#omitb theory

[theodimasbabygirl]

So we can all agree the billionaires are a red herring, yeah? They probably know more than they're letting on but it's wayyy too early for any of them to be The Killer.

[all-things-breathing]

***spoilers for 4x01 of Only Murders in the Building***

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we need to remember that Sazz was not the intended target, Charles was. whatever Sazz was researching in her apartment led to Charles, not the other way around.

also, someone else was definitely in Charles' apartment and it wasn't a ghost. it also wasn't the killer, because the killer isn't a friend of Charles' (allegedly), and the hidden person was doing kind things for Charles.

the "ghost" turned off the t.v. for Charles

the "ghost" started making tea for Charles

the "ghost" closed the door for Charles after the others came inside

i think this is another case of the secret passageway being used, potentially Lucy again but i doubt it.

the question isn't: who would kill Sazz? it's: who would kill Charles, and how could Sazz have discovered the threat? this leads me to my first theory of the season: the killer was someone in Hollywood who wanted something to do with the upcoming podcast movie and/or future projects concerning Charles -- and they didn't want to have to buy the rights of his life story. the killer is probably someone we already met in LA during this first episode.

[dangerouslyfleetingmanticore]

I joked about Algie being implicated, but...

Unless Randall is secretly psychotic, he is not responsible for the deranged "die Lester die" carving. I would bet money that it's the work of a child, and not a particularly well-adjusted one at that.

Why else would they focus on him carving a 'shiv'? And come on, they went to Jamba Juice? As if that little fucker has ever tasted sugar in his woeful life.

Not that I necessarily believe Algie killed Lester... but he was definitely there. His dad probably made Lester keep him away from the casino, hence his unbridled rage. It's likely that he breached containment and was at the fountain when Lester fell in (which is why Bash removed the footage).

[prettystuffilove]

Theory: Ben Glenroy was not talking to anyone in that video clip. He was talking to the cookies that ended up poisoning him.

We saw in episode 1 that cookies are his weakness, and I don't see him saying to a person "you're so bad" and "I want you". It would also explain why we don't hear anyone speak back to him.

also maybe Tobert is the one who put the cookies there and also his camera at the exact right angle to get the convo and not the other angle

[potterandpromises]

@ anon stop me if this isn't the footage you were talking about

(Discussion about possible Theo sighting in the leaked spoilery Arconia courtyard video.)

ENHANCE!

And at a slightly different angle:

Yeah this was filmed on a phone several stories up and I can't tell. But let's investigate:

I think the differentials here are height, hairline, and general build.

Height: According to those sketchy celebrity info websites, James Caverly (Theo) is 5′8″ and Jackie Hoffman (Uma) is 5′4″. That really doesn't look like a four inch height difference, or even a six inch height difference, but I don't know to what extent the angle of the video distorts things.

I think the height difference is why I dismissed this person as Theo when I first saw the video in May.

Hairline: I think it could be and that's all I'm gonna say.

Build: I think it's off but the longer I look at the picture the less I can tell. It also might just be the suit, as it doesn't look form fitting.

Another data point is the wardrobe. At another point in this episode (or at most the episode before it), Mabel is wearing the same exact shade of blue she wore in 2x07. In the OMITB podcast, the wardrobe people have repeatedly said they dress the characters to match the set or each other. It's possible Mabel was dressed for a scene in Theo's apartment.

Possibly-Theo is also matching the children whom I assume to be Will's. Cute!

Let's consider some other suspects:

Cliff:

Wesley Taylor (Cliff) is 5′9″, I can't imagine why Cliff would be at the wedding (even if he's not in jail,) and the ears look wrong, though I'd need more pixels to say for sure. The hairline, however, is very similar.

Paul Rudd:

Ben Glenroy is dead, but reviews and casting information indicate Paul Rudd is coming back as a new character (as Paul Rudd, perhaps?) He is 5′10.″ We have no idea, at present, if this character would have a reason to be at Oliver's wedding.

Other:

John Hoffman is the one officiating the wedding. With that in mind, it seems likely other behind-the-scene-ers are in the audience. I'm not going to post his picture for obvious reasons, but in this video you can see a makeup artist (?) who could be our guy. (Mostly I'm mentioning this just to like, say I called it if it is him.)

It could also be some other extra. A lot of the audience is not recognizable and we can assume many of them are just friends and relatives of Oliver and Loretta that are unknown to the viewer.

We've reached the end of this post. I think... it's more likely then not that this is Theo. As Mabel's friend/roommate he has a clear reason for being there. But I wouldn't give it super high odds, maybe 60/40. Maybe that's too hopeful, or maybe it's overly cautious. It's really the height that gives me pause.

Let's do a poll:

Is this Theo Dimas?

Yes

No

I don't know!

See results

Voting ended onSep 3, 2024

[queenevanscent]

So I've been thinking over @moonxliqht theory and I wonder, what if no one killed Ben at all?

He "died " and came back to life as per his plan to make his documentary more exciting ( like Moon said)

I mean think about it , he came in right after he was saved an casually let out his thoughts on who had beef with him at a party as an excuse to seek forgiveness and change his ways?

Could be his way of trying to gain some momentum into the whole " who tried to kill the star " plan in order to get more media coverage and buzz around the the whole production.

And later on he probably got into a fight with someone , maybe his brother/manager or Clifford and his mom about the whole thing. Or maybe even Kim because she didn't like how he talked to her in front of everybody.

And during the fight the accidently fell.

It wasn't an intentional murder, it just happened.

Could be a new twist to have someone just die accidently rather than someone actually killing him.

Btw I don't think Mabel will lose the apartment. Its possible the new tenants back out with all the murders that happen in the building and she ends of staying for a little while longer.

[icelandichufflepuff]

⚠️Only murders in the building spoilers ahead⚠️

I do believe it was Donna that poisoned Ben, but I don't believe she pushed him. I think it was Cliff. If it wasn't Cliff, it was probably Tobert.

I am not really sure what their motives would be. Maybe Cliff was also just trying to protect his first show, like his mother was. Maybe he was fed up with how Ben treated him. Maybe he knew that his mother had poisoned Ben so he pushed him to protect her.

And maybe Tobert was bitter over being fired. Maybe Ben knew something about Tobert and was blackmailing him. I have absolutely nothing to back that second theory of Toberts motive. He is just so freaking suspicious and he is clearly hiding something.

I have no idea if I am right though. We'll see next week.

[mobiusmybeloved]

Alright, I have a lot of thoughts about what's happened so far in the new Only Murders in the Building season, and I just can't wait until the next episode airs to talk about it.

There are a lot of spoilers below the cut. I may have gotten a little carried away with how long this post became.

I'm gonna go through, character by character, and explain my thoughts on each of them, keeping in mind these questions:

Who doesn't have their handkerchief? Who would have had access backstage and in the Arconia? Who has the motive?

We also have to keep in mind that in the past two seasons, the killer was never painted as a suspect until the reveal. Things could be different this season, but there's no guarantee.

Let's start off with Joy, since the last episode left off painting her as the number one suspect.

Joy: So the lipstick found in Ben's dressing room that was used to write the insult belongs to Charles's girlfriend. Of course. I'm gonna start off by saying, I think it's pretty obvious that it's not her. She does have some strange vibes, but the odds of another one of Charles's lovers being the killer is too obvious and coincidental. Not to mention, she's not a part of the cast. She never had a hankie to begin with, and Charles has his so she couldn't have taken it. Now, I do think she wrote the message on the mirror. She really does seem to care about Charles, so maybe knowing about the feud he and Ben had led her to write that message as a way to stand up for him. How did she have access backstage? Well, Charles is a part of the cast, so I'm assuming he would've let her in. So my conclusion: innocent.

Loretta: There have been a few scenes/shots that are clearly meant to portray Loretta as a suspicious person. We did get to see a lot of her backstory as a struggling actor, and she's finally made her big break. Maybe there's something we don't know about her past, maybe Ben took a role from her, or got her fired from a job the way Charles did to Ben. Does she have her hankie? Unclear, if I'm remembering correctly. To me, she seems like a sweet person, but there is definitely something we don't know about her. Is that thing the fact that she is the killer? I personally don't think so, once again going to the fact that we've already had the plot where one of the guys' girlfriends is the killer. My conclusion is a little more unclear this time, but I still think: innocent.

Kimber: A lot has happened with Kimber in the last few episodes, and I have a lot to unpack with this one. Most importantly, Kimber doesn't have her hankie. There is reason to believe that there was something going on between her and Ben, whether romantic or not. In this last episode, she talked about the serum that Ben used and how he used it on opening night. That would be an easy way to administer the poison. But how did she get into the Arconia? Well, right before Ben's death, they had the party at Oliver's, right? She could've stayed in the building after. With her most recent scene in the last episode, she seemed clueless as to what might actually be going on. She was casually talking with Mabel, explaining how she wanted Ben to promote the products for her (which is a potential motive!), and stuff like that. But we have to remember: she is an actor. She has the ability to pretend to be someone she's not, so I'd assume she has the ability to lie pretty well. Although, there have been some shots that do paint her as a suspect of sorts, which we know is something they haven't done with the killers in previous seasons. Still, that is not enough to rule her out with the evidence presented. My conclusion: suspect.

Jonathan: The understudy. Classic. Does he have his hankie? Unsure. Charles did say that Kimber was the only one to not give her hankie, so we might be able to assume that everyone else does. Like Kimber, anyone who was at the party that night was in the Arconia around the time of Ben's death. He does have the obvious motive of being the understudy, the whole cliché of wanting the main part. But if the motive was as simple as that, there are a number of other things he could've done aside from murder, especially attempting it twice. And we also have to consider the fact that it is a cliché, and, at least imo, omitb is anything but cliché. We can't rule him out entirely, but I think for my personal theory, I'm going to say: innocent.

Donna: I don't have much to say about her. Her relationship with Cliff is very much giving Lucille and Buster from Arrested Development. My initial thought was that she wouldn't want to sabotage a play that she had already put so much into, especially one that was meant to kickstart her son's career. Now, I doubt that she would have killed Ben right as the money was going to start rolling in with all the shows beginning to sell tickets. What I do believe to be a possibility, however, is that we've seen how she acts with Cliff. She is clearly wayyy too attached to him, so maybe she panicked when she realized the success of Oliver's play might mean that her son begins to make a name for himself and no longer needs her. Now, is that enough for murder? Once again, I believe there are plenty of other options she could've gone with if this is the case. Although, she is clearly mentally unwell, going off the way she acts with her son, so maybe murder is something she'd be capable of. But is it enough? My conclusion: suspect.

Cliff: I don't have much to say about him either. Something definitely seems off, and with the mother being a suspect, he would seem more unlikely. Although, in the last season, we had another "sidekick of a duo" turn out to be our killer, so that makes me want to stray from this theory. But we still have to consider it. This would be his big break if the play goes well. He could finally break free from his mother and start to make a name for himself. Maybe that's something he wants, maybe not. If he is as attached to his mother as she is to him, which it seems he might be, maybe he is the one who panicked and tried to stop the show's success. Maybe they're working together. Although I will say, his enthusiasm with Oliver's new idea, standing up and saying they'll do it, makes me believe it is not him. My conclusion: innocent.

Dickie: Ben's brother and assistant. This would be the obvious choice, wouldn't it? The brother, always overshadowed by his successful sibling, always in the shadows rather than the spotlight, where he wants to be. He becomes so frustrated that he ends up killing him. Would make sense, right? And maybe he had a hankie we don't know about. He hasn't been around the cast as much now that Ben is dead, except for offering Loretta the part to that show. Maybe there were nefarious reasons behind that, maybe not. But what makes me believe it isn't him is the way he was acting in Ben's apartment. He didn't know that Mabel and Tobert were hiding in the closet, so that was a pure, honest reaction. Or maybe the poisoning and elevator incident were separate. Mabel did ask if there was foam around Ben's mouth, as that would indicate poison, and I don't know about y'all, but I didn't see any. Maybe that was some random medical issue of sorts, or maybe he was poisoned and the person gave up after the first attempt. Where I'm going with this is, if the two were separate incidents, maybe what happened at the elevator was that he and Ben got into a fight where he ended up pushing him down the elevator shaft. That could be why he's so upset in the apartment. Mad at himself but also mad at Ben for maybe causing an argument that led him to get physically violent like that. Whatever the case, my theory is: suspect.

Tobert: Tobert wasn't very involved this season until we got to that scene in Ben's apartment. Maybe the real reason he was looking for that tape is because he was the one in the room and wanted to destroy the evidence. But then I think he'd be more hesitant to watch it with Mabel. Or maybe he knew the person who was in there and also wanted to destroy the evidence. But once again, Mabel. I think he genuinely wanted to know what the tapes caught and is friend rather than foe. Might need to go deeper into my theories about him later, but, for now: innocent.

Howard: I'm just gonna say it. I don't think our beloved sweater-and-cat-loving man did it. Yes, maybe he felt overshadowed as an assistant. Maybe he was jealous that he didn't get the main part and was immediately made crew instead. But I don't think he's capable of murder, even after everything that's happened. Conclusion: innocent.

Bobo: Not much to say about him. The only possible motive might be the way Ben mocked him, but that doesn't seem like enough to want to kill him unless there's more we don't know about. Conclusion: innocent.

Ty: We haven't seen much of Ty, so I don't have much to go on. I'm gonna say, until we know more, innocent.

K.T.: She always seems to be in a bad mood, always very done with everyone. And we don't know that much about her. Something definitely seems off about her, and I think if any of the lesser shown characters turn out to be the killer, it might be her. Although, with the negative light that they've portrayed her in, it also seems like she'd be a bit too obvious of a choice. First and only time saying this in this post: inconclusive.

The main three obviously aren't suspects, at least in my book. Though wouldn't that be crazy haha....

There's some more we have to think about. In the shots of the corkboard that we see, there are multiple crew members with no names listed. I doubt it's any of them since we've barely seen them, but we can't rule them out entirely. Someone could have taken Kimber's hankie to frame her, which is why she doesn't remember how she got rid of it. Who knows, maybe Joy was having an affair with Ben and that's why her lipstick was there. Then he broke up with her that night, so she wrote on the mirror then tried to kill him. There's so much to consider here, but I wanted to get out some of my thoughts.

Who am I placing a bet on? For now, I'm gonna say Dickie. I think they're separate incidents, and the first was maybe a poisoning or medical issue. If poisoning, who tried to kill him then? But I think Dickie was definitely the one to push him down the elevator. But we'll see. Please feel free to reply with your thoughts as well, I want to see how other people view this.