Only Murders in the Building Recap: Dude, Where’s My Noff?

As a seasoned detective with years of investigating under my belt, let me tell you, this case has more twists and turns than the Arconia’s staircase! The Westies, an unlikely family bound by their shared love for card games, now find themselves entangled in a web of secrets and deceit. Dudenoff, their enigmatic leader, pulled off quite the elaborate scheme to ensure his “apartments” lived on after him. It’s a classic case of “the cover-up being worse than the crime,” and poor Helga bears the brunt of it all.

After expressing my longing for Long Island and anticipation of the new developments in our case against the Westies, we hopped on the L.I.E., heading back to the city. However, our journey was halted when our car broke down, providing us with a brief pause. During this downtime, Mabel suggested they review what they’ve learned so far. Little did she know that recapping was my responsibility.

The actors aren’t willing to give up control of this investigation just now, so they decide to gather together and strategize about their next steps – but they can’t discuss things at the Arconia due to the murders. Instead, they head to a film set replica of the Arconia. But how will they get the Westies to open up? Eugene suggests throwing a party, specifically Tony Danza’s 35th Annual White Pants Event, which I personally hope becomes a reality since it sounds fascinating. However, Eva proposes surprising them with a “ding dong,” not referring to a dessert but a term used in soap operas for when an unexpected and attractive person shows up at the door – like Edie Britt saying, “Hi, I’m the neighbor from down the street.” In the end, they opt for a more straightforward approach: inviting the Westies over for a high-profile game of Oh Hell.

As the plan progresses and Charles approaches the possibility of facing Sazz’s murderer, his feelings gradually surface. Usually, he manages to keep his anger in check by focusing his energy on tidying up, but this case is pushing his limits – and Eugene is intrigued by it. He believes that observing Charles’ outburst will enhance his character, so he deliberately creates chaos during the episode, hoping to provoke a reaction he can analyze. Instead of being a mere comedic element throughout the season, this ensemble of actors is used in a more thought-provoking manner. We delve into these characters in an unprecedented way as Eugene, Eva, and Zach attempt to dissect their personalities – and we also witness the trio dealing with their peculiarities through these portrayals.

As the clock strikes game night, I’m greeted by the lively Westies, and who wouldn’t be, given the tantalizing aroma of ham in the air? However, let’s not forget the suspenseful cliffhanger from last week’s episode: the Westies are aware that they’re being trailed by a trio. It’s evident as soon as they lock the door and brandish a machete, along with confiscating everyone’s phones – classic signs of an evening spiraling out of control. Typically, the machete doesn’t make an appearance until Monopoly gets fiercely competitive. This time around, though, the Westies aren’t confessing to a murder, which I found intriguing given the tense atmosphere.

The main focus of this episode is actually an exploration of the Westies’ origins, delving into how each character initially crossed paths with Milton Dudenoff. The Sauce family knew him through their restaurant, while Rudy and Vince were his film students. While Rudy enacted a monologue from “A Few Good Men”, the show could have been bolder by presenting the entire scene. If it had truly pushed boundaries, the monologue would have come from Marissa Tomei’s character in “My Cousin Vinny”. However, this didn’t happen. These backstories serve as a detour but are crucial to understand how this diverse group of Westies, or the Dudenettes, came to be united. It also underscores that their connections with each other and Dudenoff extend beyond real estate; the real estate deal was merely a byproduct of their friendship. He provided them with those apartments, a life-altering gesture, because he valued them, and they reciprocated this affection.

The account given is that Dudenoff violated the law for their benefit, aiming to secure a luxurious Upper West Side residence for themselves. Later on, he departed for Portugal to pursue his personal dreams, leaving them without contact since then. However, this questioning didn’t yield much until there was a knock at the door.

Indeed, Mabel followed Eva Longoria’s suggestion and drew inspiration from the “Desperate Housewives” script to recruit a secret ally. The pig owner, Helga, who had been unexpectedly removed from the Westie group photo and whose voice we heard on the HAM radio urgently sending warnings to the trio, was that person. As it turned out, the rumor about her being Rudy’s ex was false. Instead, she was Dudenoff’s locksmith, who shared his passion for Oh Hell and “Perfect Strangers” with him. Additionally, he reminded her of her deceased father, and before long, she became a part of their group as well.

Picture how unsettling it was for her when he abruptly vanished, leaving behind just a note, which she received coincidentally during one of the building’s frequent power outages caused by its incinerator. Strangely, the other Westies behaved oddly after his disappearance, particularly once the podcast was released, causing Helga to suspect they might have been involved in Dudenoff’s vanishing. However, the Westies persistently claim that Dudenoff is still alive and thriving in Portugal.

Fortunately for refuting that statement, Mabel underwent shoulder replacement surgery – an event that ultimately exposed the truth. That very same night, the Westies also received a message from Dudenoff, inviting them to his “funeral” in the basement. There he revealed his dire prognosis – only a few months left to live. To prevent the demise of the community he had built through illicit apartment units, he concocted a plan. He chose to take pills to end his own life and requested the Westies to conceal his death by disposing of his body in the incinerator, allowing them to maintain their apartments as long as they kept him “alive.” One might question why he didn’t simply bequeath the apartments in his will instead. Given my limited knowledge of real estate, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume this was the most straightforward approach. Nevertheless, it leaves me curious…

Besides warning them not to disclose it to Helga, who has already suffered the loss of another mentor figure, he prepared a message for her in case she finds out or accuses them. The message clarifies their actions and clears their names – an action they later revealed to her. While I can see the intention behind this act, hiding the truth often does more harm than the actual crime. Leaving Helga to believe that all her close friends were responsible for killing her mentor figure is far more hurtful than just letting her grieve naturally. Let this serve as a lesson – never involve your friends in your wrongdoings; the friendship may not survive the deception.

The truth may be a separate offense, but it exonerates the Westies when it comes to murder charges. As the trio’s podcast focuses on murder, not real estate fraud, they are no longer implicated. Although Eva Longoria covertly taped this meeting with her advanced facial recording device – which is typical of her – Mabel chooses not to disclose this information for their podcast, instead choosing to protect the Westies’ confidentiality.

In the Arconia building, the Westies – an unanticipated band of characters comprising Charles, Mabel, and Oliver – mirrored one another in a delightful way, forming a unique bond that blossomed into a makeshift family. Unlike our trio who found unity through their shared interest in a podcast, this group forged connections via Milton Dudenoff and their mutual passion for card games. Having witnessed the significance of such a connection with Charles and Oliver, Mabel recognizes its worth, choosing to preserve that sacred bond rather than potentially jeopardizing it for an exceptional podcast episode.

They find themselves in the same predicament again. There’s no evidence suggesting the suspect has stopped observing them, yet it seems less urgent to some compared to last week. With no promising leads, they’re at a loss as to how to proceed. A trip back to Long Island is out of the question. If only they could get those dramatic breakthroughs when they face such obstacles, Mabel muses. And just as she utters this, someone knocks at the door, perfectly timed.

Helga is back, with more intel that she didn’t get a chance to bring up earlier — about Sazz, who she had connected with over the HAM radio. Helga reveals that Sazz would talk about her protégé, a stuntman on a movie called Project Ronkonkoma, who had “messed up pretty badly” and was harassing her. Sazz also called him dangerous and said he was going to be the death of her. Helga, you idiot, this was important information to have much sooner than now! Shouldn’t tall women look out for each other? They rush to IMDb to see who this mysterious new suspect is, and sure enough, it’s none other than Glenn Stubbins, a.k.a. Irish Paul Rudd. Who woulda thought?

It appears that Glenn has been hospitalized following a shooting incident during the film’s photoshoot, and it’s unlikely he shot himself. If Glenn is indeed responsible for Sazz’s death, it raises the question of who else might be targeting him now? Essentially, we seem to have a situation where potential killers are attacking other killers. This seems to be chaos unfolding.

2024-10-15 12:54

Only Murders in the Building Recap: Dude, Where’s My Noff?

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