Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S3 E7: CoBro (Part 1)

Released: September 13, 2023

Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard) with Maggie Bowles & Ryan Tillotson

Guests: Director Shereen Davis, Showrunner/Co-Creator John Hoffman

Episode Overview

This episode dives behind the scenes of Season 3, Episode 7 of Only Murders in the Building, titled "CoBro." Hosts Maggie Bowles and Ryan Tillotson chat with episode director Shereen Davis and showrunner John Hoffman. Together, they explore the episode’s narrative pivots, the guest appearance of Matthew Broderick playing himself, the show’s evolving trio dynamic, nuanced production choices, and delightful on-set stories. The episode provides insights into story development, humorous meta-casting, and how visual and narrative clues are constructed for the audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Episode 7 Recap & Major Plot Beats

• Uma’s Klepto Past & The Hanky
  • The episode opens with a voiceover from Uma, featuring a flashback to Bunny and revealing Uma’s habit of stealing, including taking Ben’s hanky the night he died.
  • [01:14] Maggie: "We learn that Uma is kind of a klepto and she stole the hanky out of Ben's dead hands on the night that he died."
• Charles and Uma’s Connection
  • Charles and Uma share a tender moment in a diner, showcasing their friendship and the theme of loneliness.
• The Silent Auction & Theo’s Return
  • Mabel gets help from Theo at the silent auction to gather clues about Ben Glenroy’s murder.
  • Dickie, Ben’s brother, throws the auction, selling off Ben’s memorabilia.
• Matthew Broderick Joins the Show – As Himself
  • Oliver desperately tries to recast his musical, leading to Broderick’s “method” entrance, much to Oliver’s dismay.
• Mabel’s New Partners & The New Trio
  • Mabel, with help from Tobert and Theo, releases her own podcast episode, causing the police to reopen the Glenroy case and officially splitting from Charles and Oliver.
  • "She decides to release [the podcast] on her own." [21:24 ]
• Clues Unraveled
  • Mabel discovers Ben’s clocks always ran 20 minutes fast, proving super-fan Greg’s innocence.
  • The CoBro idea originated from Dickie, not Ben.
  • The now-famous “hanky” shifts hands, as Uma sells it to Dickie.

2. Behind the Scenes: Directing with Shereen Davis

• Onboarding Process & Script Preparation
  • [04:18] Shereen: "John Hoffman... pitches the stories to me early and kind of thinks of me for particular episodes. So I've gotten very lucky in that way."
  • Receives all scripts up to her episodes for context, allowing her to “be the first audience member,” reading scripts up to three times before visualizing.
• Table Reads and Actor Chemistry
  • For this season, meeting actors (e.g., Matthew Broderick) mainly occurs at the table read or even on the shoot day, especially due to packed filming schedules.
  • [07:12] Shereen: "So it was rapid fire," describing shooting all of Broderick’s scenes within one or two days.
• On Working with Legends
  • [08:05] Shereen: "When you meet those people that you've admired your whole life and they're so lovely and humble and amazing, then, like, life is... really nice when that happens."
• Matthew Broderick’s Portrayal of 'Matthew Broderick'
  • Broderick’s self-spoof is “a little exaggerated,” but hilarious—a playful and good-humored approach.
• Notable Detail with the Script
  • Broderick’s character's script is meticulously covered with colored Post-its and notes—a fun detail in the show crafted by the art department.
  • [09:49] Shereen: "The funniest thing is when he opens up his script and it's literally like there is not a space of white on the script."

3. Musical Numbers, Meta Humor, and Cameos

• Learning the "Patter Song"
  • [11:24] Shereen: "I think you're in for a major treat," on the upcoming full version of the Patter Song.
• Mel Brooks' Cameo
  • Mel Brooks records his cameo via FaceTime, edited into the show with some VFX magic.
  • [11:49] Shereen: "He just jumped in and knew exactly what to do... The whole thing was recorded in 15 minutes."
• Meta Layers and Broadway Connections
  • The show leans into meta-casting: Broderick and Mel Brooks’s roles reference The Producers and other Broadway touchstones.
  • [31:13] John: "It's very, very meta, meta, meta, meta, meta. Like an origami version of it."
  • Broderick is friends with the composers of the show’s songs, leading to effortless musical scenes.

4. Evolving Trio: Mabel, Theo, and Tobert

• Directorial Approach to the New Trio
  • Shereen enjoys directing a new trio—Mabel flanked by two younger men, introducing a playful love triangle dynamic.
  • [21:34] Shereen: "It was actually really fun... visuals in the episode that looked a lot like the trio that we've seen in seasons one and two. But this time, Mabel is flanked by two much younger guys."
• Theo’s Communication Style and Chemistry
  • Theo isn’t always signing pure ASL to Mabel; actor James Caverly incorporated charades to make their exchanges believable, reflecting Mabel’s real-life unfamiliarity with ASL.
  • [22:56] Shereen: "He's not fully signing with her. He's playing a little game of charades... a mix between sign language and charades."
  • The dynamic hints at chemistry and tension, something both Shereen and the hosts “are rooting for.”

5. Crafting Clues and Directorial Subtlety

• Balancing Clues and Red Herrings
  • Shereen relies on gut instinct and intuition to decide how obviously (or subtly) to highlight clues for the audience.
  • [16:33] Shereen: "Every episode has its clues, but also has its red herrings... I just try to find a way to err on the side of, if not when it's, like, humorous, then how can it be subtle."
• Visual Storytelling
  • Decisions about how clues are visually revealed versus delivered in dialogue are central to her process.

6. On-Set Atmosphere and Improv

• Bloopers and Breaking Character
  • The set is full of laughter; while actors sometimes break character, Shereen lets scenes run to capture improv gold, much of which is edited out due to episode time constraints.
  • [19:53] Shereen: "I never call cut right away because I'm always like, they're gonna say something funny. I gotta keep going."
• Favorite Shooting Days
  • The day with Broderick’s multiple dance numbers stands out as the funniest, most joyful day of the season.

7. Showrunner John Hoffman’s Insights

• Comparing Trios
  • The new trio isn’t a “one for one” match with the original, but parallels exist: "I think Theo would be more Oliver and maybe Tobert more Charles, but it's hard to know." — John [26:00]
• Mabel’s Independence
  • Mabel’s branching out as "Bloody Mabel" marks a pivotal, bittersweet narrative turn, leaving Charles and Oliver behind.
  • [28:03] John: "There's a new podcast coming out without Charles and Oliver involved."
• Broderick Playing Himself
  • [28:52] “His first question was, well, how awful am I? ... I think you're exhausting. That's one way. And he said, oh, I think I can do that.” — John, on pitching the role to Broderick.
• Deep Cut Callbacks
  • Hoffman delights in meta-references for long-time fans, such as the recurring Hedda Gabler/Paula Abdul joke from season one.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Meeting Their Idols:
  • Shereen: “When you meet those people that you've admired your whole life and they're so lovely and humble and amazing, then life is... really nice when that happens.” [08:05]
• On the Constable Role Prep:
  • Broderick (mock-serious): "When I did War Games, I taught myself to write code. ... If the constable has a lisp, I have a lisp. If he carries a gun, I carry a gun. Can you get me a gun?" [07:14, as recounted by the hosts]
• On Comedy On-Set:
  • Shereen: "We are laughing all the time. All the time. And it's so... much fun." [18:13]
• On Directorial Challenge:
  • Shereen: "How subtle can I be here? Or does this need to be really loud? How do you kind of navigate that as well?" [17:42]
• On Building Visual Clues:
  • Shereen: "Is there a way to, like, visually reveal this information rather than have a character say it?" [16:33]
• On Meta-ness:
  • John: “It's very, very meta, meta, meta, meta, meta. Like an origami version of it.” [31:13]

Highlighted Timestamps

• [01:14] Uma’s klepto flashback and the hanky reveal
• [04:18] Shereen Davis on being pitched specific episodes
• [07:12] Shooting all Broderick’s scenes in 1-2 days
• [08:05] Shereen on meeting admired actors
• [09:49] The details of Broderick’s Post-it-laden script
• [11:24] Anticipation of the full Patter Song
• [11:49] Mel Brooks cameo production details
• [16:33] Shereen on balancing clues and reveals
• [19:53] Broderick’s dance scenes and on-set laughter
• [21:34] Directing the new “young trio” dynamic
• [22:56] Theo uses charades in place of full ASL
• [28:52] John Hoffman pitches “awful” Broderick cameo

Memorable, Playful On-Set Stories

• Broderick's exhaustive preparations spoofed and celebrated.
• Mel Brooks' spontaneous, delightful FaceTime cameo.
• The chemistry between actors leading to frequent improv and bloopers.
• Showrunner glee at embedding deep-cut references for super-fans.

Conclusion

This episode of the official podcast is a treasure trove for fans and creators alike, peeling back the curtain on how Only Murders in the Building balances comedy, meta-casting, intricate plotting, and heartfelt character moments. With insights from both the director and showrunner, listeners get an insider’s appreciation for the craft and camaraderie that make the show a standout.

For the next episode:
Look forward to a chat with the director of photography about Ben Glenroy’s dramatic exit, secrets from set, and more murder board theories!