Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Sparring Partners

Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 9, “Sparring Partners,” is a reminder that the show we fell in love with is still in there. While prior episodes this season haven’t been bad, there’s been a spark missing, and that spark comes from watching these characters and this show tackle and investigation.

And that’s exactly what we get during this episode, a focus on our trio putting various puzzle pieces together.

There are various reveals throughout “Sparring Partners,” such as the hidden painting and the real Rose Cooper/Leonora Folgers, and everything isn’t held until the final moments. The entire episode doesn’t hinge on a last-minute bombshell.

There is a final twist, but there’s also plenty to keep us and our trio occupied as “Sparring Partners” progresses.

Overall, Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 9 is a successful episode. Everyone’s storylines work well and keep us engaged throughout; there isn’t one that drags the episode down or one that is much more compelling than the others.

Oliver is the only one not doing any investigative work, but it’s easier to enjoy his storyline because Charles and Mabel are giving us case developments and wrapping up some loose ends.

Mabel is by far the MVP of “Sparring Partners” for her skills at getting Detective Kreps to share more than he intended. It’s vindicating to watch a young woman pull one over on a man who is constantly telling her he’s smarter than she is, and that she can’t trick him.

Well, hate to break it to you, Kreps, but that’s exactly what Mabel did.

Charles makes his own case development and wraps up how the painting is involved, or not involved, in Bunny’s murder. It’s a little unclear if Rose Cooper donned the Leonora Folgers identity just to retrieve the painting or if she’s been using Leonora’s name for years.

She shares that it is exhausting being someone else, but she doesn’t clarify who else she’s been. Personally, my theory is that she has been someone else and has only used Leonora’s identity to show up at the Arconia and try to get her painting back.

The biggest plot twist of the episode is that Poppy is Becky Butler, the “dead” girl from Cinda Canning’s podcast, All is not OK in Oklahoma — the one that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel first bonded over.

Right now it’s hard to tell what to make of this reveal, but there’s definitely more to Poppy than meets the eye, and Cinda comes off a bit more sinister.

Cinda being the killer isn’t totally unsurprising. Tina Fey is such a big name, and usually, when stars that big are on murder mystery type shows, they’re the killer.

Only Murders in the Building may have played the long game on us, introducing us to her last season, and making us think she was just a cameo appearance. It’s a crafty move, you have to admit it.

But there’s still one more episode to go, so maybe all it not what it appears. Do you think Cinda’s the killer, the criminal mastermind, or none of the above?

Stray Thoughts

• Oliver not being Will’s dad breaks my heart.
• The painting of Charles and his father brought me to tears.
• I still don’t forgive Alice, but a homemade puzzle is a good apology gift for Mabel.
• Oliver vs. Theo is a legendary and hysterical fight.

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 Tuesdays on Hulu.

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