Framed

"Framed"
"Framed" title-card
Season	2
Episode	2
Director	John Hoffman
Writer	Kristin Newman
Editor	Shelly Westerman
Original air date	June 28, 2022
Running time	35 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous	"Persons of Interest"
Next →	"The Last Day of Bunny Folger"

"Framed" is the second of two premiere episodes of the second season of Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Airing on June 28, 2022, the episode was written by Kristin Newman, and directed by John Hoffman and Jesse Peretz.

Short Summary

A memorial for Bunny Folger provides an opportunity for our trio to question their neighbors, while they also try to get rid of a very implicating piece of evidence.

Full Summary

Leonora Folger says that Bunny's story starts with the story of the Arconia. It was built in 1908 by architect and playboy Archibald Carter to build up the Upper West Side. It was his fourth building in that style, all in different countries. Each building held secrets known only to him, including secret elevators and passageways. Archibald uses one such secret elevator to spy on a woman living in one of the apartments. Archibald married and raised a family in the Arconia. Years later, his daughter, Leonora, married Mr. Folger, and they raised their daughter, Bunny, in the Arconia as well. Bunny lived her entire life in that apartment. In the 1950s, the neighborhood was one of middle-class and working people. It was a place for immigrants, artists, and aspiring actors. Young Charles walks down the street with his father, helping him practice his lines for an audition. His father makes him promise not to tell his mom what they did that day. She doesn't want him to be an actor because she's a dream killer. He points to the Arconia and says they're going to live there when he hits it big.

Charles looks at the painting. He knows it's his father because of the scar on his neck and the watch on his wrist, a watch Charles still has. He wonders why his father's in the painting. Oliver immediately starts recording, talking about the artist being horny. Mabel is annoyed that that's what he's hung up on. Oliver and Mabel take down the painting, so they can get it out of Charles's apartment to avoid looking like murderers. Oliver has a meeting with Amy Schumer. Mabel notices on the back of the canvas that the painting is called "Savage." Charles is irritated that his name is on it because it looks suspicious. Mabel tells them that Bunny said Savage before she died. Charles thinks maybe she was directing them to the painting. Oliver says maybe she actually said Savitch, like Jessica Savitch, a news anchor he dated in the 80s. She lived in the building before he did and left him for someone from 60 Minutes. He deviates to a story of meeting Steve Kroft at a Korean spa, saying he had the most beautiful, firm breasts. Mabel says he has to get permission to tell stories from now on. Oliver says it's clear that someone is trying to frame the two of them. But not him, which he finds weird. They need to get rid of the painting. There's a knock at the door, startling them. Oliver and Mabel rush to hide the painting while Charles opens the door, revealing Howard Morris. Howard says he left his keys in the door and tells Charles he loved the podcast. He knew it was Jan by episode eight, but he wanted to see how it ended. He also agrees with what Charles said on the new podcast, about how whoever has the painting is Bunny's killer. Oliver says they're moving past that theory. Mabel sees that his eye is injured and asks him about it. He says he was playing hide and seek with his new cat, Sevelyn, and he ran into his hutch. He tells them there's a gathering at Bunny's place for everyone who loved her. He thought it would be good if they stopped by. Charles says that's what a guilty person would do, but that's why Howard wants them to go, to find the person who looks guiltier than the three of them. Oliver admits he has a point. Howard asks why they think they were framed. Oliver says it'll be on the podcast. They're switching to a subscription model. They close the door in Howard's face. Mabel wants them to put the painting back in Bunny's apartment and use the memorial as a cover. Charles says he can slip inside, check out the crowd, then use the elevator to get to the back alley, where Oliver and Mabel will be waiting with the painting. They'll bring it back upstairs.

Howard talks to Mrs. Gambolini, trying to get her to say that Howard's her friend. Charles, Mabel, and Oliver enter the party. Uma remarks that the murderers are there. Oliver, who is already recording, says they brought dip. Howard says he invited them. Mabel says they want to help find Bunny's killer. Her death was one of the worst days of Mabel's life. Uma is upset that Mabel's making it about her and tells her to get a job, which Mrs. Gambolini repeats. Uma says she needs to find that bird a new home. Oliver puts the dip on the table, which has a sign on it that says being at the party means they consent to being recorded. Ursula tells him that Cinda was sniffing around, asking about him. She bought ten cases of gut milk. Oliver goes to tell Mabel and Charles about this, but Nina Lin calls everyone's attention to her and says that as the new board president, she won't let Bunny's death adversely affect anyone. She's in charge now and a new era is beginning. Howard hints that he doesn't like Nina, but won't elaborate at the party. All he says is if they thought Bunny was a bitch, she's got nothing on Nina. Uma says Bunny wasn't a bitch. She was alone in the world. All she had was Uma and Mrs. Gambolini. She wonders why the killer took the painting instead of Mrs. Gambolini. Charles says they don't think the killer took the painting anymore. From the doorway, Leonora Folger asks if they're talking about her painting and introduces herself as Bunny's mother. She asks where her painting is. Leonora tells Uma that the painting belongs to her, not to Bunny. She has a bill of sale from when she first bought it. She throws her bag at Mabel to find it because she has macular degeneration. Mabel finds it and hands it to Uma. Leonora asks what they know about her daughter's murder. Uma tells her to ask the trio, as they probably did it. Charles says they were framed. Leonora leans in and sniffs all three of them. She knows they didn't do it, but they know something.

Howard brings Leonora a drink, but she rejects it because he got the drink wrong. Oliver says that's definitely Bunny's mom. Charles wonders if she knew Rose Cooper and his father. Oliver wonders if Leonora is the murderer. Mabel questions him thinking she could have stabbed someone eight times. They watch as Leonora tries and fails to cut some cheese for herself. They finalize the plan to get the painting back into the apartment.

Oliver and Mabel struggle to push the cart with the painting out of Charles' apartment. As they get to the elevator, Lester offers to help them transfer the stuff to the good cart. He's insistent until Oliver tells him to back off. While they ride on the elevator, Alice texts Mabel, asking if she'll come by the studio. Mabel says she will if she's not in jail. Oliver notices her smiling and asks if it's Oscar. She says she and Oscar are really just waiting for the "let's just be friends" text, despite the trauma bond. Oliver understands that.

As the party dwindles, Charles asks Leonora about the painting and Rose Cooper. Leonora asks why she recognizes his voice. He tells her about Brazzos, which she says is always on at her assisted living. She has him say his famous line. Charles gets the text and excuses himself to the elevator.

Mabel and Oliver nearly get spotted by Ursula, who is putting stuff in the dumpster. As they approach, Charles comes out through the door and accidentally lets it close behind him. They tell him to go back up to the party and come back down, but he can't do that because the party is over. Oliver goes to put the painting in the dumpster, but Mabel objects because it's so valuable. Charles and Oliver wrestle over it until they hear people nearby. They tuck the painting between the dumpsters and agree to come back for it later.

Charles works on the suspect board. Under people who hate them, they have Uma, Teddy, Theo, and Jan. Charles then adds his name to a card under suspects. He looks at his dad's watch, then leaves.

Mabel enters the gallery, where she's greeted by Alice. The gallery looks different from the night of the opening. Alice says they all work there. Sometimes she even cries there. Mabel asks her if she's heard of Rose Cooper. Alice has and says she died mysteriously. But that's not why Mabel is there. She's there to see Alice. Alice says she has something to show Mabel. She's been blocked for year, but finally made something. She shows Mabel her sculpture and tells her it's her. Then she gives Mabel an ax to destroy it.

Charles goes back out to the dumpsters to get the painting, but it's gone.

Oliver goes to Amy's apartment with his pitch deck. He shares his thoughts with her. They had conflicting ideas about what direction she should take with the show. She wants to focus on Jan and play Jan herself. She's even learning to play bassoon. Oliver is horrified to see the painting on Amy's wall.

Charles returns to his apartment to find Leonora knocking on his door. She wants to know why he was so curious about her painting. He lets her inside.

Amy says she found the painting in the dumpster and found it inspiring. It's exactly what she wants the Jan-Charles sex scene to look like. She wonders if Charles would play himself. Oliver says the painting has a bad energy and offers to take it out for her. She stops him.

Alice sets up cameras. She wants to do a video series on art as therapy. She knows Mabel needs something more visceral than meditating. She offers to give Mabel the footage when Mabel hesitates. Alice has her close her eyes and think of what she's been forced to carry, every way she's been misunderstood. She puts safety glasses on Mabel's face and then steps away to give her space. Mabel hesitantly hits the sculpture with the ax. The more times she hits, the bolder she gets.

Amy wants to get back to the television show.

Charles brings Leonora a drink.

Mabel is haunted by visions of dead people as she breaks the sculpture.

Leonora accepts the drink and asks Charles what he wants to know.

Amy says her lawyers have told her she can't make deals with murderers again, so they need to clear their names in order to move forward. He says there's nothing tying any of them to Bunny's murder. Amy says he needs to find the killer, and they can get started.

Alice comes back. She says she meant for Mabel to destroy it metaphorically, but then admits she was kidding. Mabel says she feels better, then steps forward and kisses Alice. Alice says she feels better, too.

Charles asks if she knew Rose Cooper. Leonora met her when she was desperate to get away from a man, but didn't have any money, so Leonora bought her painting. Soon after that, she went missing and then was declared dead. The mystery of her death caused the value of her work to skyrocket. Charles asks if she lived across the street and Leonora says she did.

Charles' father sits him on a bench and tells him to read his book while he waits, saying they'll get a hot dog once he's done with his audition. He hands the doorman, Joe, some money, and thanks him for looking out for Charles. Charles calls out to him because he forgot his play. He comes back and grabs it.

Leonora asks Charles if he's okay. Before he can answer, there's a knock at the door. It's Mabel, who knows something about the painting. Just as Leonora comes up behind Charles, Oliver comes up and tells them Amy Schumer has it.

As they exit the elevator, Oliver insists that Amy is not a killer or a thief. She found it in the dumpster. Amy opens her doors and is delighted to see Charles. She had a shirtless poster of him on her ceiling. Leonora tells Amy she has her painting. Leonora goes to the painting. She's very happy to see it, but then finds out it's a forgery. The canvas on hers was torn in the back and the artist glued over it because she was broke. Amy doesn't care about that. She just wanted a naked painting of Charles. Charles says it isn't him, so Amy doesn't want it anymore. Charles takes it off the wall and carries it out, followed by Mabel. Amy holds Oliver back and asks if she was believable as Jan. He realizes she was in character and is delighted that she's not insane. He excuses himself and leaves.

Oliver asks if there's anything from today that they can use in the podcast without ending up in prison. Mabel wonders why Bunny would have a replica of the painting made. Oliver wonders if the killer did it to frame them. There's a knock at the door. It's Uma. She looked more closely at Bunny's will and Bunny wanted him to have something. She wheels in Mrs. Gambolini's cage. He tries to refuse, but she warns him not to disrespect the wishes of someone people think he murdered. Mabel says even in death, Bunny figured out how to give him the bird. Oliver likes that line and wishes he was recording. Mabel says she was and pulls her phone out of her pocket. She's worried she's turning into Oliver.

Charles looks at the building across the street.

Young Charles waits on the bench for his father past nightfall. His father is led out in handcuffs to a police car. He tells Charles it's okay. Charles watches as the car drives away.

Charles tells Leonora that he thinks his father is in the painting. Leonora says of course he is. She knew that already. She had an affair with his father for years. Charles thought Rose Cooper was. Leonora says she was, too. Charles is stunned, but now realizes why his father brought him there all the time. Leonora asks what happened to him. Charles says nothing good. Drinking, jail, then he died when Charles was young. Leonora says she's sorry. Charles asks about the painting. Leonora has a feeling that he'll be looking for her.

Leonora's voiceover continues that the Arconia once brought joy and is now haunted, which makes returning weird. But maybe it was always haunted, but she couldn't see the ghosts before.

Charles comes into Oliver's apartment and tells Mabel what he learned about his father. He wonders if Bunny could be his sister. They gather around Mrs. Gambolini, who says she knows who did it.

Cast

Starring

• Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage
• Martin Short as Oliver Putnam
• Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora
• Cara Delevingne as Alice Banks

Guest Starring

• Vanessa Aspillaga as Ursula
• Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris
• Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller
• Jayne Houdyshell as Bunny Folger
• Christine Ko as Nina Lin
• Ben Livingston as Charles's Father
• Shirley MacLaine as Leonora Folger
• Amy Schumer as Herself

Co-Starring

• Devin Chandler as Arconia Worker 1
• Teddy Coluca as Lester
• Jeffrey Emerson as Archibald Carter
• Matthew Lamb as Little Charles
• Richie Tormo as Arconia Worker 2

Notes and Trivia

General

• In the opening credits, the woman walking her dog in front of the Arconia is now walking a yellow-headed Amazon parrot, referencing Mrs. Gambolini in this episode.

Cultural References

• Oliver mentions Jessica Savitch, a famous news anchor he dated "briefly" in the 80s and who left him for Ed Bradley from 1968 TV series 60 Minutes.
• During the scene at the gathering at Bunny's house, after pregnant Nina Lin introduces herself as the new board president of the Arconia, Howard Morris says she reminds him of the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.
• Oliver suspects that Leonora Folger killed her daughter to get the Rose Cooper painting, referencing 1999 TV series The Sopranos.

Soundtrack

• "you should see me in a crown", performed by Billie Eilish
  Written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
• "Yellow Bird", performed by Nat 'King' Cole
  Written by Michel Mauléart Monton, Oswald Durand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and Norman Luboff

Media

Episode Stills

Behind the Scenes

Photography by Craig Blankenhorn and Barbara Nitke for Hulu.

Videos

Only Murders in the Building - Season 2 Sneak Peek Clip - Hulu

Sneak Peek

See also

A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here.