Pratik Handore
‘Only Murders in the Building’ episode 5 takes the investigation of Tim Kono’s death in a whole new direction. It revolves around Charles and Oliver, who are now aware of Mabel’s connection to Tim. They follow Mabel as she chases a lead of her own. Amidst all this, the tie-dye hoodie guy’s identity is revealed. Who is this mysterious person, and how is he connected to Tim’s death? Allow us to break down the episode’s events and provide the answers. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ episode 5. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Only Murders in the Building Episode 5 Recap
The fifth episode is titled ‘Twist’ and opens with Mabel setting out to Montrose Gems, a jewelry shop in New Jersey, in order to learn more about Tim’s death. On her way, she is followed by a mysterious figure in a tie-dye hoodie. The person turns out to be Oscar, Mabel and Tim’s childhood friend who went to prison for their friend Zoe’s murder.
Meanwhile, Charles and Oliver — who have just learned of Mabel’s deception — follow her. Oscar drives Mabel to New Jersey, and they catch up. Oscar reveals that he was in the building the night Tim died and was actually coming to see Mabel. However, Mabel remains slightly suspicious. Oscar realizes that G.M stands for Gustavo Mora, Mabel’s cousin who owns a tattoo shop.
While following Mabel, Charles and Oliver argue about why Mabel lied to them. Oliver suspects that Mabel is involved in Tim’s murder from the start, while Charles believes that she is innocent. Mabel, Oscar, Charles, and Oliver all converge at Gustavo’s tattoo shop. Charles and Oliver confront Mabel, which brings to light a few new revelations in this whodunit.
Only Murders in the Building Episode 5 Ending: What is Tim Connection to the Black Market Jewelry Dealer?
In the end, Mabel admits to knowing Tim. Just as Charles and Oliver try to figure out the implications of this, Gustavo comes out and overhears that Tim was murdered. Gustavo reveals that Tim was trying to take down a black market jewelry dealer, which likely led to him being murdered. Charles suspects that this cannot be true since Tim was a loner and an investment banker. Therefore, he had no business getting involved in such a dangerous activity. Mabel then reveals the collection of jewelry items she found in Tim’s apartment.
While Gustavo’s reveal doesn’t necessarily make sense at first, it becomes more probable after Mabel reveals the jewelry. However, we still do not know how or why Tim got involved in taking down the black market dealer. Although, it does provide Charles, Oliver, and Mabel with a strong lead after their last dead end. One possible explanation for Tim’s involvement in the black market jewelry activity could be connected to Zoe.
We know that Zoe had an affinity for expensive jewelry. It is possible that one of the items she swiped was somehow connected to this black market dealer who pushed her off the rooftop all those years ago. In turn, Oscar was framed, and Tim could’ve been threatened to keep quiet. As a result, Tim tried to take down the dealer and clear Oscar’s name. However, with the limited information at hand, this theory currently seems like a long shot.
Are Mabel and Oscar Involved in Tim’s Murder?
The show’s first five episodes set up a compelling murder mystery and slowly rule out all the potential suspects one by one. Therefore, with the limited knowledge we possess, it might be worth re-evaluating the suspects once more, and after the fifth episode, Mabel and Oscar stand out. Firstly, it is evident from the get-go that Mabel is hiding more than she is letting on. She conspicuously lied to Charles and Oliver but has also been the most devoted to solving the mystery. Hence, she can’t be ruled out just yet as she could easily be trying to throw people off her scent by becoming an active part of the investigation. However, a clear motive is missing in Mabel’s case.
On the other hand, Oscar has a more clear motive to murder Tim. He held a grudge from all those years ago — and rightfully so — because Tim chose to remain silent about Zoe’s death. As a result, Oscar went to jail. He initially lies about the reason he was in the building that night. Later, he comes clean and reveals that he went to meet Tim but not to kill him.
By the time Oscar got there, the alarms had already gone off. This is evident in a flashback we see earlier in the episode. Plus, the revelation about Tim’s connection to the black market dealer completely changes the course of the investigation. Therefore, for now, Oscar seems like a suspect only due to the circumstances, but we will keep a watchful eye on him in the coming episodes.
