S5 E9: LESTR

Summary

Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

Episode: S5 E9: LESTR
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton
Date: October 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives behind the scenes of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 5, Episode 9 ("LESTR"). Host Michael Cyril Creighton (aka Howard) brings on an all-star lineup: Jermaine Fowler (Randall), Jackie Hoffman (Uma), Assistant Costume Designer Abby Gaghan, and Executive Producer Jess Rosenthal. The group unpacks major turning points in the story, shares hilarious and heartfelt on-set moments, discusses the intricacies of costume and set design, and teases juicy inside details about both the making of the show and the upcoming finale.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recapping Episode 9 & The "Robot"-Centric Revelations

• The episode opens with Michael and Jermaine riffing about an on-set blooper, setting a playful tone.
• Plot Recap (01:18–01:39):
  • The trio chases Randall about sabotaging the elevator.
  • Mabel and Williams discover a secret passage, learning Randall never left—the real twist comes from Robot Lester’s footage, revealing Human Lester’s confession and instructions to Randall.
  • The cast gathers for a climactic "Last Supper" in Oliver’s apartment; Howard realizes a clue lies in a wheelchair’s scuff mark.

2. Jackie Hoffman on Uma, Set Vibes, and Improvisation

• Jackie describes the set as "gorgeous" and "A-hole free," a remarkable feat for such a superstar cast.

  "It's actually a delightful place to work." (02:55–02:56, Jackie Hoffman)

• On working with icons and the show's surprising character arcs—Uma’s crankiness, her romance, and improvisational freedom.
  • Memorable improv:

    "I've seen his table. It's not that long, but it's thick. Classy." (04:48–05:04, Jackie Hoffman)

  • Highlights comedic rapport, especially with Nathan Lane, and pokes fun at Howard’s "peculiar relationship" with the robot.
  • On Uma’s romantic subplot:

    "I was very surprised at how the director handled it... it brought me back to my porn days. Buy me a sandwich sometimes." (06:23–06:35, Jackie Hoffman)

• On favorite Uma improvs:

  "You can die after you've made Steve Martin and Martin Short laugh." (08:29–08:30, Jackie Hoffman) “With a screw top. What’s the matter—you couldn’t find a box?” (08:30–08:42, Jackie Hoffman, referencing an early-morning improv)

3. "Pass The Dip" – Comedic Game Segment

• A hilarious rapid-fire game naming as many dips as possible, showcasing cast chemistry and playful banter. (09:00–10:01)

4. Costume Design With Abby Gaghan

• Insights into building characters through wardrobe—Howard's "pride costume" and the decision to finally put Howard in shorts.

  "You can't really see his legs because his mother's wheelchair is blocking them." (11:12–11:15, Michael Cyril Creighton)

• Stories behind the "toga" costumes for the Last Supper tableau; Abby shares fans’ appreciation for Easter eggs in wardrobe, like Howard's evolving sock choices, which reflect story themes each season (robots, cats, tech, etc.). (13:14–14:38)

  “This season started out with dog socks and cat socks and then swiftly moved to robot socks and technology socks...” (14:25–14:36, Michael Cyril Creighton)

• Subtle costume choices ("brooches" on Howard) evolve as technology themes ramp up this season.

5. Jermaine Fowler On Playing Randall and Building Suspense

• Discusses playing up the "is he the killer?" vibe, always layering anxiety, suspicion, and red herrings for fans and cast alike.

  "Anyone is a suspect. I definitely wanted to make it feel like he was one..." (18:19, Jermaine Fowler)

• Actor insights: Wearing gloves purposely, considering bandages—fuel for internet sleuths.
• On the dynamic between Randall and Lester the Robot:

  "There'll always be this anti robot kind of position that Randall will have, only because he's an artist... he loves people. But there is something so... about a robot that he's just always gonna be a bit kind of suspicious about." (21:32–22:00, Jermaine Fowler)

6. Filming the "Last Supper" Scene: Set Antics and Giggly Moments

• Cast describes an increasingly humid, crowded set leading to contagious on-set laughter.

  "I get a little delirious and little giggly." (22:35, Jermaine Fowler)
  "It was like being at church. You connect eyes with someone who's also trying to hold in their laughter, and then everything blows up." (23:51–23:52, Jermaine Fowler)

• Star improvisations:
  • Michael accidentally delivers an emotional line as "my mother spent her life in an electric chair,” causing the cast to lose composure. (23:21–23:41)
  • Jackie and Richard’s flirtatious table-side “would you like to put your pita in my dip?” line and eye-patch lifting escalation further break the group.
• Jermaine notes: “There’s probably not a clean take of me in that scene at all, actually, because I’m just having such a great time." (25:10)

7. Showrunner Insights With Jess Rosenthal

• Producing the Show – Origins & Logistics

  "A producer is someone who tries to find these TV show ideas, tries to set them up, make them all the way through post production ... On this one, I begged for a lunch with Steve Martin for three years." (29:26–29:49, Jess Rosenthal)

  • Fun fact: Steve Martin pitched the original idea for "Only Murders" at that fateful lunch.
• Budgeting Realities: Planned yacht scene for the big dinner devolved into an apartment due to costs ("The budget did that.").
• Creative Influence: Jess’s mom’s advice on jealousy as motivation ended up in a therapy scene this season (31:34–32:16).
• Block Party Scene / Set Design: The lobby "block party" was inspired by real NYC apartment customs, with the set team integrating subtle, story-rich props and details (33:34–34:43).

  "There was a kind of gallows humor to it all, too, that I think our show really does well at..." (34:43)

• Robot Antics:

  "The joke on set was, gee, I don't know if robots are coming for our jobs that quickly... The robot would, like, eh, yeah... to get the arm to go up, it took an hour maybe.” (35:10–36:03, Jess Rosenthal & Michael)

• Casino Set:

  “This casino was just a real wonderful achievement by our show. That is our production design, our set decoration... it really did sort of come from a real thing too. The cops in New York found an underground casino under a butcher shop, and that became the impetus.” (36:16–37:26, Jess Rosenthal)

• Favorite Show Memories:
  • The green room—Steve Martin’s "silly names app" bit with Martin Short (38:53–39:59)
  • Marty and Meryl’s impromptu “New York, New York” duet on an East River shoot (40:15–41:05)
  • Sting playing on set (41:05)
• Finale Tease:

  “We have quite a doozy... We’ll see what happened to this individual and how our trio’s gonna figure out what happened.” (41:18–41:39, Jess Rosenthal)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cozy Murder Vibes:

  "People describe Only Murders in the Building as a cozy show... cozy murders." (01:42, Michael Cyril Creighton)

• Jackie on Set Atmosphere:

  "We're A hole free. Considering the star power, everyone’s remarkably friendly." (02:40–02:47, Jackie Hoffman)

• Jackie on Improv:

  “All those years at Second City paid off.” (05:04, Jackie Hoffman)

• Uma’s Soft Side:

  “It’s nice to see her have a win. Uma's soft side.” (07:47–07:48, Michael Cyril Creighton & Jackie Hoffman)

• On Cast Laughter:

  “It was like being at church... you connect eyes with someone who's also trying to hold in their laughter, and then everything blows up.” (23:51–23:52, Jermaine Fowler)

• On the Block Party:

  “What if they had a block party? ... It was fun to imagine all of you kind of crowding around in these final moments.” (33:34, Jess Rosenthal)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | Description | |---------------------------------------|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | Episode Recap | 01:18 | Quick rundown of S5E9’s twists and setup | | Jackie Hoffman Interview | 01:42 | Set design & cast dynamics, Uma’s evolution | | Favorite Improvs & On-Set Antics | 04:24 | Notably the “pita in my dip” line | | Costume Insights w/ Abby Gaghan | 10:42 | The making of Howard’s wardrobe | | Easter Eggs & Costume Stories | 13:14 | Even Howard’s socks are loaded with meaning | | Jermaine Fowler (Randall) on Suspense | 16:09 | Layering performance for red herring effect | | Giggly “Last Supper” Behind the Scenes| 22:35 | Hilarious breakdowns and bloopers during group shoots | | Jess Rosenthal On Producing & Set Life| 29:11 | Origin story & creative contributions | | Block Party & Casino Set Discussion | 33:34 | Real NYC inspiration and set design challenges | | Finale Teaser & Favorite Moments | 41:18 | Hype for S5 finale and behind-the-scenes deep cuts |

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Games and Playful Moments

• "Pass the Dip" Game (09:00–10:01): Rapid-fire dip naming contest, ending with Michael’s inevitable win.
• "Dead Giveaway" Game (26:23–28:14): Jermaine races to identify episode details for a supposed prize of “400 pounds of hummus” from Demas’s Deli.
• Green Room Antics: Steve Martin uses an “app” to generate random names for Martin Short’s improv routines off-camera—pure gold for the cast.

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Finale and Looking Forward

• Hints abound about a blockbuster season finale—with emotional stakes, a mystery to solve, and rich character payoffs.
• The show’s secret sauce: a blend of meticulous set and costume design, improvisational freedom, and a cast/crew who genuinely revel in each other's company.

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Closing Quote

“Will the Arconia survive? Will any of us survive? Oh God. See you next week.” (41:58–42:00, Michael Cyril Creighton)

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This episode brims with the humor, warmth, and camaraderie that makes "Only Murders in the Building" a cult favorite—both on-screen and behind the scenes. Whether you're in it for laughs, layered mysteries, or production geekery, there’s something for every fan.

Transcript

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I get a little giggly.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Little giggly. You got me good. And at some point, your line was about your mom.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

My mom spent her life in a motorized wheelchair.

[Jermaine Fowler]

But you didn't say wheelchair.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

No, I didn't say motorized. You said electric chair. Electric chair. I said my mother spent her life in an electric chair.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Oh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Hello, and welcome to Hulu's Only Murders in the Building official podcast, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney on. I'm your host, Michael Cyril Creighton. I play your favorite trio's fourth wheel, an amateur mechanic, but a professional lover, Howard Morris. Today's show is all about episode nine. We got a lot of guests. We'll talk with actor Jermaine Fowler about Randall's sketchy behavior. Actress Jackie Hoffman about Uma's burgeoning romance. Assistant costume designer Abby Geegan about why Howard's wardrobe is the best. And no, we will not be taking questions on that statement. And we'll also be talking with executive producer Jess Rosenthal about the big of his mom's advice that made it into the show. But first, a quick recap of episode nine. So if you have not watched, stop, come back. I will be here waiting for you with open arms. We need to find Randall. When the trio tries to confront Randall about the elevator crank, he runs. Hey, catch him.

[Jackie Hoffman]

I can't.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I still have blisters from my Linda Lavin boots. I'm not wearing underwear. One day before move out, Mabel and Williams discover a hidden passage and proof that Randall never left. He's still in the building when they find him. Robot Lester's footage reveals the truth. Human Lester admitted to killing someone and told Randall to stay quiet.

[Jackie Hoffman]

I mean, we still have a few more hours. We can't give up now.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Everyone gathers in Oliver's apartment, and thanks to Howard, they realize the scuff mark on Charles floor is from an automated wheelchair. Nona stole the finger. Jackie Hoffman is back. As you know, she joined us for episode two of this podcast. Now she is back and crankier than ever. Jackie, welcome. Welcome again. So people describe only murders in the building as a cozy show. Do they? Yeah, they do. They say it's like a cozy show. It's about cozy murders. I find the set to be very cozy. Would you agree with.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Oh, God, yeah. The sets are gorgeous.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Jackie Hoffman]

I love how Hollywood perceives how New Yorkers live.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I know. Like, Charles's apartment is the size of my building.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Like the Vanderbilts.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, yeah. Do you find the vibe on set cozy?

[Jackie Hoffman]

It's a great vibe. We're A hole free. Considering the star power we have, everyone's remarkably friendly.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. Isn't that crazy? Like, that's the one thing.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yeah, no, it's totally crazy. It's like, actually a delightful. For me to say anything is delightful. It's really a delightful place to work.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It's very cool and it's the best of the best, the biggest stars you could possibly imagine.

[Jackie Hoffman]

I know. I remember sitting backstage with you and it was like, marty and Steve and Meryl Streep. And we're like, you know, I'm like, oh, my God, how am I doing? How am I doing? How am I doing? You're like, you're doing very well.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yes. I'm sort of the guest star whisperer. I'm like, they like you. You're doing great.

[Jackie Hoffman]

You're the Merrell whisperer. Ignore it. Ignore it.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Pretend you don't know who she is. So in this episode, it brings almost the entire cast down into the lobby. Pull up a box, boys. We're having a last night block party.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I'm actually on my way out. What?

[Jackie Hoffman]

On our last night?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Thank you.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Can we show up, John? Oh, my God. It was like being with the cast of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It was only Steve and Marty, but Nathan, Lane and Richard Kind. It was like insane.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It was really fun. And you, you worked with Nathan on Broadway, right?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yes, I did.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

In the Addams Family, yes.

[Jackie Hoffman]

He was Gomez. I was Grandma.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So you've known each other for a while. Had you worked with Steve before?

[Jackie Hoffman]

No, Marty. I was more familiar with Steve Martin. I auditioned when he played Inspector Clusoe, and I auditioned for that movie. I didn't get it, but it was one line. You had to teach him to say, I want a hamburger. I want a hamburger. And he'd say.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Hamburg.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yeah. Didn't get it. But he was in the room. And I remember being so thrilled, like he was in the room, I flipped out.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, it was great. That day was so fun, as you said, because of Richard and Nathan and Steve and Marty and Jermaine running through the lobby, who is so lovely. What I remember the most are all the improvs, you know, because you joke about UMA not having any lines, but if there is a way to get an UMA line in there, you're gonna do it. Do you remember any of the improvs from that day?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Jesus. Marty says, asks that for all of us to retire to his place. And he says he has a long table. And I said, I've seen his table. It's not that long, but it's thick. Classy.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Classy broad.

[Jackie Hoffman]

All those years at Second City paid off.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yep, that's what I always think. Jackie Hoffman, classy broad.

[Jackie Hoffman]

You.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You should be in the. Actually, I feel like you should be in the writers room because I feel like you understand Uma's voice better than anybody. Then there was the improv off between you and Nathan. Regarding my relationship with the robot. Yes. Can we talk about that for a little bit more?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Things we're not allowed to say.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, yeah. As the season goes on, it seems more and more likely that Howard is having a sort of romance with the.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Peculiar relationship with a robot.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Peculiar relationship with a robot. And in this sort of drunken scene, I saddle up to him in a silk robe. I didn't ask enough questions. Well, I can be curious. Baby. And Nathan, before they'd yell, cut. Always yelled, howard, are you fucking that robot?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Howard, are you fucking that thing?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And then you would add something. Every time I believe Howard is what.

[Jackie Hoffman]

You call a bottom. Giving these people a good show, they're laughing hysterically.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So were you surprised at this sort of touching little romantic beat between Vince Fish and Uma?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yeah, I was very surprised. And I was very surprised at how the director handled it.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. How would you say she handled it?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Well, she had like a laying on of the hands, and she's saying to Richard, you know, stroke her face. It brought me back to my porn days. Buy me a sandwich sometimes.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, yeah, happily. Have you known Richard Kind a long time?

[Jackie Hoffman]

I have. One of the first time I saw Richard Kind was when I was auditioning for Second City and they auditioned the women separately, and it was all women sitting in the lobby. And Richard Kyne comes out of the theater and says, okay, who's got the biggest tits?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Well, I love that you get this little romance with him. I think it's satisfying to see Uma in another light. You know what I.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Or a spinoff.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

A spinoff. Do you know this Fridays on Vincent, Uma, did you know this? We talked to him on an earlier episode of this podcast. But Bernardo. Bernardo the Beaver. Oh, yeah. Do you know that he wrote a spec script that involves Uma, Howard and Vince Fish off site solving a murder of their own?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Wow.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And it's really, really funny.

[Jackie Hoffman]

That would be a lot cheaper show to produce.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I thought that was funny. What I love about this show is that you think you know something about a character. You think, we know everything we can about Uma. She's cranky. She'll never be one because of what you bring to it and what we saw in previous seasons. But then to give her this romance is really unexpected and really sort of nice. And it's nice to see her have a win.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Uma's soft side.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, I like Uma soft side. But at the end of the Richard kind scene, you improv the line while we're all sitting at that table.

[Jackie Hoffman]

I have no recollection.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You'll remember it. I'll remember it forever. Cause it was so funny. And I feel like they yelled cut as you were saying it. You have that tender moment, and then you said, would you like to put your pita in my dip? Oh, it was good. It was really sweet. Do you have a favorite uma line over the years?

[Jackie Hoffman]

A lot of them are so good. But I had one that I actually improvised, which was remarkable because it was 6:30 in the fricking morning. And it's a favorite moment of mine because I made Steve and Marty laugh, which is, you know, you can die after you've made Steve Martin and Martin short laugh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It's the greatest thing.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yeah. They brought a bottle of wine and he wanted me to say, with a screw top. And so he says, I bought a bottle of wine and I said, with a screw top. What's the matter? You couldn't find a box?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I remember that day. That's the day where we all cheers. Salute. Well, I am having such a good time talking to you. I could talk to you forever. But I think it's time to play a game. Are you up for a game?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Yeah. What is this, like, Andy Cohen show or something?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, totally.

[Jess Rosenthal]

On this last holy night, we have.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Dips and a case to solve.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Okay, so this game is called Pass the dip. In this episode, we see everyone get together for a last supper, Arconia style. The party takes place at Oliver's apartment. So naturally there's dip. There's lots and lots of dip. For this game, we've got 30 seconds on the clock to name as many dips as we can back and forth, and whoever gets the last word wins. Are you ready? Mm.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Okay.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And duh.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Tzatziki.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Hummus.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Artichoke clam salsa.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Guacamole.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Onion.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Onion. Oh, onion. You just said onion. Spinach.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Baba ganu.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Queso.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Roasted red pepper.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Olive tapenade.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Mustard.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Mustard is not a dip.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Pecorino.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That's a cheese. That means I won, right? Because I said the last one.

[Jackie Hoffman]

You won. It's your show.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It's my show. I won. I was always going to win. Thank you so much for Being here, I think you're the best. I couldn't be happier sharing this show with you, and I can't wait to see you again.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Thank you for having me.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, hello. Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm doing really good. I'm just so busy, so after you. A lot of hard work goes into making all of us in the arconia and the rest of the only murders cast look and feel our best. We heard from costume designer Dana covarrubias in an earlier episode, and today we are talking to her. Number one, the assistant costume designer, the one in all of my fittings, the Howard whisperer, Abby Gaghan. Hi, Abby.

[Abby Gaghan]

Hi, Michael.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

How do you feel about the fact that I dressed myself today?

[Abby Gaghan]

I think you did an incredible job.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Thank you. How does it look? Do I need to pull anything down?

[Abby Gaghan]

No, you're perfect.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Okay, great. You're perfect. So let's talk clothes. Okay.

[Abby Gaghan]

It's my favorite.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Do you have any favorite costumes this season?

[Abby Gaghan]

I mean, I love most of what we put you in. I think in particular, I think your pride costume from. From the flashback episode was really one of my favorites because it was just very silly and, like. But still grounded in a little bit of reality.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I definitely would have worn.

[Abby Gaghan]

That the first time we ever put Howard in shorts, so.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I know. And unfortunately, you can't really see his legs because his mother's wheelchair is blocking them.

[Abby Gaghan]

But there are shorts.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

There are shorts. They were there. Howard has great calves.

[Abby Gaghan]

He does.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Abby Gaghan]

I mean, that one was great. I think I've had a lot of fun with all of the cachimiglio brothers.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, yeah. Talk about the cachimelo brothers, because there's, like, they're a unit, but they are all a little different.

[Jermaine Fowler]

They're a little different.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So. Yeah. How did you put that together? How did you decide to do that?

[Abby Gaghan]

It took a minute to, like. It was hard to make them really feel Staten island the very first time we saw them. John Hoffman had wanted to sort of mimic a tableau of the godfather. Everybody around the table in darker shades. Very intimidating.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Abby Gaghan]

And then it turns out that that's not who they are at all. They're not.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Right, Right.

[Abby Gaghan]

They're basically just a big group of golden retrievers.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. Do you have trouble turning off this brain? Because I know, like, when we're in between seasons, sometimes you and I will text and be like, howard, sweater. This is so Howard. Are you able to do it, or is it just.

[Abby Gaghan]

No, no, I can occasionally, but there is a lot of being out in New York and just seeing people and being like, well, that would be a great look for Uma. Or, like, that's a. You know, that's very much a Howard sweater. Or that would be great on Marty.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. Let's talk about the Last Supper scene. How did we land on those togas?

[Abby Gaghan]

We landed on those togas. I mean, it is scripted. There is this tableau of the Last Supper in Oliver's dining room. We had our shopper go to the fabric. To the garment district and all the fabric stores, and she swatched and shopped a bunch of fabrics that were the right colors for everybody in the da Vinci painting. We had all these really beautiful fabrics that we just had yardage of. And so our Taylor Edwin finished the edges of everything, and then we just had these big strips of fabric that we wrapped on everybody as they went to camera.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Some of us fought it. I was like, I have to wear this toga dry net. And you're like, you have to wear the toga. And you know what happened? We were like, if you go down to John and tell him you don't want to wear the toga, he's gonna say, that's okay. Don't wear the toga. And I went down in the toga, and I was like, well, I feel like we need the toga. And when John says, you need the toga, you wear the toga.

[Abby Gaghan]

Really not what I thought he was gonna say. I know, but it did work, though.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It did work. It became part of the scene, actually, which is, like, what the costumes do sometimes. Like, I wipe my nose with it. I sort of. It actually worked perfectly, and it looks really cool when we're all together. So I know there are Easter eggs in the show, but fans on Reddit are actually catching them too. They noticed that Charles in season four last season is wearing can can sweatpants. Are there other Easter eggs in this season from episodes one to nine that you can talk about?

[Abby Gaghan]

I mean, first of all, the fact that fans notice the can can sweatpants is. Makes my whole life.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You've made it.

[Jackie Hoffman]

It was.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I can hear it.

[Jermaine Fowler]

You're made it right now.

[Abby Gaghan]

That's one of the Easter eggs that we have on the show every year is your socks are.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, yeah. No one will ever see socks, and.

[Abby Gaghan]

No one ever sees them. There's like, one or two times that we've seen a glimpse of sock, but, like, your socks are such a. I.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Had all cap socks for the first season. This season started out with dog socks and cat socks and then swiftly moved to robot socks and technology socks, which.

[Abby Gaghan]

Are not as easy to find as.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Dog and cat socks, and then eventually circled back to dog socks. But what else you've been doing is like, you've been putting these little brooches on Howard, and this season they're sort of becoming a little bit more metallic and metal. Sort of like the technology is taking over.

[Abby Gaghan]

Yeah.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Thank you for being here. Of course. My pleasure. You are the best. And thanks for making us all look so great.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Of course.

[Abby Gaghan]

It's my pleasure.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

This is a really big Howard episode. I have to be honest, the whole season leading up to this, I was a little nervous about this relationship with the robot, but it really paid off. I finally get a scene with Steve Martin's character, Charles. Howard and Charles have never had a scene alone together. They have never been nice to each other. There's this really sweet, tender moment with Charles, and Howard breaks down in front of him explaining why he's so lonely. I'm sorry. I know how it feels to be lonely and why he puts so much into this robot that doesn't have feelings and doesn't really care about him. I have nobody again. Maybe I invested a little too much in a robot that doesn't care about me. It's easy to assume that everyone is just okay, but sometimes they just aren't. Charles takes the moment to be a good neighbor. Howard so quickly is part of the trio again. Actually the fourth wheel of the tricycle. And that was Michael Cyril Creighton on Howard Francis Morris. You're welcome. And we're lucky enough to have Jermaine Fowler back, who plays Randall, the new doorman at the Arconia. Welcome back. How you doing?

[Jermaine Fowler]

I'm good.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Last time you were here, we had a little bit of a fight because you said your favorite co star was Tenny. Oof. Still.

[Jermaine Fowler]

And it's just awkward. Cause, like, you're. Your rap gift to me was. It was a nice note, and it said you're my best friend on set to me. And it must have felt awful when I said it was Teddy.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Well, moving on. Yeah, moving on.

[Jermaine Fowler]

You are, though. I'm fucking with you.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I know.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I know you are. All right, okay. So listen, I don't know if you remember a day on set earlier this season. We were sitting around, you know, I don't like to know anything about who's who and who did what on the show.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Same.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And I turned to you. We were in the lobby set, on the lobby set, and I turned to you and I said, you Played upright bass at the wedding. And you were like. And I was like, he's the killer. I was convinced you were the killer.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Yeah.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Not only because you refer to yourself being at the wedding, but because you were always talking to John. And, like, the telltale sign for me is if someone's like, can I just ask you a question about my character for a second? When they're really goes off until they get serious in a corner, I'm like, well, they're involved in one way or another. At the end of the last episode, you're very suspicious.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Right.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

By the end of this episode, I would say you're pretty cleared. Right? You're pretty innocent. Yeah, very much so, yeah. How did you deal with that throughout the filming? Did you know where you ended up when you started working on the show?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Ooh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Did you know how involved you were?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Let me tell you something, Michael.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I.

[Jermaine Fowler]

When you asked me that question, I didn't know why you asked me that question. And then you gave me a little. Gave me that. And I was like, oh, he suspects me. Right? And I remember feeling like the Randall character. I wanted him to feel burdened. I wanted him to feel, like, busy in the mind. He's full of anxiety. He's trying to not only live up to expectations, he's also, you know, grieving heavily.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That's the fun.

[Jermaine Fowler]

That's the fun of a mystery. Especially mystery like. Like. Like, you know, only murders in the buildings. Like anyone's, you know, anyone is a suspect. So I definitely wanted to make it feel like he was. He was one of those. But also, sometimes the person you watch like a mystery, it's always the person you least expect. But then it's the person you've always suspected, you know, So I love those. And so I wanted to lean in that a lot.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Jermaine Fowler]

But I remember talking to Hoffman about just playing with the audience's expectations. There were moments when I wanted to wear the gloves all the time because it helps with, you know, lack of fingerprints and things like that. So I wanted, like, the sleuths to really see that and be like, yes, he wears the gloves. Cause he's a fucking murder.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You know?

[Jermaine Fowler]

And I wanted. I even spoke to Hoffman about maybe when he does take off the gloves, maybe there are bandages on his fingers because of the bass playing, or is it because he rips off his fingerprints on some, like, seven, you know, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman crap? You know what I mean? I was very into. I was watching that too. I was like, oh, would it be cool if I just had Missing fingerprints, but from work, from his hobby. Right.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Anyway, I love that you do this, because this is like. Even though I don't like to know anything, no one ever tells me anything. Every single season. I think I. The killer or being killed. I think the whole series is about Howard, and it's definitely not. I do love the fact that I know that the audience always. There's always a little bit of suspicion towards me. And I love sort of. It's like I'll do things that no one is clocking or telling me. Like the way you look at someone, the way. But your inner life as this character is when I watch it on screen. And I did talk about this with Steve Martin, and Martin Short, like, acting with you is great. You're a great actor. You're really funny. It's lovely on set, but when you watch it on camera, there is so much going on, and it's, like, effortless because you don't notice it.

[Jermaine Fowler]

So thank you, man.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

We like it.

[Jermaine Fowler]

I appreciate that very much, me and the guys. No, thank you. At least you like it. Yeah, no, I enjoyed. There was something. You were. It was helping me out a lot. The way you talk to people, the character, you treat people. Very subhuman. Yes. Which is exactly why this robot is so special.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. You know, he's. I mean, Howard I like. I think people say Howard is so lovable and so sweet, but Howard is, like, kind of awful to a lot of people. In some ways, very nice.

[Jermaine Fowler]

And it's easier for you to treat people awfully, you know, if you treat.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Them, you know, like.

[Jermaine Fowler]

So, to me, like, I thought of you as the killer at one point, and I wanted to treat you that way, even though there were times I just didn't like your character. No, see, the machine will just handle things like deliveries or reminders. Thanks to the union, my union, there will always be a human face at the door.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So I know that Randall hates Lester the robot. Right. Very much. But Lester the robot helped prove Randall's innocence. Do you think that you two could be friends now?

[Jermaine Fowler]

You know, I guess they. I mean, he did prove his innocence.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

He did.

[Jermaine Fowler]

But he also waited till the last moment. Yeah, he really waited.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

He really waited until it was, like, pretty dire.

[Jermaine Fowler]

I improvised the line. I don't know if they'll keep it. When I was like, oh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Now, now.

[Jermaine Fowler]

You know, there'll always be this, you know, anti robot kind of position that Randall will have, only because he's an artist, like, from the bass playing and just how he. How he sees people and, you know, it's just. He is a. He loves people. Yeah, he loves people. But there is something so about, you know, a robot that he's just always gonna be a bit kind of suspicious about.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Totally.

[Abby Gaghan]

Yeah.

[Jermaine Fowler]

I think everybody feels that way. He's not the only one.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

No, he's not. I was real close with the robot for a little bit, but now I'm over it, too. Forget it. Screw that robot. So in this episode, we have just a ton of very big group scenes, right?

[Jess Rosenthal]

Don't take me back.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Don't take me back.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So many group scenes, dude.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Oh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

What was it like filming the Last Supper scene? We go upstairs and we're in Oliver's apartment for the Last Supper. And there were so many of us at that table. What was it like filming that scene?

[Jermaine Fowler]

I remember it being very humid. Yeah, there were a lot of us. And that room was very, very small. The crew was in there and the actors were in there. It was a lot going on. I remember at some point, when it gets very, like, warm, I tend to lose my mind. I get a little delirious and little giggly. Little giggly.

[Jackie Hoffman]

You too.

[Jermaine Fowler]

You got me.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And I don't. I haven't on this show. I. I'm, like, always, like, say your lines. Don't distract. Do your job. We got pretty giggly.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Got giggly in that one, I think. Cause we were all in the same boat. It felt like we were just like, this is.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

We are.

[Jermaine Fowler]

We love this job, and what we're doing is fun. And at some point, you said this. Your line. Your line was about your mom.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

My mom. Beautiful, emotional line that spent her life in a motorized wheelchair.

[Jermaine Fowler]

But you didn't say wheelchair.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

No, I didn't say motorized. You said electric chair. I said, my mother spent her life in an electric chair. And then you started shaking my body.

[Jermaine Fowler]

My mind was fumbling. My body was like, we gotta laugh.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And so. And then I sounded like a baby seal, where it's like you hit an octave.

[Jermaine Fowler]

It got me so good. At one point, Alexis, she was. She was dying on the side. So it made me laugh even more. So, like, you know when you were, like, trying to hold in laughter. You're probably kidding. And you're doing well.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It's like being at church. Like.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Yes. But you connect eyes with someone who's also trying to hold in their laughter, and then everything blows up. That happened there. Yeah, it was one of the funniest. I just couldn't hold it in. It was so funny. But again, like, filming those group scenes with just comedians, by the way. It doesn't matter if it's emotional. It doesn't matter if it's. If it's a funny scene. Doesn't matter if it's like a dry scene where, you know, it's just there to, you know, the purpose of it is just to move to the next scene, whatever it is. We're all just. Our instinct is to just find that what is silly about what this whole thing is, and we'll attach to that and just start dying, laughing. And that's what happened. It was like. It wasn't a funny scene, but hearing whatever the flub was, it just really got me.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And then we got Jackie and Richard, like, oh, my gosh. High fucking each other at the end of the table, literally.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Cause he has a conjunctive eye to side. So it was that. That got me good, too. Cause they're hitting on each other. It's very flirtatious. And I don't know if they kept this in the. In the episode, but Jamie, our director, told him to lift his patch, which really made me convulse. I was like, ugh. It was so. But it was so great. I couldn't stop snickering. There's probably not a clean take of me in that scene at all, actually, because I'm just having such a great time.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, it was a good, giggly day.

[Jermaine Fowler]

That was a great day. But there are other days when you're filming the group scenes and you get those in chunks because there's so many people. And you're there with Nathan, you're there with Rich, you're there with Jackie there, you and Steve and Marty and Selena, and it's just. It's maddening. And Keegan and you're like, what the fuck is my life?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. Did you know Keegan before from comedy or. Nah.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Keegan was already in LA and I was in New York. But we were all watching Keegan, though. Keegan is. I learned a lot about Keegan. I had no idea he was theatrically trained, classic, classically trained actor. When we connected on that, on many levels, he schooled me on a couple things I had no idea about learning. Watching a comedian who also has, like, these very, very, like, just profound, like, dramatic layers is just. I love watching that. Like, it's like watching, like, Leslie Nielsen work. He's like. He's got such a great. He can go here, but he also is very, like. So he.

[Jackie Hoffman]

He.

[Jermaine Fowler]

It was a dream working with him, man.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah, he's a great addition to the cast.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Very Very great addition.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Do you want to play one last game with me before we say ado?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Yes. Please.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Please. Okay. This game is called Dead giveaway. There are 10 things in this episode that you may or may not have spotted. I'm going to describe them to you, and you're going to try to get the name. You have 60 seconds. There's a time. Yeah, there's gonna be time. That's how the game works. And today we're gonna play for a special Prize, which is 400 pounds of hummus from Demas's Deli. And you know who plays Teddy Demas? Your favorite? Nathan Lane. My very favorite. Okay, you ready to play this game?

[Jermaine Fowler]

I want that hummus.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I want that hummus. Here we go. This is what we wore at the Last Supper.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Oh, Toga's.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

This is where you were pretending to be Randall. Yeah, Randall is pretending to be there. This is what you turn no. When you're trying to get in.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Doorknob.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. This is what people make in prison to drink wine. Yeah. But a specific kind of wine. Toilet wine. Yep. This is where people go when they're older and can't care for themselves. Florida. No, no, no. It's a facility.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Oh, old folks home.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Like nursery home.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yep. This is what my mother was in. In the show. Howard's mother was in a. Oh, electric chair.

[Jermaine Fowler]

A wheelchair.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Electric wheelchair. This is what Mabel was doing. Oh, this is hard. And she was doing this in an apartment last season.

[Jermaine Fowler]

That's his fault, though.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That is my fault.

[Jermaine Fowler]

That's all his fucking fault.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That is my fault. Well, you got 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6. I got 6. You got 6 out of 10. So you did technically win. I did.

[Jermaine Fowler]

I did win. I got where my hummus is.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That was squatting.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Where's my hummus?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Where's his hummus? All right, well, Jermaine, I'm sad that we're coming to the end of the season because I'm not gonna see anymore, but thank you for being here.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Thanks for having me, dude.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Thanks for bringing so much to the show and so much heart, soul, and, like, just absolute brilliance to the role of Randall. Wow, man. And thank you. Thank you for keeping Howard in your heart.

[Jermaine Fowler]

No ways, man.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Keeping Howard is your best friend.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Thanks for the hummus.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, you're welcome.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Appreciate that.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I'll see you soon. Okay. Does it come with bread? No bread. No bread. It's just hummus. No, you would have gotten bread if you said that Howard was your favorite character, but no bread.

[Jermaine Fowler]

That was on cue. But you're like bread away.

[Jackie Hoffman]

Isn't this fun? I'm homeless, but at least Camilla White has a casino. Cheers.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Among the many, many people who pour their hearts into Only Murders in the Building is our executive producer, Jess Rosenthal, who I'm very excited for the fans to meet, maybe for the first time. Hello, Jess.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Hello, Michael.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

How are you doing?

[Jess Rosenthal]

I'm great. Thank you for having me.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I'm so glad you're here. Now, listen, I know you've been with the show from the beginning. I know you. I would consider you a friend. But for fans of the show who don't know what an executive producer does, can you explain who you are and what you do? Yes.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I'm often asked about what a producer does because it is a strange subject. And I'm always telling my mom too, the same answer. A producer is someone who tries to find these TV shows ideas, tries to set them up, make them all the way through post production. I often say I'm a professional beggar, though, because often my job is just begging people to do projects that we want to do. On this one, it was a. I begged for a lunch with Steve Martin for three years, and then at last his agent said, all right, if you and my producing partner, Dan Fogelman, if you guys go up to Santa Barbara on this day, Steve will have lunch with you. And we did. And sort of halfway through lunch, Steve says, well, do you want an idea? And it was only murders in the building, and here we are.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So you did this, Steve did this. Steve did this. But you facilitated.

[Jess Rosenthal]

And I was present at lunch and had the brilliance to say, yes, we're doing it.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Sure, we'll do it. Tenacious. You're tenacious.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I love my job because it's all kinds of things. And day by day, hour by hour, it really can be anything.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Wasn't there supposed to be a yacht this season? Wasn't there?

[Jess Rosenthal]

There was.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

There was a whole scene on the yacht.

[Jess Rosenthal]

There was.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And the dinner. Right, the dinner where they divide and conquer with the three billionaires.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And that was going to take place in a big yacht.

[Jess Rosenthal]

It sounded great.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

And now it's at Charles's apartment.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You did that. The budget did that. Yes, yes.

[Jess Rosenthal]

And I. Yeah.

[Jackie Hoffman]

And then. Yeah.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Sometimes I get to try my hand at being creative too. And so at certain points I'll suggest things and John or our wonderful writers will say, you know, that's not a bad idea. That'll get in there too.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

The stuff that you've suggested has stuff made it into the show.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Yes. Let's see. I was actually quite delighted this season because in one episode, when Marty and Steve are in therapy.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Well, what if we paid you? Oliver could definitely use some therapy. Me?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Charles only dates his mother.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Fun. Disturbing.

[Jess Rosenthal]

The writers used a little piece of advice that my mom uses. Cause my mom has through my life, when I've been stuck or can't figure out what to do in life, she says, look at all of your friends. Who are you jealous of? And she's a big believer of jealousy as, like, a positive motivating force, really. Not this terrible emotion that sometimes we're led to believe. So I was saying that to the writers one day, and so that sort of became part of that therapy session. And so I was happy that my mom got to sort of be in the show a little bit.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Oh, that's really nice.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Let's focus on you two.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Charles, there was mention of trouble around your romantic choices. Would you say that's true of your current relationship?

[Jermaine Fowler]

Oh, no, we're not.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I'm married to a lady, a crazy lady. I think of you sort of as a cheerleader for the show because I know no matter what I do, if I leave set and I want to know how a scene went, if I come to you, you're going to say it was fantastic.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Have I ever grunted and said, no?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

You said, no, you haven't? No. You're always like, great. You're so upset and positive, and I do believe it's genuine. But I also think if I was bad, you'd still say I was good. But that happened in this. I remember specifically this episode 509 that we're talking about. I had that scene with Steve where Howard, like, we see what this robot thing has led up to. This really beautiful moment that I was very surprised to read when I got.

[Jess Rosenthal]

The script and you said that I didn't realize that it was the first between you and Steve alone, which was really sweet. I hadn't realized that in this episode.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

There'S sort of a block party of sorts in the lobby, which was really fun and took a long time to film. Yes, it did. What would you describe what the vibe was like on set during that time? There were so many of us there.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I just loved that block party. And I sort of remember months earlier where the writers were talking about this episode. And my parents live in New York. And so as someone who's never lived in New York, I love when I hear these little tidbits about how New York buildings sort of recreate things in everyday America that Are non New York. And so I love all these stories about how a New York City building handles Halloween and how kids are given a map and sort of go from apartment to apartment. I think it might have been my suggestion that, like, oh, what if they had a block party? Is that something a building would ever do? And it was fun to imagine all of you kind of crowding around in these final moments. I just love, too, the set decoration and all those little pieces that were in everyone's apartments sort of being seen for the first time.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah. In the lobby. Like the rack of clothes that Uma was lurking by and all of that stuff. Yes. The peloton. I still have enough time to catch my 30th ride with Cody.

[Jess Rosenthal]

There was a kind of gallows humor to it all, too, that I think our show really does well at, given our mystery and our murder, et cetera.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

How do you feel about robots? Do you think they could be coming for your job or how do you feel?

[Jess Rosenthal]

Well, the joke on set, because our robot, as wonderful a robot, an actor as it was, would have issues and it rarely hit its mark.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

It definitely hit a wall.

[Jess Rosenthal]

It hit a wall or two. True. And so the joke on set was, gee, I don't know if robots are coming for our jobs that quickly. The other joke about I felt like the robot this year you were mentioning. Every year we've had a new incredible animal on set, usually that plays with you. This year we had a robot and it was amazing that we thought, oh, maybe this will be easier because we don't have to have a handler. We don't have to have someone feed this thing. And it took the exact amount of effort and team.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I would say more, perhaps more, because there's like, I don't know, his listening. But Ryan robot was his name. That the hardest job this season because it would be like, Ryan, make his arms go up. And Ryan would be like. The robot would be like, eh, yeah. Like to get the arm to go up. It took an hour maybe. Yeah. Not really.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I think we're all okay. The robot revolution.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Okay, so we obviously haven't seen the final episode yet. What is the thing you are most proud of that you accomplished this season?

[Jess Rosenthal]

Well, my mind goes to. I just felt like this casino was just a real wonderful achievement by our show. That is our production design, our set decoration. I love the lore that went into this thing. I love anything that sort of gives our show the feeling of texture and history. And it really did sort of come from a real thing, too. There was apparently the cops in New York found an underground casino underneath a butcher shop, and that sort of became the impetus for our own buildings. Casino. I love that the writers were really clever in how they suggested it was once a horse stable in the Arconia, which, of course, has real history and truth to it. And there was just something about a gathering place for our building that I just really loved about it. And it just was, as I'm saying, as a set, it just was. And a collection for this collection of actors. It was a real highlight for me.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I think it was the biggest set set we've had on the stages.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Pretty extraordinary.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

The theater was big, but it was a real theater. This was. It was huge. And when you walked in it, you like. I think most of the sets on our stage, which is we spent so much time playing Backgavin in Charles's apartment, I really would feel like we were in an apartment. Once you walked into that casino, it felt like you were in somewhere. The stage sort of melted away. It was pretty awesome. Is there a dream list for future collaborations?

[Jess Rosenthal]

Well, our show is set in New York, and so I've always thought, okay, who lives in New York? Who are, like, the titans of New York? I've been a Howard Stern fan since I'm a little kid, really. And ever in season one, I was like, how can we get Howard Stern in our show? And I've attempted at times.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So one day, perhaps, it makes perfect sense that he's interviewing the trio. Right? Or some way.

[Jess Rosenthal]

I was suggesting that he was once gonna play Steve and Marty's therapist. I thought that would be a good.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Role for Dear Hell. That would be good. Well, if we learned anything in this interview, you're tenacious. You can make it happen. She's gonna take three years. She's gotta keep asking. Five seasons of this show. What are your top three moments that you've had? It could be on set. It could be related to the show in some way. Just your top three experiences related to this show from the beginning to now.

[Jess Rosenthal]

That's a toughie. My mind goes to our green room, our salon beyond set. And I am very proud of our episodes. And yet I wish the audience could see what goes on off camera. In which chairs are set up. Steve, Marty kind of hold court for all of us. My favorite bit that they do. I just can't get enough of it. Steve has that app on his iPad that generates silly names. And so do you know what I'm talking about?

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I've never seen this one.

[Jess Rosenthal]

And so he'll start to do his bit with Marty. And Marty quickly picks up that, okay, this is happening. And he'll say, marty, what's the name of that first agent of yours? And he'll click the little button and out comes Herbie Frankenthal. And Marty. Oh, yes, Herbie Frankenthal. And then. And who is he married to? And click again. And it's. It just kills me every single time anyhow. Just the behind the scenes of these actors together. I just couldn't get enough of.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I can't get enough of watching Selena teach Steve how to use Instagram. Amazing. Every day.

[Jess Rosenthal]

He had a great line on that, which was, you know, Selena is a fabulous it person. She charges a fortune, but other than that, she's great.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

So that's number one, the green room.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Number one is the green room. Number two. I mean, we have had some pretty fabulous New York sets. Yeah. I go to. I'm sorry to say you weren't there this evening, but we had Marty and Meryl on a boat in the middle of the night on that date that they had, and it was just fabulous. It was supposed to be a horrible evening of weather.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Yeah.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Lo and behold, the production gods gave us the most fabulous night. At one point, Marty and Meryl sang New York, New York, as we kind of went down the East River. It didn't get much better than that. That was a memorable one. I go back to Sting, him playing on set. I mean, come on.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

We're lucky. Yes. So without giving anything away, what are you excited for fans to take away from the finale? And where do you think our show is headed?

[Jess Rosenthal]

I think we have quite a doozy at the end of this year. A scene that you are in, sir, and I think we're heading towards quite a season of television in which we see what happened to this individual and how our trio's gonna figure out what happened.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

How is that for a teaser, huh? Well, Jess, this was so fun to spend time with you. I mean, we spent a lot of time together, but it's nice to sit in big chairs with you in a.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Fake building in a fake living room.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

That's wonderful. Thank you for being here. Thank you for making our show. And I can't wait to see you again.

[Jermaine Fowler]

Great.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Thank you, Michael.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Bye.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Pleasure.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Well, that's it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. And if you haven't already, just subscribe and follow us wherever you're listening or watching from. Leave us a little review or a rating. Get in those comments. Talk about who you think the killer is for God's sake. And join us next week for the season finale. I can't tell you who we're about talking because no spoilers, but I do know it's gonna be a great show. Will the Arconia survive? Will any of us survive? Oh God. See you next week. Watch and listen to the Only Murders in the Building official podcast available on Hulu and wherever you get your podcasts. And don't miss Only Murders in the Building now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Do you think Uma's ever gonna end up dead?

[Jackie Hoffman]

Is Uma gonna end up dead or will she outlive? Hopefully in the last season? Yeah, that would be funny. Everybody's dead and Uma's standing on the roof.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

I've outlived them all. Amazing. A 20 year old soldier goes missing.

[Jess Rosenthal]

From a US army base.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

How can she go missing on a military base? That's too ridiculous. What would come to light is horror.

[Jess Rosenthal]

Horrifying and ignites a movement that sparks a reckoning in the US Military.

[Michael Cyril Creighton]

Listen to Vanished what Happened to Vanessa? A new series from ABC Audio in 2020. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.