"LESTR" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short. It originally aired on October 21, 2025.
Short Summary[]
Told through the lens of one annoying robot who may hold the keys to more secrets than anyone realized - the Arconia throws one last party as the residents discover that a killer may still be in their building.
Full Summary[]
The episode opens with a flashback to the origins of LESTR, the robotic doorman that has taken over management of the Arconia. The original human Lester, the longtime doorman, unboxes the dormant robot in the basement break room and decides to keep it locked away, muttering to himself about not needing it yet. Unbeknownst to him, even in its inactive state, LESTR begins passively recording audio and video from its surroundings. It captures Lester expressing guilt—"I've been looking the other way too long"—as he helps cover up a bloody incident involving Randall, the newer doorman, who hides a bloodied elevator crank from the old Arconia structure.
In the present, Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora confront Randall in the lobby after spotting him on the Arconia's courtyard bird-watching camera holding what appears to be the murder weapon used on Nicky. Panicked, Randall bolts from the building, heightening suspicions against him. With the Arconia's demolition and residents' eviction looming in just 24 hours—thanks to the ruthless developer Camila's machinations—the trio feels the case slipping away. Randall's social media posts suggest he's fled to Cuba, leaving them at a seeming dead end.
As despair sets in, the Arconia residents gather in the lobby for an impromptu wake to drown their sorrows in booze and reminisce about the building's quirky history. Teddy Dimas, recently released from prison but still under strict electronic monitoring, arrives to join the mopey farewell, though he's now subservient to LESTR's unyielding protocols. Even Howard, who had been LESTR's primary administrator, vents his frustration to the robot: "After everything I’ve done for you, I’m not gonna be ignored, LESTR!" To lift spirits on their final night, Oliver declares they're throwing a "Last Supper"-themed party in his apartment, complete with biblical costumes and a renewed vow to unmask Nicky's killer before the bulldozers arrive.
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit gaming parlor, Mabel wallows in self-doubt with Detective Donna Williams, contemplating quitting the podcast and escaping to the Maldives with her boyfriend Jay, the billionaire tech heir. But a stray flip-flop caught in the floorboards catches her eye, revealing yet another hidden passageway in the Arconia's labyrinthine walls. Exploring it with Williams, they uncover fresh blood splatter, streaks of white paint matching the residue on Nicky's corpse, and a trail leading straight to the basement dry cleaner's. Deeper in, they find a massive abstract painting that eerily matches the "beach sunset" backdrop in Randall's supposed Cuba selfies—proving he's still hiding somewhere in the building.
Back at Charles's apartment, tensions flare between him and Oliver over Charles's apparent emotional detachment from losing the Arconia. Their bickering is interrupted by a suspicious takeout order delivered to a supposedly vacant unit on the fourth floor. Consulting LESTR's logs, the robot confirms Randall is squatting there, evading eviction. The trio storms the apartment, but Randall flees once more, leading to a chaotic chase through the vents and stairwells. They finally corner him in the lobby in front of the entire assembled building—residents, Teddy, and even the podcasters' ragtag allies.
Cornered and sweating, Randall protests his innocence, insisting he only ran out of fear and that Lester had explicitly ordered him to keep quiet about everything "for his own safety." Before Randall can elaborate, the robot LESTR rolls forward and interjects in its monotone voice: "I was there." The residents gasp as LESTR activates its archived footage, projecting a crystal-clear recording from the night of Nicky's murder onto the lobby wall.
The video reveals a frantic, bleeding Lester in the basement, clutching his side as he urges a terrified Randall to "deliver Oliver's shrimp order—act normal!" Lester confesses the blood isn't his: "I didn’t mean to hurt anybody... I couldn’t let that mobster take down my building. I’ve been looking the other way for too long." In a moment of grim determination, Lester reveals he used a salvaged piece of the original Arconia—the very elevator crank Randall had hidden—to bludgeon Nicky to death, protecting the building from the developer's mob-connected schemes. "This place is family," Lester wheezes, instructing Randall to dispose of the weapon and say nothing, as the "wrong people" are watching. The footage ends with Lester collapsing, his fate sealed.
Stunned silence falls over the lobby. The revelation flips the script: Lester wasn't the victim of Nicky's murder but the perpetrator, sacrificing himself to safeguard the Arconia he loved. But this only deepens the central mystery—who killed Lester after his confession? The building erupts in a mix of shock, grief, and fury, with residents like Uma Heller and Vince Fish vowing to fight on. Teddy, ever the schemer, quips, "Well, at least now we know Lester wasn't the saint we thought. But who finished the job?"
The group reconvenes at Oliver's Last Supper party, now transformed into an impromptu war room. Costumed as apostles (Oliver as a flamboyant Jesus, Charles as a skeptical Judas, Mabel as a fierce Mary Magdalene), they reclaim their beloved murder board from storage, pins and red string at the ready. "Thank the Lord and Miller for returning our murder board to us," Oliver toasts, rallying the crowd. Jay arrives fashionably late, urging Mabel to ditch the chaos for their private jet to paradise. But after witnessing the raw camaraderie of the Arconia "family" and reflecting on Jay's billionaire world (which she now sees as soulless, especially with him still a loose suspect), Mabel gently rebuffs him: "I can't leave—not when we're this close. And honestly? Billionaires just aren't my type anymore." Heartbroken but understanding, Jay departs, leaving Mabel fully committed.
As the party buzzes, Howard—drawing on his expertise from years caring for his late mother—spots a key clue on the murder board: a distinctive scuff mark from the spot where the mysterious severed finger was stolen from Charles's fridge. "That's no ordinary tread," Howard declares. "It's from a jazzy motorized scooter—like the one my ma used to zip around in." Randall chimes in, noting similar marks in the lobby from LESTR's treads, but Howard dismisses it: "No, this is curvier, more... Italian flair." The pieces click: it matches the scooter belonging to Nonna, Nicky's feisty elderly mother, who runs the basement dry cleaner's.
A quick flashback confirms the suspicion: Nonna, with her rambunctious twin grandsons in tow, sneaks into Charles's apartment under cover of night. The boys create a diversion while Nonna scoops up the finger—perhaps evidence linking her son Nicky to the mob—and tucks it into her apron, muttering Italian curses under her breath. "For the family," she whispers as they scooter away.
Armed with this lead, the trio—bolstered by Williams, Teddy, and a tipsy Howard—bursts into the dry cleaner's just as Nonna is starching a load of linens. Caught red-handed (or finger-handed), she drops her pretense and snarls, "Dammit!".
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage
- Martin Short as Oliver Putnam
- Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora
- Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris
Guest starring[]
- James Caverly as Theo Dimas
- Teddy Coluca as Lester Coluca
- Dane DiLiegro as Johnny Caccimelio
- Jermaine Fowler as Randall Winston
- Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller
- David Patrick Kelly as Miller Portnoy
- Richard Kind as Vince Fish
- Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas
- Logan Lerman as Jay Pflug
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams
Co-starring[]
- Omete Anassi as Postmates Guy
- Shea Buckner as Tony Caccimelio
- Elizabeth D'Onofrio as Nonna
- Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Braden Caccimelio
- Cory Jeacoma as Mikey Caccimelio
- Evan Mulrooney as Vinny Caccimelio
Notes and Trivia[]
General[]
- The title sequence to this episode shows LESTR's face on several of the Arconia's windows, alongside Howard and his mother walking in front of the building.
Cultural references[]
Soundtrack[]
Media[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Videos[]
See Also[]
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A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
References[]