Only Murders In the Building Season 3 Episode 9 Review: Thirty
Denis Kimathi
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So, it wasn't Dickie or Loretta?
While it was fun piecing together the clues about who Ben's killer might be, one can never be sure about the person they think is the killer, and that's the beauty of the show.
The killer usually turns out to be the person one would least expect, and no one expected that to be Donna.
Only Murders In the Building Season 3 Episode 9 saw the trio reunite and recreate the last thirty minutes before Ben passed out on stage, and after hitting several dead ends, they finally emerged with the lead suspect.
Even if Mabel, Oliver, and Charles had not been working together for most of the season, they did not lose their regular beat, and when they dove into Ben's case together, it was like they always were together.
C-Can we just take a beat to appreciate how magical this is? The three of us, reunited at last, investigating as one?
Oliver
The cold open saw Mabel's subconscious toy with her as her dream made a mockery of the life she had wished for as a kid.
To be fair, it was a nice life that satisfied all the societal needs, something that would make her fit in well with everyone else.
But there's something about life where it acts like water. Water will flow towards a basin and always take the canal's path. It can't pre-plan where to go because that's out of its control.
The best someone can do is find the good in the direction life has taken and build from there. That way, they have a little bit of control.
The episode was titled "Thirty" as a nod to Mabel hitting the big three zero.
On Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 2, we found Mabel struggling with accepting where her life was because she never thought she would be approaching thirty, without a home and two older men for friends.
But her dream showed her she was where she was supposed to be. She was happy, creating, and safe. The dream about marrying and raising two kids while driving a Honda Civic was nice, but it was never destiny.
Running to the courthouse wearing a wedding gown when she was not getting married with her two best friends in tow made her realize they were everything.
Being Season 3's penultimate episode, it was typical of an Only Murders in the Building episode where everything is laid out in the open as the trio zeros in on the actual killer.
The road to finding Donna was a rough one full of ups and downs, making it all the more interesting.
I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that the killer was not anyone I had thought it but the revelation was poetic.
It was surprising how much we didn't see Donna's anxiety over the direction of the production and what was at stake if it failed.
While Mabel, Oliver, and Charles were sticking together pieces of the timeline thirty minutes before Ben's death, Howard was losing his sight trying to piece together the shredded paper.
The endeavor to recreate the thirty minutes before Ben passed out saw the trio eliminate every incriminating evidence against Loretta that had accrued.
With Dickie being eliminated as a suspect, it gave automatically cleared Loretta.
Throughout the season, we had seen snippets of Ben as he waltzed through the halls in short flashbacks, but this episode was a proper dive into the character.
Ben was finally shown as a well-rounded person and not just the annoying pig everyone had come to expect him to be.
Paul Rudd came through gracefully, delivering a standout performance, especially in Ben's dressing room. He balanced Ben's erratic nature with the other side of a lonely person struggling to beat his weakness for a cookie.
I can't imagine how much focus it took to deliver such a performance, especially with three other people in the scene doing pretty much nothing but staring at you. That must have taken several takes.
As you may have gathered, the episode's highlight was the unveiling of the killer.
Looking back at the events in earlier episodes, it didn't seem like Donna came out of nowhere.
Thus far, we had been enamored with the story of a mother who had missed seeing their child grow, and now that she had an opportunity, she was willing to do anything to protect said child.
Loretta and Dickie's tale kept us occupied that we missed another story of the same nature unfolding before our eyes.
Death Razzle was Cliff's first production, and Donna had tagged along to ensure nothing wrong happened to kill her son's career before it had started.
Sure, they had a weird emotional attachment to each other where kissing on the lips was involved, but looking past that, it was clear that Donna loved her son.
The bathroom scene on Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 8 was not meant for Loretta, even if she did benefit from the takeaway.
It was poetic to see the lengths parents would go to protect their children regardless of age.
"Thirty" was a perfect episode of Only Murder in the Building. There was significant development in the mystery, and the laughs were plenty, which makes it hard to choose the top three funniest moments, but here we go:
At number three is Oliver's roast about Charles' ideas.
Charles: Williams questioned everyone who crossed paths with Ben that night, and we can use those interrogations to make a timeline of that 30 minutes!
Oliver: Ah! I knew you were due for a good idea since your last one six months ago.
I'm a sucker for a good roast from Oliver Putnam to Charles. The best thing about it is what it has always been. Oliver roasts Charles with confidence, and before Charles realizes it, Oliver has moved on.
Number two is Ben in the dressing room, involved in serious self-deprecation.
Loretta was right. You're a fucking pig. You're a fucking pig! You're a fucking pig. You... are... a fucking... pig! Pig! [panting] Pig! [oinking] You're a fucking pig! [oinking] [squealing] [snorts] Fucking pig!
Ben
Something about a grown man making pig noises made it funny. It was like all the little snorts Oliver makes edited together.
At number one is Mabel's dream.
Doctor: Congratulations. It's a podcast.
Charles: Wah! [sucking]
Oliver: Mama!
Charles: Wah! Wah!
Oliver: Mabel... Mabel. Mabel! Mabel!
Charles: Wah!
There was a lot about that sequence that made it hilarious, but Charles and Oliver making baby noises was the highlight.
Intrusive Thoughts
- Did Donna push Ben from the elevator? We might get two killers this season, and Donna is the first half. Who is the second, do you think?
- A murder revelation inside a courtroom? There's something appropriate about revealing a killer right in the halls of justice.
- Why did Donna poison Ben, though? Wouldn't it have been easier to fire him?
- I always thought the delivery of "It just didn't sing!" was very iconic, and the episode showed how special it was.
No, I just need to read two words. Two words I'll never forget. "Didn't sing." This is Maxine's review of my original show, but it was never published.
Oliver
- Should we anticipate Charles and Joy's wedding?
Over to you, Arconiacs. What did you think of the reveal?
Click the big blue Show Comments button below and share your theory.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
