Only Murders In The Building recap: Let's talk about anxiety (and Tina Fey)

Only Murders In The Building feels like a return to season-one glory in this week’s episode. A renewed focus on Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) investigating a murder? A new suspect emerging? Charles struggling in a romantic relationship? Tina Fey? Yes, season three’s “The White Room” has all the elements that worked for OMITB when it launched, with each getting a neat upgrade to mark the show’s evolution. The trio’s attention on the case stems from their individual anxieties—Charles doesn’t know how to function after his girlfriend, Joy (Andrea Martin), moves in with him. Oliver’s nervous because someone from the Death Rattle Dazzle’s cast is a potential killer and it could ruin his play. Mabel’s worried about finding an apartment and figuring out her career ambitions.

OMITB taps into their insecurities in a big way, and it’s better for it. As funny and entertaining as the writing is, it’s always enhanced when the show digs into the leading trio’s personal lives and friendships organically. There’s a barrage of excellent quips in “The White Room,” but what makes it truly worthwhile is how—in a trademark grandiose way, of course—OMITB channels their insecurities. Look at Charles. He has no interest in sharing space with Joy and her 62-fish aquarium. (That’s a lot of freaking fish, Joy, no matter what you say.) Instead of talking to her about it like the grown man he is, he channels his anxieties by attempting to sing for Oliver’s play. The key word here is attempting.

Unable to perform, er, vocally for Death Rattle Dazzle, he realizes he needs to go to his “happy place” to croon onstage. And I love that Charles knows his moment of zen comes from cooking perfect omelets like he used to for Lucy (Zoe Colletti), a season-one throwback I really appreciated. Another one comes when Charles and Oliver later try to break into Ben’s green room to snoop, which is very reminiscent of when Charles and Mabel did the same thing in the series premiere. Anyway, Charles ultimately finds inner peace by going into the “white room,” or what Sherlock Holmes would dub his “mind palace.” Externally, he’s blacking out while going off in a way that traumatizes the audience. What’s he doing? Apparently, he’s being filthy, trashing objects, and sometimes stripping.

Charles’ behavior is strange enough to warrant Oliver’s politeness for a change. He suggests that his friend be honest with Joy, and there’s nothing wrong with being who he is, someone who needs his space. Short and Martin are a dynamic duo for the ages. Both of them nailed this scene, and once again, it’s a much-needed emotional relief in an episode that’s filled with zingers. His attempt to open to Joy is thwarted, however, when he blacks out again. It’s what happens when anxiety takes over. When he comes to, Charles is proposing to Joy, who happily accepts, much to Mabel and Oliver’s horror—after all, they’ve just discovered his new fiancé might be cuckoo.

That’s the one abrupt thing here. OMITB suddenly giving Joy multiple red flags. In 48 hours since moving in, she’s taken Charles to the fish store at least twice. That’s a problem. She’s manipulating him into thinking she is his happy place. And here comes the big one: She apparently threatened Ben to stop bullying Charles, probably by writing a note with her red lipstick on Ben’s mirror, calling him a fucking pig (complete with a drawing). It’s probably a red herring. It’s unlikely the show will turn another one of Charles’ lovers into a criminal, right? Right?

Meanwhile, Mabel goes on an interesting journey in “The White Room.” She hunts for clues with her two pals to learn the truth about Kimber and Ben’s affair. Mabel’s half-assed attempt at girl talk—it’s just really bad—reveals they weren’t hooking up, and the messy situation Ben alluded to was him backing out of promoting Kimber’s anti-aging serum. (OMITB getting in on the “Paul Rudd never ages” joke in a fun way? You love to see it.) I wish Ashley Park had more to do, but it’s good to see her get a little bit more dramatic instead of being used as a vapid TikTok star parody. Also: Part of me thought Kimber and Mabel might get together, now that would be a more fun twist.

With Kimber out of the picture (for now), Mabel gets called in on another mission. The phone calls she’s been ignoring are from Cinda Canning (Fey), and not (like I assumed) Tobert (Jesse Williams). I knew the episode would circle back to her after it opens on a now blonde Cinda hosting a wellness podcast. I’m glad OMITB hasn’t forgotten about her. She’s basically gone full-on Gwyneth, complete with a jade egg and everything. It’s an act, of course, as she confirms. Cinda is dying to do another true-crime case and wants to team up with the expert Bloody Mabel to do it.

OMITB has been hinting at Mabel’s loneliness since season three began. She’s the only one not involved in Death Rattle Dazzle and is understandably feeling left out. It’s not like she’s a regular person with friends. (Charles and Oliver basically call her a 72-year-old in this episode.) So she’s passionately trying to solve Ben’s murder, while the two men have breezed in and out of the investigation. Technically speaking, Cinda would be a better partner for Mabel, especially financially. Mabel could afford a new house and build a legit career out of the money she was being offered. And it could cut her anxiety down a bit.

But our girl doesn’t take the cash. She balks at the offer, refusing to let go of her teammates just yet. I really hope Cinda comes back before season three ends to stir up shenanigans. If old Cinda was a shrewd nuisance, then this soy candle and fluffy pillow-buying version promises to be heightened. Fey is a great addition to the lineup when she sporadically appears anyway. It’s not like the show needs her though. “The White Room” proves that OMITB doesn’t necessarily need big names like Fey, Streep, and Rudd to be immensely fun. (They’re welcome sights, regardless.) All the show needs is Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez acing the material.

Stray observations

• Why is the show insisting on potential female killers like Loretta, Kimber, and Joy? I don’t know, especially after Jan and Becky Butler were the last two culprits. But with episode three’s self-aware joke about this, maybe OMITB is just having fun with us.
• I haven’t forgotten about Oliver’s reason for being panicky. He keeps suggesting they look at suspects who will least impact Death Rattle Dazzle. He’ll be happy to move on from the actors to the makeup artist then.
• After Charles “sings” on stage, wreaking utter havoc, here are the responses he gets: Mabel says she can’t look him in the eye, Howard leaves the room to call his therapist cousin who works at State Farm, and Oliver says they all need to take five…years.
• Martin Short really looked like he’s having the most fun filming in that all-white outfit, making the wackiest expressions.
• Now that Cinda’s also back, when should we expect Teddy and Theo Dimas to return?
• “Rituals ground us, offering calm in a world of chaos, but love a ritual too much and it can become an obsession. And before we know it, the ritual that once healed us has become our undoing.”