Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S4 E7: Valley of the Dolls (Part 2)

Date: October 11, 2024
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard), with Ryan Tillotson and Maggie Bowles
Guests: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (Directors), John Hoffman (Showrunner/Co-Creator), Patrick Howe (Production Designer), Molly Shannon, and community/Redditor insights

Episode Overview

This episode continues the behind-the-scenes exploration of Season 4, Episode 7: "Valley of the Dolls". Hosts Ryan and Maggie welcome a star-studded roster to dissect the pivotal "doll house" episode, share on-set stories, and celebrate fan theories. Discussions rage from the creative inception of the episode's iconic doll collection to Meryl Streep's unforgettable reaction, Molly Shannon's comedic craft, and Melissa McCarthy's transformative performance as Doreen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Doll House: Conception and Execution

• Homage and Inspiration

  • The episode title takes direct inspiration from the film "Valley of the Dolls," both for its camp and emotional undertones.
    • "When I was young, I was like, oh, this is good. And then I was like, oh, this is amazingly campy."
      — Shari Springer Berman [01:39]
  • The show inserts layers of meaning by connecting the dolls to Doreen’s loneliness, using the collection as a physical metaphor for her missing daughters.
    • "It's a story always about loneliness…what you're missing. ...That's the thing I can point to for Doreen—her house is filled with dolls, sort of filling in the blank of the love that's lost."
      — John Hoffman [07:00-08:40]

• Design & Logistics

  • Over 200 dolls populate the set—some life-sized, custom-built and others from expert collectors.
    • "All of those life size dolls are all custom built for us at, you know, a very modest expense. ...It was really more than I wanted. ...I kind of wanted to pull back a little... John was like, 'Don't touch a thing.'”
      — Diana Burton [05:20-05:47]
  • Crew had fun (and occasional scares) with creepy, human-sized dolls lining hallways and corners.
    • "There was a hallway...You would just, you know, and you were like—who the hell is sitting there? And it’s just one of these damn dolls."
      — Diana Burton [05:56-06:26]
  • The outstanding Meryl Streep doll was intentionally crafted—and freaked Meryl out in person.
    • "When they showed up with that doll in braids that looked just like Meryl Streep, I nearly fell over. ...She screamed. She literally screamed. And then we all took about 4,000 pictures of her with it."
      — John Hoffman [09:51-10:56]

2. The Magic of Melissa McCarthy as Doreen

• Character Genesis

  • Doreen was written as a character battling loneliness, and Melissa McCarthy’s real-life love of dolls added a serendipitous layer.
    • "When I was telling Melissa about that part...she said, 'You know, I do have dolls myself.'"
      — John Hoffman [11:37]

• Performance and Improvisation

  • Melissa McCarthy delivered her Doreen with improvisational brilliance, including improvising the now fan-favorite cocktail, the "Sweaty Betty."

    • "Melissa McCarthy came up with the Sweaty Betty and went deep on, you know, can we get some Crystal Light? ...Naming it the Sweaty Betty was a biggie brought on by her."
      — John Hoffman [13:30-14:11]
    • Notable quote:

      "This is mostly entirely vodka and Crystal Light. ...Named it after my dear friend, also named Betty, who also happens to sweat like a pig."
      — Meryl Streep as Doreen [14:35]

  • Directors raved about her dynamic range:

    • "She is a brilliant dramatist. There’s a very serious, heart-rending scene between her and Steve Martin, and she's amazing in it."
      — Shari Springer Berman [15:06]

3. The Craft of Cutting Comedy

• Edit Challenges
  • The improv overflow from Melissa McCarthy and others made editing a "kill your darlings" situation.
    • "This one was particularly challenging...you have to kill things that are funny, you know, and to keep it going. …So much, I mean, it was a well of material."
      — Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini [17:48-18:02]

4. Loretta & Oliver’s (Meryl Streep & Martin Short) Tender Engagement

• Directors discuss the genuine chemistry and how French over-the-shoulder shots emphasized romance.
  • "I mean, they have so much chemistry...there is a natural sweetness between them...there's gonna be magic with them."
    — Robert Pulcini [18:28-19:00]
  • "I'm proposing to you, Oliver. I want to marry you."
    — Meryl Streep as Loretta [19:53-20:02]

5. Molly Shannon as Bev Melon: Playing Drunk and Playful

• Embodying Bev

  • Molly Shannon reflects on how she and her character are both “on top of things,” and her natural comedic instincts drive the scenes.
    • "She was so on top of just, like, giving the right links for the recording..."
      — Hosts discussing Molly Shannon [21:31]
  • Shannon and John Hoffman recall their decades-long friendship and heart-to-hearts about Hollywood careers.
    • "The luckiest guy in the world just got luckier because you became available."
      — John Hoffman quoting advice to Molly Shannon [23:43]

• Mindset and Method

  • Playing drunk:
    • "When you play drunk, you're always trying to act more straight...You're trying not to act drunk. ...People become very, like, they're just focused on that one person's face and everything else is a blur."
      — Molly Shannon [28:43]
  • Organic moments with co-stars, especially improvising reactions with Meryl Streep and affection with Selena Gomez.
    • "Selena will let me do anything...She's so easygoing and goes with the flow and she's so great. And of course, Meryl's like that too."
      — Molly Shannon [32:54-33:20]

• On Career Longevity

  • "It's a hustle for everyone…stay in the game, stay at it. ...A lot of people give up on those dreams...That was always my positive philosophy."
    — Molly Shannon [36:04-37:49]

6. Connections, Easter Eggs & Fan Theories

• Braided Hair Easter Egg

  • Listeners spotted that the trio’s braided hair was the main Easter egg—acknowledged after a deluge of correction emails.
    • "Thank you all for correcting me. ...We now know what the actual Easter egg was. It was the braids."
      — Maggie Bowles [39:40-39:49]

• Theory Round-Up

  • Listeners speculate about suspects including Vince Fish (a 'red herring'), Uma (collector motives), and even posit that Detective Williams could be responsible for the overarching crimes.
    • Left-handed traits and police skills make her a compelling suspect for the most rabid Reddit sleuths.
      — [45:02-49:01]
  • Fans also speculate about secret “Taylor Swift” dolls, discrepancies in alibis, and every little production detail.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the horror of the dolls:

  "There was a pile...I screamed. It was terrifying."
  — Shari Springer Berman [02:27]

• On the Meryl Streep doll:

  "She screamed. She literally screamed. And then we all took about 4,000 pictures of her with it."
  — John Hoffman [10:56]

• On Melissa McCarthy's improvisation:

  "Melissa McCarthy came up with the Sweaty Betty and went deep on, you know, can we get some Crystal Light?"
  — John Hoffman [14:11]

  "This is mostly entirely vodka and Crystal Light. ...Named it after my dear friend, also named Betty, who also happens to sweat like a pig."
  — Meryl Streep as Doreen [14:35]

• On cutting great material:

  "You have to kill things that are funny, you know, and to keep it going. ...It's hard because so much...it was a well of material."
  — Shari Springer Berman [17:48-18:14]

• On Loretta and Oliver's engagement:

  "I'm proposing to you, Oliver. I want to marry you."
  — Meryl Streep as Loretta [19:53-20:02]

• On acting 'drunk':

  "When you play drunk, you're always trying to act more straight...People become very, like, they're just focused on that one person's face and everything else is a blur."
  — Molly Shannon [28:43]

• On acting philosophy:

  "I would say I try to approach everything [acting] like that. Loose. I don't overly plan it all. ...I would like to be in the moment."
  — Molly Shannon [30:48-30:52]

• On career longevity:

  "Just stay in the game. Stay at it. ...Enjoy where you are and being creative...That alone is, like, really good."
  — Molly Shannon [36:04-37:49]

Reddit & Listener Theories (Fan Segment Highlights)

• Suspects:
  • Vince Fish as a red herring, Uma (mysterious collector), Detective Williams (left-handed, NYPD resources), Howard (always present at key moments).
• Easter Eggs:
  • "Braids" spotted on the trio through a window.
• Details:
  • Taylor Swift doll speculation, window inconsistencies, and connections to past plot points.
• Notable Reddit Quote:

  "Not your fucking friend. Really sounds like something [Detective Williams] would say. And finally, she's a lefty."
  — EastLibrary536 [45:02+]

Behind-the-Scenes Delights

• Crew pranks and improvisational gems abounded, with Martin Short "doing all kinds of crazy things with the dolls."
  — Robert Pulcini [50:06]

• Molly Shannon fangirls about working with Meryl Streep:

  "It was a real bucket list to get to perform with Meryl Streep and get to know her. ...I went back to my hotel room that night and did a little dance."
  — Molly Shannon [38:29]

Final Thoughts

This behind-the-scenes episode is packed with laughter, craft secrets, and genuine affection among cast and crew. From the origin of the episode’s many, many dolls to the magic of improvisation, the Only Murders team celebrates the heart and humor at the series’ core. Listeners are left with new clues, teases for the finale, and a rich tapestry of fan theories to mull over until next week.

For more:

• Email your theories: onlymurdersrawhutmedia.com
• Reddit segment: Hosted by Hannah, fan theories always welcome!
• Next up: More behind-the-scenes after the next episode drops.