Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S3 E9: Thirty (Part 2)

Originally released: September 29, 2023
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard), Maggie Bowles, Ryan Tillotson
Guests: John Hoffman (Co-creator & Showrunner), Dana Covarrubias (Costume Designer)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the penultimate episode of Season 3, “Thirty (Part 2),” exploring the episode’s blend of mystery and comedy, behind-the-scenes challenges, fan theories, and the complex process of bringing key moments and visuals to life. Hosts Maggie and Ryan chat with showrunner John Hoffman and costume designer Dana Covarrubias about standout scenes (including Mabel’s wedding dress), storytelling techniques, and the intricate balance between humor, pathos, and suspense that defines Only Murders in the Building.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Iconic Visual Motifs: Morning Turkey, Ladders, and Wedding Dresses

• Callbacks & Gimmicks:

  • The “morning turkey” joke from Season 1 makes a thematic return as “the ladder” and “wedding dress” in S3E9.
    • John Hoffman: "How do you say no to someone who's made you a turkey?" (01:27)
    • Maggie highlights how Mabel equates the ladder to the morning turkey: “No one stops a bride, and no one questions a man with a ladder.” (01:57)
    • John Hoffman jokes about Charles’ new method: “I can cry on you. An older man that's crying just upsets people.” (02:12)
  • They discuss how these motifs allow characters to bypass suspicion or obstacles in playful, unexpected ways.

• The Wedding Dress Scene:

  • The team discusses the challenge and excitement of filming Selena Gomez (Mabel) in a wedding dress, joined by Steve Martin and Martin Short in tuxes, on the busy streets of NYC.
    • John Hoffman: “There are always hundreds upon hundreds, sometimes thousands of people on that block… particularly Selena.” (03:25)
    • Costume designer Dana Covarrubias explains the logistical hurdles: they needed a 1950s-style dress, multiples of it, ready in four days.
      • “It is not custom. It is from David’s Bridal. I am not kidding you. But we customized it.” (05:32)
      • Adjustments included vintage-inspired lining, added gloves, veil, and jewelry to achieve the 1950s look. (06:17)
    • The emotional payoff:
      • John Hoffman: “The greatest day was when I got the photo from Dana of Selena in her fitting... She said, I feel pretty. I actually really feel pretty right now. That made my day.” (03:25)

The Art of Deceit: Story Structure and Imagination

• Interrogation Tapes and Layered POVs:
  • The hosts question how the show juggles whose perspective the audience is watching—the suspect's, the trio’s, or an objective reality.
    • John Hoffman: “The show does that normally with its storytelling, between reality and imagination, and sometimes the two blend a bit.” (08:49)
    • He likens the episode’s structure to rolling a dice, re-examining each clue and theory, and the writers’ efforts to balance assumption and earned data.
      • “It just felt visually like a really fun thing to have them present in those scenes.” (11:08)
    • Praise for the editing:
      • “Shireen [Davis] did a beautiful job... She had it in her head how she wanted to do it... It was great to see that all come together in the editing room.” (11:23)

Humanizing Ben Glenroy

• Character Depth for Victims:

  • The group discusses how Ben had to be both unlikable and sympathetic to make his murder plausible yet moving.
    • John Hoffman: “He needed to be a bit of a dick and a doofus... just to create many suspects who might have wanted to kill him.” (12:07)
    • Key Touch: Ben’s vulnerability is shown when he spends a night hand-stitching hankies for his co-stars.
      • “One of my favorite shots in the whole season is panning up from that needle cushion that he's got around his wrist as he's busy working away at the sewing machine and running lines.” (13:15)
  • The eating of the cookie—a pivotal, tragic, and humorous moment:
    • Maggie: “That scene where he eats the cookie is so heart-wrenching. And also funny. And also devastating.” (15:40)
    • John Hoffman: “It was way deeper… any of us who've had struggles with our self-worth, our feelings of what we need to do to feel good about ourselves, and then the punishing blows when we fall—that is what's going on.” (16:13)
    • The scene left the cast and crew applauding Paul Rudd’s performance.

• The Cookie and Care for Details:

  • The poisoned cookie becomes the crux of the case, linked to Ben’s vulnerabilities and ultimately, the reveal of Donna as the suspect.
    • “Happy birthday. They tried to keep us apart... but you found your way back to me, Oliver.” (14:34, lyrics read during cookie scene)
    • The discussion connects dots for the audience and underscores how clues were seeded throughout the season.

Fan Theories, Emails, and Reddit Spotlight

• Fan Emails:

  • A range of listener emails dissect blood at Ben’s mouth, the significance of props (hankies, posters), lipstick clues, beta blockers, and the “producers” insurance scam theory (see key quotes in next section).
  • Speculation runs wild about the true killer: suspicions on Howard, Donna (with the lung cancer theory), Tobert, Maxine, and the possibility of a staged death.
    • Ryan: “When someone confesses, I immediately think that they didn’t do it.” (33:13)

• Reddit’s Favorite Theories:

  • Moderators note that most fans see Loretta and Dickie as red herrings post-episode 9.
  • Theories range from Saz being the culprit (“Are we sure it wasn’t for Charles?” 29:04), Maxine plotting producer-style insurance fraud, to the persistent case against Howard.
    • Discussion particularly highlights the usage of mystery tropes: “It is like a classic murder mystery thing, right? To get the person that you saw only very briefly... be like, it was him all along.” (29:50)

• Meta-Observations:

  • The hosts marvel at the show’s ability to inspire constant suspicion and shifting allegiances, especially as confessions seem to add, not dispel, ambiguity.
  • Ryan on Donna’s confession: “Are we still just as far away from solving this murder as we were last week?” (33:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How do you say no to someone who's made you a turkey?”
  John Hoffman, 01:27

• On the wedding dress fitting:
  John Hoffman: “She said, ‘I feel pretty. I actually really feel pretty right now.’ So I was like, oh, that made my day.” (03:25)

• “It is not custom. It is from David’s Bridal. I am not kidding you. But we customized it.”
  Dana Covarrubias, 05:32

• On blending reality and imagination:
  John Hoffman: “There is always a bit of presumption, assumption within that, but from a basis of having earned that. So. And that it just felt visually like a really fun thing to have them present in those scenes.” (11:08)

• On Ben’s vulnerabilities:
  Maggie: “That scene where he eats the cookie is so heart-wrenching. And also funny. And also devastating.” (15:40)
  John Hoffman: “Any of us who’ve had... struggles with our self-worth... that is what's going on.” (16:13)

• On twists and confessions:
  Ryan: “When someone confesses, I immediately think that they didn’t do it.” (33:13)

Important Timestamps

• Morning Turkey & Visual Gimmicks: 01:01–03:11
• Wedding Dress Behind-the-Scenes: 03:25–07:02 & 05:00–06:43
• Blending Fact and Fiction / Interrogation Structure: 08:49–11:45
• Humanizing Ben & The Cookie Scene: 12:07–17:12
• Listener Emails and Theories: 18:07–27:33
• Reddit Roundup & Final Theoretical Twist: 27:33–34:16

Tone & Takeaways

The episode maintains the sharp, playful, and analytical style that mirrors the show itself—balancing genuine warmth for its fan community, deep respect for the creative process, and a delight in details, twists, and “aha!” moments. The creative team’s openness about production hurdles (like last-minute wedding dresses) and their relish in audience engagement (fan theories, visual gags, callbacks) makes for a rich, engaging listen. The future remains uncertain—even with a confession, everyone’s still guessing. As always, expect another twist ahead.

For Next Week

• Listeners are encouraged to send final theories immediately after the finale.
• Speculation about a new murder in the finale is high.
• This is Part 2 of the episode 9 coverage—with the season finale podcast promised as the next stop in “Accusation Station.”

End of Summary