Only Murders in the Building season 3 Finale Ending: Explained

The popular comedy mystery series Only Murders in the Building, created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, has captivated audiences with its three seasons, with the fourth season already in the works. The series follows three crime podcast enthusiasts, Charles Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), who bond over their shared passion for true crime and embark on a journey to solve the mysterious murders in their apartment building, documenting their adventures through their podcast. In the Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Finale, the trio faces their most challenging case yet, with twists and turns that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

In this article, we will go through the ending of Only Murders in the Building season 3 finale, examining the motivations of each character’s actions.

Who Killed Ben?

The series has various twists and turns, and then, a red herring reveals were done, that Donna DeMea, a producer of Oliver’s musical, was the murderer, and killed Ben Glenroy. It was also revealed that Cliff, son the Donna DeMea, was the one who pushed him down the elevator. Let’s see about this death scene.

At the beginning of Season 3, Ben dies, well, technically didn’t die, as we can see him popping back. He returns, joins the party, and gives a magnificent speech about why this ‘near to death’ scene made him a better person.

In the season finale ‘Opening Night’, Donna confesses that she poisoned a cookie and put it in Ben’s dressing room, which he eventually eats in a state of emotional vulnerability.

However, she says that her intention was not to kill him. To understand this, let us not ignore the fact that she isn’t the only producer for her son’s play. After reading the poor review of the play, she decided that Ben was the main problem. To save her son’s career, she took the possibility of killing Ben.

However, he doesn’t get a chance to get redemption after his comeback, as we can see his body getting crashed into the elevator. A flashback scene shows, where Clifford pushes him down the elevator, with ‘For the Sake of a Child’ from mystery musical Death Rattle Dazzle playing in the background.

This action from him is to save his career and his mom. Also, we saw that Cliff admits that he never wanted Ben to be in the show. So, when Ben realizes that Donna poisoned the biscuits, Cliff takes the chance and attempts to kill Ben.

‘The Handkerchief’ – Main Evidence in Finding the Murderer

We have seen that Mabel and Charles imagined that the white hankie, which they thought was grabbed by Ben in his last moments, would be the key to finding the murderer, which eventually turned out to be true. The hankies were given by Ben to the cast and were taken into consideration by the main trio, however, they didn’t take into those given to producers.

In the ‘CoBro’ episode, Uma Heller (Jackie Hoffman) revealed that she had stolen the bloody memento and sold it to someone, who she thought was a CoBro fan. However, it was Dickie (Jeremy Shamos), brother of Ben, who bought it from her. He thought he was protecting Loretto (Meryl Streep). But, in the ‘Opening Night’, Loretto revealed that Dickie shared the hankie with her, and gave it to the main trio. There they spotted Donna’s lipstick, however, the true owner was revealed later on.

Before the show, Donna kissed Cliff on the face and said “One for the lips”, took his hankie, kissed it, and continued “And one on your heart”. This is how Mabel realized that it was Cliff, not his mother Donna, who was the actual murderer of Ben Glenroy.

Interestingly, the entire season revolved around tales where mother and child were being protective of each other. We have seen the case of Dickie and his secret mother, Loretta.

Loretta falsely confessed in ‘Sitzprobe’ to save Dickie and Dickie hid the evidence to save Loretta. With Donna and Cliff, Donna tried to kill Ben to save her son’s future and Cliff took the chance to kill Ben to protect his mother from getting caught for poisoning the biscuits.

Why Tobert is Not Guilty?

Well, we have seen that Tobert, with his criminal interests, has given us a lot of indications, that can lead us to believe that he is not guilty. However, all these clues are intended to make us mislead and create more suspense, or in cinematic terms, a red herring.

All his actions to get into the details of the case and his crush on Mabel are purely sincere (maybe?). Even though he was a great suspect, his handwriting, which was seen as a clue, was a false assumption.

Conclusion

The ending of The Only Murders in the Building is quite interesting, as it took us through various awestruck movements. The fine writing of the series showed how small details, such as a lipstick mark on a hankie, can lead to finding the murderer.

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 is as good as the previous two seasons. With comedy in the right amounts and mystery filling the air leaving the audience glued up to their seats, made the Season a huge success. With the tremendous performance from the cast and Sidharth Khosla’s lovely music, the show is worth watching.

Where to Watch Only Murders in the Building?

You can watch the show on both Hulu and Disney+. Hulu offers a free trial, so you can watch the first season for free before you commit to a subscription. Disney+ also offers a free trial, but it is only available to new subscribers.

Here are the links to the show on Hulu and Disney+:

• Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/only-murders-in-the-building-ef31c7e1-cd0f-4e07-848d-1cbfedb50ddf
• Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/only-murders-in-the-building/2EfP45PYWY5s

FAQs – Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Finale Ending

Q1: How many seasons are there in ‘Only Murders in the Building’?

There are currently 3 seasons, released in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Each season consists of 10 episodes, with a duration of 35 – 40 minutes. Currently, a new season is in progress and the release date is yet to be announced.

Q2: Who are the main cast in Only Murders in the Building web series?

The consists of a trio, who solve the mysterious murders happening in their apartment. The characters were portrayed by Steve Martin (as Charles Savage), Martin Short (as Oliver Putnam), and Selena Gomez (as Mabel Mora)

Q3: Is ‘Only Murders in the Building’ a hit show?

The show received positive feedback for writing, comedy, and mystery from the critics. Also, it was largely accepted by the audience and became a huge hit. The show received various accolades, including various nominations for the Glode Globe Awards, Hollywood Critics Association Awards, Prime Time Emmy Awards, etc.

Q4: Does Meryl Streep act in ‘Only Murders in the Building’?

Yes, the legendary actress Meryl Streep was introduced as a new character in Season 3 of ‘Only Murders in the Building’. She played the role of Loretta Durkin, an unsuccessful theatre artist.