Only Murders in the Building: Ghost Light
September 6, 2023 8:32 PM - Season 3, Episode 6 - Subscribe
All roads lead the trio back to the Goosebury Theater during a nerve-rattling thunderstorm; with Howard as their jittery guide, they track a legendary ghost who's haunted the theatre for generations.
Oh, and for the first time, I caught the easter egg while watching the opening credits! (It's a sandbag falling behind the trio as we see them through the Arconia alcove towards the end.)
posted by Navelgazer at 8:55 PM on September 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 8:55 PM on September 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
yeah Tobert is providing too much information to feel trustworthy.
posted by entropone at 9:35 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by entropone at 9:35 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Right? I liked this article on Digital Spy about what they're calling "The Mabel Problem," in that she's a good character, and smart, with a genuine talent for solving murders, but the show often has no real idea what to do with her except thrust her into relationships with other attractive young characters, who then disappear from the story completely after the final credits roll.
Tobert is super guilty of something, but I'm prone to agree with that article -- I think it's more about him wanting to scoop the story than wanting to get with Mabel, at least at first. Documentary filmmakers gonna documentary film-make, and his getting the inside story on the real goings-on surrounding a high-profile celebrity murder would instantly land him a heap of professional success. Does Tobert even actually like Mabel? I think so, especially as he gets to know her. Will Mabel feel betrayed if she discovers he's been using her to get closer to the story? Probably. Would he be able to make it up to her? Yeah, unless he's the murderer. And I don't think he is.
(I'm still watching for color cues -- at the end of this episode, Mabel is in a pale blue sweater and Tobert's blue plaid shirt has a stripe that matches exactly. They're simpatico.)
This felt like one of those filler-y episodes but it had some genuinely great moments. I liked that there were two ghosts, in a way -- Jerry and Gideon. Jerry is alive, but invisible. Gideon is long dead, but his presence is very much felt and feared and revered. And I love Howard, and his sweaters, and his secret yearning to be on stage himself. And that scene with KT. Sing out, Louise!
I was absolutely certain that Jerry was going to grill up that rat for dinner and I sighed with genuine relief when he did not.
Snakes and rats abound in this season!
Also, what on earth are they doing with Charles? He's always been a little neurotic, but I can't for a moment believe that he was so destroyed by Joy's whirlwind departure that he would bring an emotional support fish to the theater. Isn't this the person who went for years without seeing his beloved Lucy in person?
And maybe it was just a roundabout way to bring in some of Steve Martin's glorious physical comedy, and it was a funny bit for sure, but I was so distracted by how weird Charles was being that I squinted through the whole scene.
Was there something sinister going on with the smoke machine, possibly? Ben's scene on stage was in a cloud of smoke -- maybe it wasn't the cookies after all?
posted by mochapickle at 10:18 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Tobert is super guilty of something, but I'm prone to agree with that article -- I think it's more about him wanting to scoop the story than wanting to get with Mabel, at least at first. Documentary filmmakers gonna documentary film-make, and his getting the inside story on the real goings-on surrounding a high-profile celebrity murder would instantly land him a heap of professional success. Does Tobert even actually like Mabel? I think so, especially as he gets to know her. Will Mabel feel betrayed if she discovers he's been using her to get closer to the story? Probably. Would he be able to make it up to her? Yeah, unless he's the murderer. And I don't think he is.
(I'm still watching for color cues -- at the end of this episode, Mabel is in a pale blue sweater and Tobert's blue plaid shirt has a stripe that matches exactly. They're simpatico.)
This felt like one of those filler-y episodes but it had some genuinely great moments. I liked that there were two ghosts, in a way -- Jerry and Gideon. Jerry is alive, but invisible. Gideon is long dead, but his presence is very much felt and feared and revered. And I love Howard, and his sweaters, and his secret yearning to be on stage himself. And that scene with KT. Sing out, Louise!
I was absolutely certain that Jerry was going to grill up that rat for dinner and I sighed with genuine relief when he did not.
Snakes and rats abound in this season!
Also, what on earth are they doing with Charles? He's always been a little neurotic, but I can't for a moment believe that he was so destroyed by Joy's whirlwind departure that he would bring an emotional support fish to the theater. Isn't this the person who went for years without seeing his beloved Lucy in person?
And maybe it was just a roundabout way to bring in some of Steve Martin's glorious physical comedy, and it was a funny bit for sure, but I was so distracted by how weird Charles was being that I squinted through the whole scene.
Was there something sinister going on with the smoke machine, possibly? Ben's scene on stage was in a cloud of smoke -- maybe it wasn't the cookies after all?
posted by mochapickle at 10:18 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I was absolutely certain that Jerry was going to grill up that rat for dinner and I sighed with genuine relief when he did not.
Oh did he not? I really thought the last thing we saw of him was him turning over the rat on the grill. I prefer your reading.
Good call on the smoke machine! Spitballing here, could it be some sort of "poison" which would contraindicate the Leading Man Cocktail in a fatal way but also then not have the meth read on the autopsy? Also, this isn't a "clue" so much as a "wtf", but what kind of bathroom locks from the outside? (presumably a janky-ass backstage bathroom, but still.)
I kinda see the "Mabel Problem" in that she's the comedic straight-man for the trio, and having her be off interacting primarily with characters who don't bounce off of her comedically isn't the best use of her for this. She's got a long history of trauma in her short life and Gomez plays those beats well, but it's better if those are sprinkled in amongst the fun interactions rather than the main thing she's supposed to be doing here. (She's still my favorite character of the leads, however!)
Charles's thing I think can be read as him having had the big psychological breakthrough he's been waiting for last episode, followed immediately by Joy leaving. He's already got abandonment issues, and got hit with another big punch of abandonment right as he had opened up to the possibility that that didn't have to define him. I'm not sure this episode totally sold that, mind you, but I think it makes some sense, character-wise.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:49 AM on September 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh did he not? I really thought the last thing we saw of him was him turning over the rat on the grill. I prefer your reading.
Good call on the smoke machine! Spitballing here, could it be some sort of "poison" which would contraindicate the Leading Man Cocktail in a fatal way but also then not have the meth read on the autopsy? Also, this isn't a "clue" so much as a "wtf", but what kind of bathroom locks from the outside? (presumably a janky-ass backstage bathroom, but still.)
I kinda see the "Mabel Problem" in that she's the comedic straight-man for the trio, and having her be off interacting primarily with characters who don't bounce off of her comedically isn't the best use of her for this. She's got a long history of trauma in her short life and Gomez plays those beats well, but it's better if those are sprinkled in amongst the fun interactions rather than the main thing she's supposed to be doing here. (She's still my favorite character of the leads, however!)
Charles's thing I think can be read as him having had the big psychological breakthrough he's been waiting for last episode, followed immediately by Joy leaving. He's already got abandonment issues, and got hit with another big punch of abandonment right as he had opened up to the possibility that that didn't have to define him. I'm not sure this episode totally sold that, mind you, but I think it makes some sense, character-wise.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:49 AM on September 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh... oh no. I just checked again, the very end, and he IS grilling the rat! He just waited until Oliver left.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
posted by mochapickle at 10:56 AM on September 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
posted by mochapickle at 10:56 AM on September 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
Yeah, unless he's the murderer. And I don't think he is.
As per his baby elephant story, it would make sense if he saw [one of the] murder [attempts] happening, but did nothing to stop it -- in which case now he's trying to be part of the investigation so he can reverse engineer what he knows without implicating his passivity/cowardice?
(And/or he'll just have to choose between intervening or not when something dangerous happens in the finale. Something has to be a baby elephant!)
posted by nobody at 1:02 PM on September 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
As per his baby elephant story, it would make sense if he saw [one of the] murder [attempts] happening, but did nothing to stop it -- in which case now he's trying to be part of the investigation so he can reverse engineer what he knows without implicating his passivity/cowardice?
(And/or he'll just have to choose between intervening or not when something dangerous happens in the finale. Something has to be a baby elephant!)
posted by nobody at 1:02 PM on September 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
Anyone else get a Dirty Rotten Scoundrels flashback with Charles' "Mother?"
posted by sapere aude at 3:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by sapere aude at 3:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
“Not Mother?”
posted by Servo5678 at 6:24 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 6:24 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Isn't this the person who went for years without seeing his beloved Lucy in person?
...and made her favorite omelette every morning, then threw it in the trash?
He's always been a bit nuts dealing with emotional stuff.
posted by mmoncur at 7:34 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
...and made her favorite omelette every morning, then threw it in the trash?
He's always been a bit nuts dealing with emotional stuff.
posted by mmoncur at 7:34 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
So, the podcast. We've given up on that, right?
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:21 AM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:21 AM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
So, the podcast. We've given up on that, right?
That's been a pet peeve of mine this season. I can see what happened: the earlier seasons got their scenes of, let's call it "theatricality", by showing the podcast being made -- Oliver coming up with flowery narrations, Charles reading into microphones, the fan club talking about the podcast, and so on.
This season has a play being staged so there's a lot of theatricality there, so maybe there's no room for the podcast bits.
I still miss it though, and it WAS the sole motivation for the three to solve murders, so I wish it was more present.
posted by mmoncur at 8:39 PM on September 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
That's been a pet peeve of mine this season. I can see what happened: the earlier seasons got their scenes of, let's call it "theatricality", by showing the podcast being made -- Oliver coming up with flowery narrations, Charles reading into microphones, the fan club talking about the podcast, and so on.
This season has a play being staged so there's a lot of theatricality there, so maybe there's no room for the podcast bits.
I still miss it though, and it WAS the sole motivation for the three to solve murders, so I wish it was more present.
posted by mmoncur at 8:39 PM on September 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
Like, I want the podcast to come back, but with the current storyline that means resolving things with Cinda, and I hate Cinda, so I'm okay without it.
Does anyone know: I was wondering last night about Tobert's footage from Ben's dressing room, how he was on his way to look for it when he ran into Mabel. Somehow, that footage had to have been carried from the theater to Ben's penthouse either the night of the murder or shortly after. If Tobert didn't bring it up there, who did?
posted by mochapickle at 8:15 AM on September 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Does anyone know: I was wondering last night about Tobert's footage from Ben's dressing room, how he was on his way to look for it when he ran into Mabel. Somehow, that footage had to have been carried from the theater to Ben's penthouse either the night of the murder or shortly after. If Tobert didn't bring it up there, who did?
posted by mochapickle at 8:15 AM on September 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh... oh no. I just checked again, the very end, and he IS grilling the rat! He just waited until Oliver left.
And I think he told Oliver something like "you did come on a lucky night!" after he spotted it... and before he invited him to stay for dinner.
"Sing out, Louise!" made me so happy, I laughed out loud. I quote that all the time when someone isn't loud enough, and no one ever knows what I mean, and thank G-d my people are still out there.
posted by Mchelly at 4:41 PM on September 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
And I think he told Oliver something like "you did come on a lucky night!" after he spotted it... and before he invited him to stay for dinner.
"Sing out, Louise!" made me so happy, I laughed out loud. I quote that all the time when someone isn't loud enough, and no one ever knows what I mean, and thank G-d my people are still out there.
posted by Mchelly at 4:41 PM on September 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
I don't think Samuel Morse himself could have invented an outcome more telegraphed than the one that was set up from the moment Charles put the fish in that toilet tank. I'm glad President McKinley survived his trip to the theater!
posted by eponym at 10:45 AM on September 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by eponym at 10:45 AM on September 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Still don't trust Tobert at all, though.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:33 PM on September 6, 2023 [4 favorites]