Only Murders in the Building Review: The Sting (Season 1 Episode 4)
The setup of Only Murders in the Building Season 1 Episode 4, “The Sting,” is not that different from a true-crime podcast — you sit through some developments and narratives only for the real bombshells to be dropped at the end of the episode, making you desperate to find out what happens next.
We learn that Sting is, shockingly, a plausible suspect with real reasons to want Tim dead. I still can’t get over the fact that Sting is in this. He makes a good first suspect for our trio to investigate and attempt to interrogate.
Oliver, Mabel, and Charles haven’t quite mastered the art of the subtle conversation that leads to extracting a confession. They are glaringly obvious, especially Oliver when he pulls at his shirt to make sure the wire gets good audio. But this is where some of the humor comes from — them being amateur sleuths.
One of the big developments at the end of “The Sting” is that Mabel’s secret is exposed, unbeknownst to her.
It’s a relief that this secret is out. Her investigation has been the more interesting one, but we don’t spend a lot of time on it since she is doing it after hours. Now that Oliver and Charles know the truth, hopefully, they eventually join forces and alter the course of the investigation, but, most likely, they will secretly look into her for a bit.
This will cause a good bit of dramatic tension, and I’m betting humor. I doubt they will be able to be subtle and sneaky around her, so that will be delightful to watch. I’m imagining a lot of side-eye from Mabel when she catches them doing not so covert things around her.
Mabel’s secret was at the point where it was losing the intrigue value, so it’s smart that Only Murders in the Building doesn’t let it go too long. Charles and Oliver learning about it will help us get more information on what all went down leading up to Oscar’s arrest.
I’d love for them to find her videos on her laptop, and critique her narrating form a bit. I can even see them perhaps being a bit jealous of all she’s done so far. Needless to say, Charles and Oliver finding out Mabel’s secret will test and hopefully grow their friendship.
Only Murders in the Building has a wacky flair every now and then, and at this point, it’s unclear whether it works or not.
Charles hallucinating/being haunted by Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig is this episode’s dose of wackiness. It’s jarring and disturbing whenever they pop up, especially because at times they are giving off a real horror vibe. We later learn that their presence is a reflection of Charles’ mental state. They are a reminder of a traumatic moment in his life.
Actually seeing Bugs and Porky doesn’t add any more value to this revelation. We’ve seen Charles make an omelet only to throw it away, and we’ve had conversations with his neighbor about Lucy, along with other instances. That is enough to show that Charles is still haunted by his past relationship.
All Bugs and Porky do is add some confusion to the mix. They could’ve, and probably should’ve, been left out. The only good thing about their presence is that they lead to us finally learning the truth about Lucy.
What did you think of this episode of Only Murders in the Building? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New episodes of Only Murders in the Building premiere on Tuesdays on Hulu.
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).