I love it. And I just the accent. I mean,
she was so good.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
She's so good when she comes out with the pigtails on.
I just lost it watching it. I just laughed out loud.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Aw if you.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
Will, is this the episode? The episode written by Matteo
Borghesi and Rob Trubowski so superbly again directed by Sherry
and Bob you know, are brilliant director from last season.
And I just feel like that one had something around
it and it just thought, well, if we can pull
(13:04):
off this mad house safe house that starts revealing deeper things,
thought what fun it would be. And so yeah, it
was very fulfilling that one one of.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
The reveals we get in that house is the Sweaty Betty,
which is that this season's cocoa tiny is that the
cocktail of the season.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I've never heard of it.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
That is so good, A light and vodka. No, we
don't a lot of times with our just we've gotten
used to it because I know you've heard this before.
But our central trio is always, you know, asked questions
about do you improv a lot? Do you do like
lots of improv? And they very often say, no, we
really don't. We follow the script. And I think that,
(13:49):
for the most part, is true. Every now and then
you have brilliant people come on set with some ideas
and thoughts and you say, hell, yes, go ahead and
do that. And Melissa McCarthy came up with this Betty
Betty and went deep on you know, can we get
some crystal light? And like that crystal light might have
been there, but naming it the Sweaty Betty was a
(14:09):
biggie brought on by.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
It was so good, it was perfect for Duran.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
It was clearly during it was embedded by her by
her friend also named Betty, also sweat like a pig.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
See that you've misplaced your watermelon liqueur?
Speaker 10 (14:25):
Oh why don't I make you one of my seconds contails.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Okay, let me just behind you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Almost got it. Here we go.
Speaker 10 (14:33):
I think you are going to like this is mostly
entirely vodka and crystal light. You know, we call it
a sweaty Betty named it have to my dear friend
also named Betty, who also happened to sweat like a pig.
So there we go in crystal light. If you dunk
anything in it, it's a great exfoliance, a long pour
(14:57):
for my short king.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well here's the Betty be I.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Think she's a genius back too directors Sherry Springer Berman
and Bob Paulcini.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
I mean just period like and full stop. Like I
was so blown away with her talent. I mean I
knew she was going to be funny obviously, but it
went beyond that. It was like she improvised. She always
would improvise a line that was like, there's like on
the cutting room floor a million funny lines. I don't
(15:29):
know if you've seen her improvisations from Bridesmaids, Like yes,
it's so you could fill a movie with everything that
there's no time for her improvisations. And she's a brilliant
dramatic there's you know, a very serious, kind of heartrending
scene between her and Steve Martin. And she's amazing in that.
(15:52):
She is really truly and such like such a great
spirit on set, and it was just fantastic.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
You know what.
Speaker 10 (16:02):
I remember one of my probably fondest memories. God must
have been what five, Mom was taking me to see
my big brother in one of his first places.
Speaker 7 (16:16):
It was so good.
Speaker 10 (16:19):
You're always meant to be missed, Hollywood, sonya are you
even lightening to me?
Speaker 11 (16:29):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 8 (16:29):
She's one of these actors too, and I've had this
a few times. Who can take like just a little
bit of business and make it into a set piece,
do you know what I mean? Like if you give
her a little bit of business, just making that cocktail
crystal light her nails, the way she stirred it, you know,
the way she sprays it on herself.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I mean, yeah, it was And again we had to
cut down because it was like there was so much
amazing stuff in there, but like you just it's only
a half hour show, so we couldn't, you know, put
it all in. But she's really incredible with business.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Just a little aside because I didn't realize business was
like a real film directing term. So Ryan, you went
to film school. Give me a quick explanation of business.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's just any business that an actor is doing while performing,
while saying lines, well saying lines or you know, in
the background, even that could be business.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
And it's not in the script or do isn't this?
Sometimes it could be in the script, but sometimes it
can be improvised. So that's business, the more you know. Okay,
back to Bob and Sherry.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Would you say that was one of the biggest challenges
of this whole episode, or you know, having to having
too much and having to cut it down or is
that always.
Speaker 8 (17:47):
A challenge on these It was challenging, particularly changing, because
you know, you have to kill things that are funny,
you know, and to keep it going, and that's always
very hard to do because you know, you fall in
love with them.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
But it was, I mean, it was but I mean
John had to really like, we killed some and then
John had to come in and kill the rest. So
it was like, it's it's hard because so much, I mean,
it was a wealth of material.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
There's another scene in this episode that is so special,
and that is Loretta and Oliver getting engaged I guess technically,
can you tell us about that sort of like tender moment?
Speaker 8 (18:28):
What can I say about it other than like they're
just so wonderful together. I mean, they have so much
chemistry and there is a natural sweetness between them, you
know that you see just you know, when the cameras
aren't rolling, it's I mean, we decided to do kind
of French overs mostly, which just kind of on their
backs because it just felt more romantic that way. But yeah,
(18:53):
I mean they're just like, what can I say? And
you could let the cameras anywhere, and that was another
going to be magic with them, you know, it's They're
just great.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
That was another scene that was we had to cut
down because it was so good and there was some
improv that they did that was really warm and beautiful.
But again, it's only a half hour show, so we
had to cut that. But it was really hard because
there was so many beautiful moments. Betray Lound.
Speaker 12 (19:17):
You must have, by my account, six different stories about
running into Linda Carter at grocery stores.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Wonder woman and a wonderful lady. Well to the.
Speaker 12 (19:29):
Point, despite your obvious pathologies, I'm here still and I'm
not going anywhere and I sign on to your crazy.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
For a lifetime. You're giving me a Dolls bracelet.
Speaker 12 (19:53):
I'm proposing to you, Oliver, I want to marry you.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Well before I accept, just out of curiosity. Is there
any family money? I accept? After the break, John Hoffman's
(20:24):
longtime friendship with the hilarious Molly Shannon and How to
Be Drunk on set convincingly correct Welcome Back.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
The first unexpected visitor to show up at Dorian's house
in Long Island after the trio I Guess is Bev Mellon,
played by Molly Shannon. Showrunner and co creator John Hoffman
has known Molly for a long time, many years.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
We had the pleasure to speak with Mally Shannon thanks
to you, and it was so fun.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
She's the best, right, she is.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
The best, so incredible. She kind of enlightened us that
she's actually kind of similar to Bev Mellon in terms
of the fact that I mean, I guess she just
is kind of on top of things.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
She gets things done.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
And I noticed it it just in scheduling.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
You made the connection for her, and she went, You're right.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
I think I think you're the one that pointed it out.
I don't think she necessarily saw herself a bev Melon.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Until she was so on top of just like giving
the right links for the recording and making sure it
was her like just anyway. So I'm just curious if
you've noticed this about her her.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
I noticed this about her to say that this was
one of my biggest dreams when this show happened, to
get Mollie to do something that, like, I've known Molly,
and she probably said this, but I've known her since
we were kids, basically first out here in Los Angeles,
and let's just say this. We would be there used
(22:06):
to be a restaurant in Los Angeles that was open
very late, even on weeknights, called Kate Mantalini. And it
was in the Wilshire off of Wiltshire over by all
those agencies, in a weird place. But Mollie and I
would end up talking late night at Kate Mantalini, and
a lot of times, you know, we were all sort
of trying to find our way, like, oh, we had
(22:28):
shitty auditions on things or bad meetings, and like how
do we make things work here? This was before Molly
got Saturday Night Live. This is early days and then
we'd be in relationship things and be working through like
heartbreak or whatever. And there was one moment where she
was working through a bit of heartbreak at Kate Mantalini
(22:50):
and I'll never forget it because it's still to this
day what she'll do. And I'll be like, Mollie, look,
you need to just and I'll just advise her. And
she's like, wait, hold on a second, can you repeat that?
And she would write it down on a napkin and
she would like say that again, okay, and I say
what And I'm like, well, so the moment, it's kind
(23:11):
of like happened already. But I'm like you, we'll find
the perfect eye for you. They will come when you least,
They will come when I least expect it.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
So like.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
And just like a mantra. I think she even said
on a talk show recently or in the last few years.
I think I said to her at some point in
like talking her through this breakup, Molly, let me put
it to you this way. The luckiest guy in the
world just got luckier because you became available. Try and
(23:47):
think of that way. And she was like, wait, that's
so sweet. Wait what And then she was like say
that again, and she had to write it on a
gay Maddelina Napkin. And I think she really surprised me.
I think she was an interview only about five years
three to five years ago where she sent it to
me and she said, John, look what I did. And
(24:08):
she did this interview and she quoted that line at
some point I was like, what she remembered it for
many many years later. But that is that's both sides
of Molly. It's this thing that I'm sure will surprise
no one. But she's the most beautiful heart and delightful
(24:29):
energy of making sure she has everything right. And that's
she's just great.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I can only imagine how many notes she has well.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
And notes and like notes and talking through and like
when she was dealing with the script, I loved it
because she would get in there on like certain words
that felt right as dev and too, but they were
like just like the perfect It was like someone coming
in and just doing little surgical work to just make
it run just right for her.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, it was great that I found you finally. I
have left you so many messages. It's a good thing
Howard knew where you were.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So listen, this is serious the studio is asking if
the brother sisters are the killers, if they are the killers,
out to fire them if they might be, but we
can't prove it.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
That is a great area that I can sell. So
what does it tell me? It's definitely not them?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I think, Okay, he says they're not the killers.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
He's right here.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
He seems like sixty percent sure.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
That sounds low.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Well, fifty percent on one Margarita was enough for you
to flash your boobs of the Fableman's premiere, Bev.
Speaker 8 (25:36):
This is an emergency safe house situation, so I need
your fall.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
He did see them, Monica. So we partially shoot it outside.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
When I did, like when I arrive and I see
Steve Martin on the boat. So that was really fun
and easy. It's always fun when you shoot outside. Everybody's
in a good mood. See's outside on the boat. We're
all just hanging out, laughing the you know, everybody's around.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
The camera's outside. That's Molly Shannon obviously obviously.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So it was just.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Fun and easy.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I just remember it being like a sunny, good weather,
beautiful morning, and Steve's out finished early. I finished early,
and then we did the rest of the stuff. At
the studio UH in New York. But they really copied
the inside of that house. They just took pictures and
rebuilt it at the stage. So so we shot that
(26:27):
those kitchen scenes that I shot when I show up
with the actors and Selena and Merrill and Sack and
everybody was on the stage, and that was so fun
and easy, very contained, and I was definitely nervous. I
really wanted to do a good job. But it's like
a pretty short See I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Did it come out? Okay, it's so good. It doesn't good.
I mean it doesn't feel short. I mean it feels
all very I mean I guess like your years gone
because you leave and you come back a little tipsy.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Oh okay, got it? Oh, interwoven throughout that, yeah, so
it feels like you're president for the whole time. I'm
sick of this bullshit studio and the script with its
bullshit plot holes and all you self centered actors memorizing
your lines in your little baby set slippers eating your
special actress food.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
I was shot, and I bet it's infected. I am
weeping fluid here. Oh my god, Zach, cut it out.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
All you do is complain I'm a self centered Greek
smurf and I got hit by a.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Sniper and now I have a boo boo. Can't take
it anymore. Bra, I'm done with Hollywood. Do you have
a secret for playing drunk? I'm sure you've had to
play drunk multiple times? Is that hard? Well?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Ye, uh no, it's not hard. It's kind of like
you just I mean, I was at that chunk. I
was just kind of uh loose, I would say, you know,
not like so drunk. She's just kind of having fun.
And you know, I'm picky about that though. I don't
like if people just throw it in. Yes, always just
to make sense. Like, I'm picky about that because I
think it's easy to just make it, oh, pimp pop drunk.
(28:14):
I always get like, I'll question people about that, like
so why is that?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Why did she do that? Or why did she go
back to that? Or what's going on or what are
you just you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I just think it can be easy, so I always
want it used properly. Otherwise it's just too easy to
use if it's just.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Not thought out.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Does that make sense? Yeah, I'm picky about that kind
of stuff. I don't know, you should be that's great.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, yeah, but I mean Bev Mellon's going through some
life changes right there, so it all makes sense.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
And she probably feels stuck at the house and just like, oh,
there's no food, Like at least let me have a beer,
you know. And so yeah, so I would say I
think that when you play drunk, you're always trying to
act more straight. You're trying not to act drunk, or
you become is the word, where you're just focused on
one thing. I think people become very like they're just
(29:06):
focused on that one person's face and everything else is
kind of blurred out. It's a blur my myopic. Is
that the right word? I think that is scientifically what
happens when people are drunk, you know, and you know,
if somebody says something, it could be like what, Like,
they're just focused on that thing and that's it. Everything
(29:27):
else is a blur. So I think I kind of
play it like that. But you learn stuff while you're
doing it, because sometimes I'm like, oh, that's really hard
to do. Once I had to play drunk and walk
back upstairs and I was like, Oh, that doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
You can't do that.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Because it doesn't work with your body and kind of
being drunk to have to go up gravity wise. But
this has felt loose, and then I felt like with
Meryl Streep, I think we kind of improvised a little,
like she she wanted to take the beer from me.
And I don't know if this is in the cut,
but I was like, okay, mom.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know, just acting kind of childlike, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Actors all sitting together talking about their craft.
Speaker 12 (30:08):
Hey, actors, fuck you can I want some drink of water?
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Okay, mom, fuck you TV actor? You know my work work,
let me sum up the quality of your acting ability.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
In one word.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
So it's kind of immature, wild, like, you know, I
just play it loose.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
I don't plan it. I'm very spontaneous in the moments.
I would say, oh yeah, fun loose, yeah yeah, yeah yeah.
Is that how you kind of approach everything or just
like kind of the drunken the drunken approach.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I would say, I try to approach everything like that,
but loose.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
I don't overly plan it all.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I'll have an idea and I will know the lines
very well and everything, but I would like to be
in the moment and then and then it's nice too,
Like that particular day, the crew was laughing a lot,
like I was being really silly and they would laugh
so hard. So I love making them laugh because you
get a real meter for like, oh good, I'm so
glad that because I had to come back to the
(31:14):
kitchen when I exit and they were like courver in
their mouths and I really made them laugh. So I
loved it. It feels like theater live theater, because when
you're doing movies, everybody has to be quiet, so you
can't get a response. So it's great when they're like
and then cut and then they burst out laughing. It's
it's the greatest feeling, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
So I'm like, oh good, oh good, what did you guys?
Like okay, good good? And then I do it again
kind of kind of like that.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Yeah, there must have been so many moments like that,
you know, throughout the entire shoot of the season, Like,
can you share any other particularly like moments that were
just like super hilarious on set.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Well, Selena is so easy going and so sweet, so
and you know, not all everybody, all the special guests
stars this year, we're just amazing. I just and Steve
and Marty I've known for a long time, so it's
it's a pleasure to just work with them, and then Eu,
Gene and Zach and I mean just everyone. It was
like an all star studded Eva. It was just like unbelievable.
(32:18):
But anyhow, I did a lot of scenes with Selena,
of course, and Selena is really easy going. She will
let me do anything. I'm like, do you mind if
I kiss you? You know, like in that scene, I'm drunk,
so I think I kids are like hello, suiting one
and she lets me do anything. She's so easy going
and she just laughs and she's so generous, and she's
such a good actress and she just she's just the
(32:41):
greatest to perform with that way because she's so because
some people aren't like that, like they might not like
you to do that, or they might want to really
practice it. She does not care at all, she she
or they won't like if you if you improvise a
little or change it. Selena is like a team player,
like she is just easy and goes at the flow,
(33:02):
and she's so great.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
And of course Meryl's like.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
That too, She's just in the moment like of course,
so I had direct contact with Merrill and Selena in
that scene. Those were my two points, and they are
both just you know, I feel that we all performed
the same way, like in the moment. You know, it
was wild. It was wild. I was very nervous. I
just wanted to do a good job.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I was nervous. You were so so great. Oh, thank you,
thank you. That's so sweet.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
And then Zach was so silly, like I think he
was because I kind of make fun of actors in
that scene, right, yeah, I'm like, so sick of little actors,
self centered actors, and so I I wanted it to
sound very much coming from like a genuine place of
(33:55):
how irritated she is with little.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Actors memorizing your lines.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
And I don't know if this is in the thing,
but I'm talking about how they wear slippers and RESI
their nines and eating special actress food. They's special food,
you know. So I it's fun that she's just like
so sick of it. And then she so I didn't
know the backstory, so I had to ask. I was like, wait,
does bet Melon know Loretta's work? That's what I had
(34:21):
to ask. Sherry and Bob Our directors They're like, oh, yes,
you do know her, And then Merril and I talked
about it, and then I'm like, so because I had
to walk in the door and know my history what
I think of her because I clock her, I'm like, uh, Loretta,
Like so, I my character does not think that much
of Loretta. She's like TV actor, Hello actor, she could
(34:43):
give a shit, and she's drinking a beer and she
does not care. But so we had to establish that
very quickly because I did. I didn't really know. It's
just a TV show that was just written, so we
don't know the full backstory, you know. But Sherry and
Bob were great, and they were very they're very loose
organic directors too, Like they they kind of just like
(35:03):
want me to have fun in the space, which is
so fun because you're not limited to just like having
to stand on one spot near your suitcase.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
You could kind of shake it up a little. So
that was great. I absolutely love that. I mean, I
just look, I'm assessed with their their work and some
of the movies that they've done in shows obviously that
they've directed. So of course they directed this episode and
it was such a great episode.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
We're really big fans of theirs too huge good.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
There's another thing we have in this in this season
and in this episode is like all of these actors
that have had these long, long careers, like yeah, Marles
streep'sen around forever, you know, Steve Marty.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I mean, you just so many.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
What you think contributes to like longevity in a career
that we like have so many prime examples of this.
You might not have any opinion on it. It's totally fine.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
But and they're all here in this in this episode,
in this season.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Only when we're missing is Richard.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
He's got a long career. Yeah, yeah, Like, what what
do you have it? What's the secret you mean these
actors in real life having life?
Speaker 9 (36:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
I was like, oh, yeah, well, it definitely takes a
lot of hustle.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
People don't know. It's a hustle for everyone.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
It's it's like I always say, I'm like, it's a hustle,
you know, you really, I guess it's just staying in
the game. Just stay in the game, stay at it.
You never know, you know, someone can come through and
there can be there are always ups and downs and
you just have to go with the flow and you know,
just stay in the game. Stay in the game. Stay
(36:37):
in the game. You know, That's what I would say.
But obviously these people, they've been around a long time
and probably have seen a lot of things. But it's
just it's people don't know. It's it's hard. These people
have worked hard. I have a friend who left show
business a long time ago. We both went to NYU
Drama School and she left and just gave it up.
(36:57):
And she's like, how did you do it all? She
calls me, mal, how did you do it?
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Ma?
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Oh my god?
Speaker 6 (37:03):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I'm like, I have worked so hard, you know, Like
I worked so hard. I stayed in town, I auditioned,
I worked my ass off.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
That's what I did. A lot of hard work.
Speaker 6 (37:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's good, it's nice.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Yeah, yeah, And I think but my philosophy is that
I think that if you're doing what you want, pursuing
what you want, it doesn't feel like work, and you
shouldn't look at us like, oh, once I get there,
I'll be happy. Just enjoy where you are and being
creative and you know, wherever you are in the moment,
because there's not somebody who gets to some point and
they're like, now I'm happy. Just enjoy that you're living
(37:38):
in Los Angeles or New York or River in the arts.
That alone is like really good and a lot of
people give up on those dreams. So that was always
my positive philosophy. Does that make sense?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Totally?
Speaker 4 (37:50):
Totally, And you know, it sounds a lot like Loretta's
character and.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Only murders sun out.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
She stuck it out and then she landed a role.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
In the Victims. Meryl's character. Loretta is so funny.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I told Meryl, I know a real person I cannot
say who is exactly like Loretta and she just plays
it so well, Oh my god, it's so funny. But
I know a lot of Loretta's like that, and they're right.
They're very positive and they're just like here we are, Hollywood,
and you know, it's so funny.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
She's great. Absolutely, It was a real.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Bucket list to get to perform with Meryl Streep and
get to know her, and I just could. I went
back to my hotel room that night and was like,
I think I did a little like dance and I
told I told him after I was it was just
she and she She is just so funny and generous
(38:51):
and interested and ask questions and she disarms everyone because
I think people get nervous. She wants everybody to feel comfortable,
and it's she's just like the greatest and so beautiful
and thoughtful and intelligent and yeah, so curious, like really
asks a lot of questions and just an absolute joy.
(39:14):
And then of course you know Selena and Steven Marty.
I got to work with the whole season and they
are just so great. And I had met Selena before too,
so I know her, but just the whole cast, it
was just where else would you want to be?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
It was the greatest set.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
To be on.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
All right, listeners, We got a lot of emails this week.
Thanks to you all, we now know what the actual
Easter egg was the braids. It was the braid, so
the true Huad braids to get see them through the window.
Thank you for correcting me, Stephanie d Kate f Paris,
Jay Ashton, Nick d emilypa Leslie, s Mego, Tim and Jen.
(40:00):
Thank you all for correcting me. I feel like I
felt like I needed to. He did tell you exactly
how many people.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Correct I wasn't going to get it ever, so it
was very helpful.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
And that's like in two days that many people corrected me.
Thanks to the folks who responded to whether or not
you guys like the theories, We'll keep sharing them. Thank
you Beth, Pamela, Kitty Liz for your feedback, and thank
you for the new entries into these s Cape rooms
and for all the rest of the emails. We really
are excited to pick a winner.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
We cannot wait. Soon we will have winners for the
LA and New York Only Meers Escape Room.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah, but keep keep trying, keep sending in things because
it's going to be random, so your chances are random.
Random anyways, all right, here are the theories you all
sent in. What did we call this last season?
Speaker 9 (40:47):
Ryan?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
I remember I had an idea, the theory airy, but
that was a bad one.
Speaker 9 (40:51):
No.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
We had the accusation station, Oh, the accusation statu and
with Keener and KK was the who done It summit?
Who Done It summit with them? So I don't know
should we name this? It's probably too late, all right.
Vinnis noticed something he thinks vince fish is a red herring,
and he noticed pink eye and fish red herring and
(41:14):
red hairing vince fish sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
I love that, just a big Reding then huh yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
I also liked he had this idea that maybe Tawny
Brothers is the blonde in the photo, since he knows
she was blonde in the flashbacks and we know the
actor herself is blonde.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Whoa interesting interesting thought. It seems that a few people
are suspicious of Uma.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Yeah, the callback to she likes to collect stuff from
dead people, maybe explaining why she would have SAS's cell phone. Interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Laura Bee also thinks that maybe Marshall is involved in
that he stole the script from Sas, which is very interesting.
Jenna from Kansas City also thinks maybe Uma thinks maybe
she's in on the cheap rent with Dudanoff. Uh knows
that she doesn't like the film taking place.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
Well, it's just annoying for her, you know.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
And she also noticed that the text not your fucking
friend sounds very Uma.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Sounds just like Uma.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
Stephanie d also thought it was Uma.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Irene P from Milwaukee says, what if both deaths were
staged with fake replacement joints? Sas is still alive and
watching over them, trying to protect them. Bev Melan is
Jan's sister and Jan is the murderous one.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
That one's a little far fetched for me, but I
love the idea that maybe Sas is alive.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I also love that idea. That's the thing that makes
it exciting.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
Yeah. Nick d noticed the same ease, and he noticed
this before episode seven came out and the actors figured
out O.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
So, Nick, I think sent screenshots with the of stills
from the he did.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
He noticed the ease are the same, including some of
the ease on Rudy's chest.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
So maybe that's interesting, that's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
He's involved. He also noticed, well, Rudy.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
Can't write those on his own chest like that I
could write on my own of course.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
The weird thing is two different easy.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
That's what I noticed also in the Nick's email of
the photo of that still. It's like Rudy had someone
else write the names on the which is how I
would do it if I was a Christmas Instagram influencer.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Yeah, if you were. Another thing Nick noticed is that
Vince Fish's alibi for the window was that his windows
were painted shut, but then in episode six they opened
his window to fly the drune.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
That's right, they do interesting, very interesting. Aaron H noticed
that many of the people surrounding the trio are in
on a multi season plot and maybe SAS's murder if
there is one.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
They can't see you doing air quotes, Ryan.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Sorry, what I was is so is some sort of setup?
Then the title of the last episode of this season
would be The Truman Show. I Love that, which is wow? Okay,
mind blown?
Speaker 1 (44:02):
Yeah? And then our last thing was Garth m said,
did anyone notice Taylor Swift sitting next to Mabel the
doll with the black shirt with eighty seven on it?
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I did not.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
I did not notice a Taylor Swift doll?
Speaker 3 (44:15):
Is that a Taylor Swift thing?
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Eighty seven eighty nine nineteen eighty nine? You want to
say was an album she released?
Speaker 11 (44:21):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (44:21):
But I did not notice that. But I'm not a Swift.
Ye don't come for me. But I feel like I
wish I'd asked Patrick Howe and John Hoffman if there
were any secret dolls, Like, did we ask them that?
We didn't ask him, So that was a missed That
was a missed opportunity.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
We asked him about the Loretta doll. That was it.
It was as far as we got with the dolls.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
But he said they made a few custom ones, so
should it's worth a rewatch, I think to see what
kind of dolls you can see? All of the big
dolls those are the ones that they had special made.
So were the rewatch to see what you can see.
That's it for the emails this week. Thank you so
much for sending them. We love reading them.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
And now here is Hannah from the Only Murder's subreddit.
Speaker 11 (45:02):
Hey Maggie, Hey Ryan, and hello to everyone listening. This
week gave us another great episode, and our members feel
so heard by the writers who are seemingly rap to
answer questions we've had for years on the Only Murder's subreddit.
This episode's revelations have sent the investigation in a whole
new direction with the actor's theory that somebody has been
(45:23):
after our trio since season one, and some of our
members are growing suspicious of none other than Detective Williams
East Library five three Sixcess. This might sound crazy, but
I think a potential killer could be Detective Williams. While
she seems like your typical rough on the outside but
soft on the inside, cut with a good heart, it's
(45:45):
hard for me to find another plausible suspect. After the
actor has declared everything connects back to season one. She's
been a recurring character throughout the show. She definitely has
experience with firearms, so she could be the sniper, and
she's likely strong enough to carry Saz's body. She's also
always associated with the Trio's cases for some reason. As
(46:07):
a detective, she has access to all sorts of information, evidence, weapons.
She could have gotten to SAS's phone and unlocked it
with her NYPED resources. Not your fucking friend really sounds
like something she would say. And finally, she's a lefty.
She's seen writing with her left hand in episode one,
season six. This week's revelations have also validated our suspicions
(46:33):
of the Westies, but people still aren't certain that they
are actual killers. A popular theory remains that they somehow
found out about Dudonov's death and they're cashing in the
checks to keep their rents low. A question remains, though,
where is the ham coming from? If Dudonov isn't sending
it from Portugal, then amongst all of our theorizing, a
(46:58):
name came back which we haven't heard season yet. Luna
Lemon says there are some signs that point to the Demuses. Firstly,
value of the doll was the seventh episode, which, as
others have pointed out, usually involved far Secondly, the actor's
big jewels sticky note, which wasn't addressed explicitly but was
(47:20):
featured prominently on the murder walls. And Thirdly, there have
been several references to jewels in conversation, while the crystall
Light jokes Bev saying it's crystal clear that she will
stay in Hollywood, the doll bracelets Loretta gives Oliver, etc.
And finally, it wouldn't be the only murders in the
(47:40):
building subreddit without a theory about Howard, whether people think
he's been secretly evil all along or he's an innocent
cat lover who wouldn't hurt a fly. We're always talking
about his relations to the plot. Pacific Mermaid Girl says,
Howard gets more and more suspicious. He's been there from
the very beginning. In season three, he made a big
(48:03):
deal about wanting to be involved with the podcast. This season,
he always seems to be there during important moments. He
happens to show up with a cadaver dog that he
didn't have before. At the scene of the murder, he
happens to get involved with the movie set the day
that people get shot, and this last episode he's the
(48:23):
only one who knows the tree Year's location at the
safe house, which he shares carelessly, and he's the one
who tells the trio about the Westies. And somehow he
got Big Mike's phone number, which felt odd and important
to me. So I'm more and more suspicious of him
every week. So there you have it. Whether we think
(48:44):
Howard is guilty or not, he's always on our minds
and we love him. I'll be back next week with
more theories from the Only Murders That Reddit as we
get closer to the season finale.
Speaker 1 (49:01):
That's it for today. Thank you so much for listening.
Please continue to send us your thoughts and theories to
Only Murders at straw hutmedia dot com.
Speaker 3 (49:10):
Take a minute to subscribe, rate the show, follow us,
and leave a review if you're enjoying the show.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
Only Murders in the Building podcast is a production of
straw Hut Media, hosted and produced by Ryan Tilton and
Maggie Bowles. Our associate producer is Stephen Markley, with original
music by Kyle Merret and Only Murders in the Building
theme music by Siddartha Coslave. Our assistant editor is Daniel Ferreira,
and our production assistant is Caroline Mendoza.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
Thank you so so much to Sherry Springer Berman, Robert Paulcini,
Patrick Howe, Molly Shannon. Well, that's everybody, Thanks so much for.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
Talking to us, and big, big thanks as always to
John Hoffman and the entire Hulue team.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
See you next week. Bye.
Speaker 8 (50:06):
Marty was doing all kinds of crazy things with the
dolls constantly.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
So like to be had.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Yeah, like what I'm trying to imagine, I would imagine
just hands, just hands stuff.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
I don't know
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It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
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