Pratik Handore
The third season of Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building‘ races to its conclusion, with the mystery of Ben Glenroy’s death becoming simplified in the penultimate episode. In episode 9, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver continue investigating the case despite Loretta’s confession to protect Dickie. However, after realizing that Dickie might not be a killer, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver go to great lengths to recreate the events from opening night to deduce what triggered Ben’s demise. In the process, the trio makes a shocking discovery about the murder, turning the case on its head. What the group discovered and who the killer might be forms the ending of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ season 3, episode 9! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 9 Recap
The ninth episode, titled ‘Thirty,’ opens with Mabel waking up in the hospital after Oliver’s heart attack. Oliver is discharged from the hospital and returns to the Arconia with Charles and Mabel. At Charles’ apartment, the trio discusses Loretta’s arrest after she confessed to killing Ben Glenroy. However, since her confession was faked to protect her long-lost son, Richard “Dickie” Glenroy, the trio continues their investigation. After Oliver professes his love for Loretta, Charles and Mabel decide to crack the case before Loretta’s hearing in court later that evening.
Charles lays out the facts about opening night and the events leading up to Ben’s death. The group deduces that to free Loretta, they must prove Dickie is the actual killer. The trio visits Dickie at his apartment and learns about his fight with his brother on opening night. Dickie reveals he was planning to quit as Ben’s manager and told his brother before the opening night. Dickie also produces an alibi and claims to be out searching for drugs when Ben is pushed down the elevator.
Dickie reveals Ben visited a brothel every Thursday and gives them an address to the brothel, where he was at the time of Ben’s death. As a result, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver realize Dickie could not have killed Ben since he was not in the building when Ben was pushed down the elevator. Therefore, they see an opportunity to clear Loretta’s name by finding the actual killer. The group travels to the fabric shop they mistake for the brothel Ben frequented. However, at the shop, the trio learns that Ben visited the place to practice sewing, a hobby he enjoyed.
The women at the fabric shop reveal that Ben handcrafted the handkerchiefs for everyone before the opening night and invited them to the play. Since Ben left the fabric shop and arrived at the Goosebury Theater on opening night roughly thirty minutes before the curtain call, Charles suggests creating a timeline of events based on the information they have. Charles, Mabel, and Oliver view the interrogation tapes they recorded at the Goosebury Theater to piece together the events leading to Ben’s death and discover who he spoke with in his dressing room before going on stage. Meanwhile, Charles and Oliver also learn it is Mabel’s 30th birthday.
Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 9 Ending: Who Was Ben Talking To? Who Poisoned Him?
By the episode’s end, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver reach a dead end after watching all the interrogation videos. Every person who was backstage and interacted with Ben before the opening night was accounted for. As a result, the group cannot deduce who might have sneaked into Ben’s dressing room moments before he went on stage. At the same time, Howard completes piecing together the shredded documents and reveals that someone had accessed a copy of theater critic Maxine’s review of ‘Death Rattle.’ After watching Oliver speak with his favorite dip, Mabel realizes Ben wasn’t talking to someone on opening night.
Ultimately, the group realizes Ben was emotionally shaken thirty minutes before going on stage. He fought with his brother, Charles punched him in the face, and his friends from the fabric shop could not attend the play. In desperation, Ben turned to his favorite food for comfort and ate a cookie left in his dressing room. Ben was fasting on opening night, likely due to his rigid diet, and wasn’t allowed to eat junk like cookies. As a result, he talked with the cookie while he was stressed about many things, but the cookie was poisoned, leading to his first demise. Simultaneously, Oliver deduces that Donna, Cliff’s mother, and the play’s producer, quoted him a line from Maxine’s review.
Oliver, Charles, and Mabel quickly piece together the rest of the clue and deduce that Donna poisoned Ben. Donna learned of the scathing review of her son’s first Broadway production. To protect her son from flopping, she poisoned Ben by taking advantage of his vulnerable state. Donna pushed Ben down the elevator shaft when her first attempt failed. While the trio does not have solid evidence to prove Donna’s crime, they race to save Loretta from pleading guilty to a crime she did not commit. In the closing moments, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver rush to the court, where they stop Loretta. However, the trio is shocked to discover Donna is present at the hearing, seemingly confirming their suspicion about her involvement in Ben’s murder.
Read More: Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 8 Recap and Ending, Explained
