Only Murders Has A New, Mega-Famous Victim For Season 3
Here's what we know about him so far.
In Only Murders In The Building Season 1, Jan’s denouement in the finale left enough time for the series to hold a small party on the roof before saddling Mabel with Bunny’s still-warm body. But Season 2’s finale left so much of the episode to go that there was an entire time jump before the series introduced the next case. But when it got there, it was worth the wait. So, who is Ben Glenroy, and who murdered him? Only Murders In The Building Season 3 is set up to explore exactly that.
Warning: Spoilers for Only Murders In The Building Season 2’s finale follow. Considering where the series left things at the end of Season 2’s penultimate episode, it seemed Cinda Canning was set up to be this season’s murderer. But Only Murders wasn’t about to go down like that. The Cinda Canning twist was a fake-out. At first, it looked like the murderer was Alice, who stabbed Charles in the ensuing melee after Mabel accused her. But that, too, was a fake-out! It was all an elaborate ruse to get Poppy to reveal herself as the true mastermind behind Bunny Folger’s demise.
The resulting reveal, covered by the Only Murders and Only Murderers podcasts, turned the rival podcasters into partners. It also brought career revival opportunities. Just like Season 1 got Charles back on TV as Brazzos, Season 2 landed Oliver his chance at redemption on Broadway, with Charles as one of his two leading men.
Fast forward an entire year to the opening night of Oliver’s new show. One of his two leads, Ben Gilroy (played by Paul Rudd), sulked in his dress room after apparently having gotten into a fight with Charles. What was the fight about? The series didn’t spell it out. But here’s what to know:
Although the mega-famous Rudd plays Gilroy, this guy is no Ant-Man regarding the size of his ego. He trash-talked Charles to Oliver and threatened to murder him because he was so mad about the incident. Moreover, although Ben is an actor, the show signals to the theater lovers he’s not experienced with stage acting. He didn’t know “break a leg” is what you say instead of “good luck,” nor that being wished “good luck” is an insult.
It also seems Ben is far too interested in someone for Charles’ liking, and that someone is a woman. The conversations backstage between Ben and Charles went so far as to have the latter threaten Ben to “stay away from her.” But who is “her?” Is it Charles’ quasi-step-daughter, Lucy? His new girlfriend, Joy? Is Ben perhaps getting flirty with Mabel? Or is it a cast member viewers haven’t met yet? Fans were left in the dark.
Then the curtain rose, the play began, and Ben walked to the front of the stage to deliver his opening lines. But instead, he keeled over, bleeding from the mouth, and then was no longer breathing. So much for Oliver’s comeback — but it’s the perfect setup for another podcast season of Only Murders.
All episodes of Only Murders In The Building Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hulu. Season 3 is expected to debut in 2023.
