Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S1 E5: “Twist”

Date: September 15, 2021
Host: Elizabeth Keener & Kevin Lanigan
Guest: Tembi Banks (Writer, Episode 5)

Episode Overview

This episode of Only Murders in the Pod dives deep into Episode 5 ("Twist") of Hulu’s hit whodunit-comedy, Only Murders in the Building. Hosts Elizabeth Keener and Kevin dissect the key revelations, character arcs, and plot turns while chatting with writer Tembi Banks about crafting such an intricately layered episode. The discussion covers everything from Oscar’s return, hidden clues, behind-the-scenes writing insights, and the joy—and challenge—of scripting dueling comedy legends. The hosts also seal their "whodunit" guesses and prompt Tembi for a clue about the ongoing mystery.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Major Revelations in Episode 5

• Tie Dye Guy Reveal: The hosts excitedly confirm that “Tie Dye Guy” is Oscar, who has just been released from prison — a fact many viewers had begun to suspect, but was formally revealed in this episode.
  • Elizabeth Keener [01:12]: “First, we now know in episode five who Tie Dye Guy is.”
  • Kevin [01:19]: “Yes, we do. It’s Oscar. Ooh, that’s good.”
• Oscar’s Innocence?
  • The hosts debate whether Oscar could really have killed Tim Kono, reflecting audience uncertainty and noting the episode builds plausible deniability for him.
    • Elizabeth [01:54]: “Do we believe that Oscar killed Tim Kono? Do we? Or do we believe his story?”
• Tattoo Motif & Hidden Clues: Recurrent whale tattoos connect Mabel, Oscar, and a previous victim, cleverly hidden throughout the show and even on a Hardy Boys book.
  • Kevin [02:41]: “It was on one of the Hardy Boys books.”
  • Elizabeth [02:43]: “Yes, it was the name…something about the whale.”

2. New York as a Character

• Tembi Banks emphasizes the show’s authentic New York flavor, both architecturally and culturally. She highlights the reality of living in iconic buildings: neighborly anonymity, economic diversity, and classic NYC nosiness.
  • Tembi [07:26]: “So much of this show and the characters, they glob onto the realities of what it is to be a certain kind of person in New York…there’s a great equalizer.”

3. Writing in a Pandemic & The Writer’s Room

• Tembi shares her unique onboarding experience: joining the Only Murders team via “Zoom room,” after COVID shutdowns interrupted her directing career.
  • Tembi [05:53]: “I was in the middle of directing my very first feature film. And on the second day...everything in town shut down.”
  • Narrator [06:44]: “It ended up working out with Only Murders…Tembi read the script on a Friday, met with the team Sunday, signed her contract…in the room on Tuesday.”

4. The Episode’s “Twists”

• Hosts and Tembi enumerate the major episode twists: the real identity of the Tie Dye Guy and the meaning of the initials "GM," which leads to the reveal of a cousin who owns a tattoo shop.
  • Tembi [10:08]: “The revelation of Oscar was huge…putting to rest any suspicions as to, like, who was tie dye hoodie guy... The GM was huge, you know, because he was very, very helpful in discovering it wasn't what Mabel thought it was.”

5. Balancing Mystery and Comedy

• Tembi provides a writer’s perspective on balancing the mechanical demands of breadcrumbing clues with character and relationship building, explaining some arcs must ebb or flow per episode.
  • Tembi [12:40]: “Sometimes you just have to make tough decisions and say, this episode really has to focus on these mystery elements, while next episode…we can spend a little bit more time building the relationship…”

6. Oliver’s Car & Comedic Duos

• The 1970s yellow Peugeot “Aphrodite” acts as a mobile set piece for Oliver and Charles’s comedic bickering, most of which is both scripted and improvised—a challenge for any writer tasked with scripting Steve Martin and Martin Short.
  • Tembi [14:27]: “I was like, oh my god, the pressure is on. How am I tasked to write these scenes where Steve Martin and Martin Short are just going back and forth?”
• Memorable improv moment:
  • Actor [15:23]: “I got Saggy Bottom Balls in Sag Harbor. Saggy Bottom Balls is what she called me.”

7. The Language of Hulu

• Both hosts and Tembi note the freedom to write and deliver more adult language, especially for Selena Gomez’s character, whose dry delivery and “Disney background” make her cursing especially memorable.
  • Tembi [16:00]: “You are the second person that commented on how it feels to hear Selena Gomez curse…She was written as such a sardonic character, and she delivered so expertly…”

8. Oscar as Narrator & Authentic Representation

• Tembi highlights her responsibility in authentically voicing Oscar (as the episode’s narrator), rooting him in New York’s Latino culture and trauma, while injecting some levity.
  • Tembi [17:27]: “It was really important to nail Oscar's voice because this was the first time…one of the biggest tasks for me was to really lend and establish who this human was and what his inner trauma was…”

9. Red Herrings and Looking Ahead

• The hosts engage Tembi in giving a "teaser clue" for the rest of the season:
  • Tembi [19:06]: “The safest clue I can give is that...it will be a journey for [the main characters] to discover and come to terms with who the killer is.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Oscar’s Reveal:
  Kevin [01:19]: “Yes, we do. It’s Oscar. Ooh, that’s good.”

• On Writing for Comedy Legends:
  Tembi [14:27]: “How am I tasked to write these scenes where Steve Martin and Martin Short are just going back and forth…? And then also just knowing them, like, okay, whatever I write stands a chance to…get remixed or rewritten…”

• On Selena Gomez’s Delivery:
  Kevin [16:09]: “It’s so monotone sometimes. And so she just delivers. Queen of that.”

• On Authentic Oscar:
  Tembi [17:27]: “I want this real Latino man from New York to just really light up the screen.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:12: Tie Dye Guy (Oscar) identity confirmed
• 03:13: Writer Kristen Newman’s hint about Jan’s bassoon—possible red herring
• 05:30: Tembi’s journey into the OMIB writers’ room
• 07:26: New York’s character and culture dissected
• 10:08: Clarification of episode’s twists (Oscar & GM/cousin’s tattoo shop)
• 12:25: The writing challenge: balancing character and mystery
• 14:27: Pressure of scripting Steve Martin and Martin Short
• 15:23: Improvised car scene hilarity (“Saggy Bottom Balls in Sag Harbor”)
• 16:00: Reactions to Selena Gomez’s cursing
• 17:27: Crafting Oscar’s unique narrative voice
• 19:06: Tembi’s only clue for future episodes (“it’s a journey”)
• 20:13: Hosts reveal their whodunit picks to each other

The Whodunit Summit (20:08)

• Kevin’s suspect: Teddy’s son (Nathan Lane’s character’s son)
• Elizabeth’s suspect: “Crazy Lester,” the doorman, based on his knowledge and suspicious behavior.
  • Elizabeth [20:46]: “Lester knows everything that's going on in the building...he knows no one came in or out.”

Final Thoughts

The episode effectively unpacks “Twist’s” pivotal moments, explores the nuances of writer’s room mechanics during the pandemic, and delights fans with playful theorizing. Tembi Banks’s perspective as both a New Yorker and the creator responsible for Oscar’s introduction deepens appreciation for the episode’s character-driven approach. The give-and-take among cast, crew, and location breathes life into both the mystery and the show’s broader comedic voice—leaving listeners eager to solve the case right alongside the characters.

For more behind-the-scenes stories or to share your own theories, reach out to the podcast or tune in next week!