Only Murders in the Building Season-Premiere Recap: Showing Your Hand

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You might be wondering if another murder has occurred in this building? Indeed, that’s correct! This is what television shows are all about. What sets this particular show apart is its ability to delve into fresh, unexplored aspects of the world every season – such as theater, film, or this year’s focus, the mafia.

Last season ended with Lester, the doorman, passing away, but his death doesn’t seem to meet the strict criteria that the trio adheres to for their investigations, given they declined Sofia Caccimelio’s (Téa Leoni) request to find her husband, who was a mobster. Even though Lester died within the Arconia building, it remains unclear whether his death should be classified as a murder.

The incident was determined to be an accident, according to Howard, who supports this claim with security footage, but one might wonder about their certainty. After all, it would be pleasant for the trio if they didn’t need to delve into another comprehensive investigation. Imagine a season without murder, where they enjoy meals at various diners across the Upper West Side instead. However, as they contemplate what life free of crime could be like, they soon discover that the shrimp Oliver is holding is actually a severed finger – never a good indication.

It’s curious how a finger could wind up among a serving of shrimp, especially when food safety regulations are typically enforced. However, we’ll set aside that assumption for now. A more plausible explanation, as suggested by the trio, is that it’s a cryptic message being sent their way – somewhat like the horse head in “The Godfather.” This could be foreshadowing future events. Alternatively, it might belong to Lester, the deceased resident who just happens to be on display in the building lobby at this time.

Unfortunately, during a memorial service, it’s challenging to verify the number of fingers on someone, as there’s a crowd present, including Mayor Tillman (Keegan Michael Key), who is speaking despite not knowing the deceased personally, as part of a political move in New York’s mayoral race. Amidst all this drama, we also have a fictional mayoral campaign to navigate.

Joining the cast this season are Dianne Wiest, playing Lester’s widow. Mabel and Oliver attempt to divert her attention while Charles checks the coffin for missing fingers. However, it seems that Lester may not have had a fond view of Oliver, referring to him as a demanding bird. This ‘birdwatching’ code Lester used for all tenants could resurface, but at least it provided Dianne Wiest with an opportunity to make a vocal display, so to speak.

The mission ends up being unsuccessful when Jackie Hoffman yells at Charles, disrupting their plan. However, what Lester’s wife said lingers in Oliver’s mind, causing him to search for a photograph featuring the late doorman as evidence of their relationship. The best he manages is a fuzzy picture from Oliver’s wedding, with Lester standing nearby. But hold on! There, next to Lester and giving him an envelope, is none other than Nicky Caccimelio (played by Bobby Cannavale), who apparently had been hiding in plain sight.

As it happens, they’ve found themselves obligated to tackle the Caccimelio case despite Oliver’s apprehensions regarding dealing with the mafia. A ferry ride takes them to Staten Island, reminiscent of Fanny Brice or the characters from Working Girl. Arriving at the Caccimelio residence, they find themselves in a location strikingly similar to that of the Corleone family home from The Godfather. Upon arrival, they’re greeted by Nicky’s sons: Johnny, Tony, Mikey, Vinny… and Braden. He chills them with tales of ’70s mobster exploits (and a gun), but to their surprise, it’s later disclosed that they’re proposing a podcast idea.

When Sofia arrives home, she assuages the trio’s mafia-related concerns, informing them that the crime syndicate no longer exists. This is why her sons can only share tales from the 70s and why Scorsese is producing films about Native Americans and Irish folks, she explains. Although she overlooked his shift to TikTok, her point remains valid. It’s revealed that they own a dry cleaner within the Arconia building, and the image in question probably depicted Nicky dropping off receipts. Sofia remarks that he occasionally vanishes, but she was merely hoping to locate him before it became public knowledge that he was a disgraced mobster.

As they depart, Sofia hastily exits to pass a deck of playing cards, which Nicky usually possesses, to Charles – an item left on her bedside table. This exchange hints at potential romantic feelings for Charles from Sofia, as she confirms her marital status is settled. However, Charles remains cautious about love, considering his history of love gone awry, a feeling I share. Yet, the mob angle might inject some intrigue into this developing romance.

It is during the night when the three part ways that the most significant advancements in the case occur. As Charles casually shuffles the deck of cards, he unexpectedly finds that they possess a magnetic quality and contain a secret map visible only through a red lens. This covert technique, which Charles learns by looking at his glass of red wine, leads him to trail through the Arconia, following the path indicated on the cards.

While Mabel examines the security recordings, they don’t necessarily disprove Howard’s assumption about no foul play, but they do show Lester behaving oddly and there seems to be missing footage from the courtyard. What gives, Howard? As it turns out, Mabel and Charles meet in their separate investigations, and discover that the paths on their cards lead them through areas where security cameras can’t see, into a storeroom with a hidden door. It seems this building has more secret doors than regular ones. And of course, that hidden door opens up to an underground casino. But now comes the question, what next? Luckily, Charles notices the numbers 6, 24, and 00 on his card – they’re not a date, but instead the combination to a safe in the casino, where they find the cash-filled envelope that Nicky gave to Lester. This is one lucky find for anyone in a casino.

While these events unfold, Oliver embarks on a personal task: he aims to honor Lester by delivering his soiled doorman hat to the dry cleaner, though it’s already closed. In this unexpected turn of events, he stumbles upon Nicky, hanging lifelessly from the dry cleaner’s rotating rack. It seems there have been two murders within the building (thus far), which the trio must decipher, along with numerous unanswered questions. Does the mob truly cease to exist, or is this merely a ploy to deceive the public investigators and podcasting team? What’s the mayor’s purpose here? And could Lester and Nicky have been killed by the same assassin?

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2025-09-09 18:55