Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

Season 3, Episode 2: "The Beat Goes On" (August 9, 2023)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, hosts Maggie Bowles and Ryan Tillotson dive behind the scenes of Only Murders in the Building Season 3, Episode 2, joined by showrunner, co-creator, producer, and this episode's director, John Hoffman. With a witty, curious tone, they explore creative decisions, character development (especially Ben Glenroy), and the considerable expansion of the series' musical element. The cast and crew reveal insider details, the challenges of production, and reflect on the season’s themes—particularly “late blooming.” The episode is rich with anecdotes about the writing process, naming characters, on-set dynamics, and preparing to make "Death Rattle" into a stage musical.

Detailed Episode Breakdown

1. Episode 2 Recap & Spoiler Warning

(Timestamp: 01:16–03:00)

• The hosts warn of spoilers before summarizing key plot events:
  • Ben Glenroy's (Paul Rudd) apparent death and funeral.
  • Mabel's (Selena Gomez) reflection on her own life and connection to Ben through the movie "Girl Cop."
  • Mabel and Charles are kidnapped by a Ben superfan, Greg, but rescued by police.
  • Oliver (Martin Short) tries to keep his play running amid critical reviews and suffers a heart incident.
  • The podcast-the-podcast is revived as the central trio suspect Ben's killer is amongst the cast.
  • Oliver’s dream leads him to resolve that their murder mystery play, "Death Rattle," should be reimagined as a musical:

    "Death Rattle Dazzle. Oliver Putnam way. I'm gonna make it sing. God damn it. That's right folks, it's a musical. Get ready for Death Rattle Dazzle." (Oliver Putnam, 03:00)

2. A Day in the Life: John Hoffman On Directing OMIB

(Timestamp: 03:23–07:29)

• John Hoffman describes the grueling and rewarding reality of being showrunner and director:
  • His day starts pre-dawn with coffee and exercise, prepping endlessly in advance.
  • On set by 7am, greeted by what he calls a “familiar and familial” environment—baudy jokes from Martin Short included.
  • The process is organic: clear planning with actors, but always space for their input.
  • Directing requires patience: only 2–4 scenes filmed per day due to complexity (“every new room, door, or movement is a new setup”).
  • Days last from 5am to 7pm, with evening hours spent in remote editing with the West Coast team:

    "I'm pathetic. When I come home, it's very sad... I don't have much of a [life]. I'm doing this, it's all this. It's just—the most overwhelming job. Plays for free. Happily so. But it's kind of unbelievable." (John Hoffman, 06:53)

3. On Character: Deepening Ben Glenroy

(Timestamp: 07:34–11:26, 24:38–25:21)

• Discussion highlights the show's efforts to humanize Ben Glenroy and his influence on other characters:

  • Ben as a “touchstone” for Mabel through "Girl Cop" post her father’s death; as a flawed, aspirational actor; and as a victim of Charles's past action.
  • It's crucial that viewers feel an “emotional hook” to Ben beyond him being a victim.
  • John Hoffman, on Ben’s triple impact:

    “We did that in three different ways... You get more personal with Ben: 1) when he's rehearsing with Oliver and struggling, 2) when he means something to Mabel in 'Girl Cop' after her dad died, and 3) as Charles reveals he got young Ben fired, providing all three our trio personal stakes in the murder... We keep doing that regarding Ben and hopefully surprising with what his own personal history is and some of the other characters in the season.” (John Hoffman, 10:22 & 24:56)

• The theme of “late blooming” ties into Ben’s arc as well as Loretta’s and Mabel’s journeys:

  “A late bloomer is someone who comes to their own flourishing with more experience than they would have had it come early... I love that notion.” (John Hoffman, 08:21)

4. Character Naming and the "Ben Glenroy" Process

(Timestamp: 11:36–15:37)

• Choosing names for characters is described as a “torturous” but essential task due to legal clearance issues.
• Names must not inadvertently reference a real person in New York City, or they’re rejected.
• “Ben Glenroy” was selected after several rejections; it "pinged" as unusual but memorable, and just odd enough for Paul Rudd’s character.

  “We went through so many challenges, and we were proposed the name Ben Glenroy as one that would clear... In that case, it was Ben Glenroy was proposed as one that would clear. So I was like, well, that's ridiculous. Ben Glenroy. But in a way, I kind of thought that ridiculous thing was also kind of funny. And I enjoy it very much for Paul Rudd.” (John Hoffman, 15:13)

5. Making Death Rattle... a Musical!

(Timestamp: 16:04–19:53)

• The team discusses the season’s boldest creative swing: transforming the show-within-the-show, “Death Rattle,” from a conventional whodunit into a full-fledged Broadway musical ("Death Rattle Dazzle").
• The stakes for Oliver skyrocket as he faces his own mortality (via a heart episode), only to double down on his creative ambitions.
• Direct homage is paid to Bob Fosse and the musical "All That Jazz," feeding into Oliver’s cabaret-inspired dream sequence. The song within the dream ironically urges relaxation, but Oliver draws the opposite conclusion.

  “We went to a very classic place that I think any Broadway director might consider, which is Bob Fosse... The song is constantly telling Oliver he's got to take it easy, let it go... Selena [Gomez] is brilliant in it, and she's just wry... So it's all countering everything that would be typically razzle dazzle... What Oliver comes out of it, not the meaning of that song at all. He's saying, oh, my God, that's the answer. It's got to be a musical.” (John Hoffman, 18:46)

6. Expanding the Cast and Universes: Logistical & Creative Challenges

(Timestamp: 20:11–21:52)

• With each season, the ensemble expands (Arconia residents, the “Arconiacs,” now a full theater cast and crew).
• Creating “Death Rattle” involved inventing a complete (fictional) play and its musical version, structurally interwoven with the main story.

  “So that play did not. Does not exist. And we had to write an entire, basically a play in our minds, plus the musical version of that play and how that would play out and how that would all thematically play into...the stories we were telling for the season.” (John Hoffman, 21:10)

7. Thematic Reflections & Industry Meta-commentary

(Timestamp: 21:52–24:30)

• Hoffman uses the play/musical as a metaphor for resilience in creative industries:
  • The season is about “the toll on creative people and what it takes to survive the challenges and the hopes of success and...not success and rebounding at a time in your life...”
  • The difficulty of balancing artistic ambitions with corporate realities.

  “I would only say that as far as this play and this musical, there wasn't anything... It was crazy on paper what we were going to try to do, while also giving Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd characters and work that they were going to be intrigued by...” (John Hoffman, 23:56)

8. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the stress and love of showrunning:

  “It's the most overwhelming job. Plays for free. Happily so. But it's kind of unbelievable.” (John Hoffman, 06:56)

• On “late blooming”:

  “The people who figure their [stuff] out right away are boring. The late bloomers, people like us, we make the world go round. You can afford to take your time, Mabel. What you can't afford to do is waste it.” (Imaginary Ben Glenroy, 07:34; Mabel voice)

• On musical inspiration:

  “I'm listening to my heart and reimagining Death Row in the most Oliver Putnam way. I'm gonna make it sing. God damn it.” (Oliver Putnam, 19:53)

• On the process of naming Ben Glenroy:

  “So in other words, every name in our show, you have to get cleared by a whole organization that does clearances... If there is one other person residing in New York with that name, that name will not clear.” (John Hoffman, 12:41)

9. Noteworthy Insights & Segment Timestamps

• John Hoffman’s daily process: 03:32–07:29
• Emphasis on late blooming/character dimensions: 07:34–11:26, 24:38–25:21
• Naming Ben Glenroy: 11:36–15:37
• Making “Death Rattle” a musical/All That Jazz homage: 16:04–19:53
• The growing “universe” of characters and theater meta: 20:11–21:52

10. Fan Interaction & Final Clue

(Timestamp: 24:30–25:23)

• The hosts replay John’s teaser about Ben Glenroy’s mysterious personal history as a potential clue for the ongoing murder mystery:

  “We keep doing that regarding Ben and hopefully surprising with what his own personal history is and some of the other characters in the season.” (John Hoffman, 24:56)

Summary Table

| Segment | Timestamp | Key Topic | |-----------------------------------------|------------|-----------| | Episode Recap & Spoiler Warning | 01:16-03:00 | Plot summary, musical twist revealed | | John Hoffman’s Day/Directing Approach | 03:32–07:29 | Showrunning, on-set climate | | Character Deep Dive: Ben Glenroy | 07:34–11:26 | Humanizing Ben, late blooming theme | | Naming Characters: Ben Glenroy | 11:36–15:37 | Naming process and clearances | | Making "Death Rattle" a Musical | 16:04–19:53 | Creative decision, "All That Jazz" | | Expanding the Universe | 20:11–21:52 | Play + musical creation, new cast | | Industry/Meta Commentary | 21:52–24:30 | Creative tolls, ambition, show meta | | John’s Mystery Clue | 24:38–25:21 | Ben’s hidden dimensions teased |

For Further Engagement

• Listeners are invited to submit theories and clues to the hosts via Reddit or email—voice memos strongly encouraged!

Tone & Style:
The podcast maintains a playful, engaging tone, blending behind-the-scenes candor with the enthusiastic sleuthing that mirrors the show’s fandom.

Essential Quote Sums:

• “It was crazy on paper what we were going to try to do while also giving Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd characters and work that they were going to be intrigued by.” – John Hoffman (00:03, 23:56)
• “The people who figure their [stuff] out right away are boring. The late bloomers, people like us, we make the world go round.” – Imaginary Ben Glenroy/Mabel (07:34)
• “We keep doing that regarding Ben and hopefully surprising with what his own personal history is and some of the other characters in the season.” – John Hoffman (24:56)

For listeners who haven't tuned in:
This episode unpacks the technical, emotional, and creative complexities in making “Only Murders in the Building” such a singular blend of comedy, drama, and, now, musical spectacle. John Hoffman’s stories offer both practical production insights and reflections on the show’s core themes—making it essential listening for fans eager for clues, character arcs, and a peek backstage at the Arconia.