Season 2 episode 5 of Only Murders in the Building is mainly based on Oliver, his past and some startling realisations. The episode is now streaming on Hulu.
Recap
Oliver’s son Will recalls how his father, in his youth, excelled at a game called ‘Son of Sam’, which involved figuring out the killer in a murder mystery.
He was always able to decipher the truth as he could identify everyone’s ‘tell’, a gesture they displayed while lying. However, Will reveals there is a way to keep a secret from him; to not know what you’re hiding.
In the present day, Charles talks to Jan about who the killer could be and she points him towards who it could be.
Since the killer ‘composed’ the murder scene, they must be an artist, and likely someone trying to get close to them lately.
Alice, Mabel’s girlfriend, asks if her party can be hosted at her apartment, to which she agrees. Mabel finds a matchbook from The Pickle Diner with blood on it as she traverses through the secret passageways they found.
When she tells Charles and Oliver about Alice, they begin to suspect her as she is the only person trying to get close lately.
They attend the part as well. Out of the blue, Oliver decides to play a game of Son of Sam, and one after another the participants are eliminated.
With Mabel, Alice and Oliver left at the end, he starts accusing her of more than just the game as she has a tell; playing with her hair while lying. Hurt by the exposition, she leaves and her card turns out not to be Son of Sam.
She accepts that her identity as a rich girl who went to Oxford has been a lie since that was fabricated to help her sell her art. Mabel confronts her and she accepts her mistake and the two make up.
Oliver finds money being returned to Bunny and traces it back to The Pickle Diner. Ivan, the waiter, reveals that Bunny always gave him generous tips.
Ivan directs him towards the video footage of the day Bunny fought with a mysterious individual at the diner. The person took a matchbook while leaving, the one that they found with blood.
Charles reconnects with Jan and the two get closer again as she tries to manipulate him by reminding him of their time together.
After Mabel and Alice sleep together, the Son of Sam card is, in fact, shown to be with Alice, hinting that she is, at the very least, hiding something.
Oliver sends the video to Mabel and Charles and apologises for the mess that he created during the party.
Will meets Oliver and asks him if he’s sure that he’s Irish. As part of his son’s project, he had conducted an ancestry test.
While 50% turned out to be from their mother, the other 50% was not Irish. It was all Greek, leaving Oliver in disbelief.
He remembers the Son of Sam game of the past when Teddy, a Greek by ancestry, was there as well and realises he was hiding something more than being the killer in the game.
Oliver comes to the shocking realisation that Will’s mother had an affair with Teddy and Will is actually his son. However, this could well be the plot of Teddy to ruin Oliver, as he promised in a previous episode.
Review
- The episode’s premise is quite enjoyable as we get a closer look into Oliver’s past as well as his ability to figure out lies. The murder mystery game is an entertaining element as well.
- After being missing for a few episodes, Alice finally returns and as many guessed, she is definitely involved in the mystery.
- The twist with Oliver and Teddy’s past is quite unpredictable and could have great repercussions over the course of the season.
- Charles going back into the rabbit hole with Jan is painful to see, but emphasises on his desire to be loved, even by a psychopathic killer.
- Overall, the episode is a solid addition to the season.
Rating: 4/5
Also Read: Only Murders in the Building season 2 episode 4 recap & review: Here’s Looking at You