Performance Review

"Performance Review"
"Performance Review" title-card
Season	2
Episode	6
Director	Cherien Dabis
Writer	Ben Smith Joshua Allen Griffith
Editor	Peggy Tachdjian
Production code	2DWB06
Original air date	July 26, 2022
Running time	32 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous	The Tell
Next →	Flipping the Pieces

Performance Review is the sixth episode of the second season of Only Murders in the Building. It was released on July 26, 2022. The episode was written by Ben Smith and Joshua Allen Griffith, and directed by Cherien Dabis.

Short Summary

Charles, Oliver and Mabel collide with their podcasting mentor-turned-competitor, Cinda Canning. Subsequently, a key clue requires the trio to orchestrate a stakeout - Brazzos-style.

Full Summary

Poppy White scrolls through Cinda's schedule. Jimmy Russo comes in and Poppy takes him to Cinda. Cinda's been excited to meet him, she says, and learn more about what Mabel did to him. He shows that the tip of his right middle finger has been cut off.

Poppy introduces Jimmy and Cinda. Poppy watches them interact for a while until Cinda tells her she's letting all the loud air in.

In the studio, Poppy pretends to record her own podcast.

Alice takes pictures of the blood stain on Mabel's floor. When Mabel comes in, Alice turns the camera toward her. Alice finds Mabel inspiring. She's working on a surprise project. The settle on the couch to eat breakfast. Mabel made empalmes, which she used to make with her dad. Alice asks Mabel about her dad. Alice hasn't said much about him, but Mabel likes it that way. People are so obsessed with her past and she likes being with Alice because she's new and makes Mabel feel new.

Charles visits Jan, who notes that he's twirling the phone cord and asks if she makes him feel like a hormonal teenager. She realizes he's just uneasy. He's not sure they should be talking because they're broken up. She says they never broke up, but he assumed because she tried to kill him. She still loves him and asks if that's crazy. He says it's a little crazy.

Oliver tells the person sitting next to him that his son is Greek, so he must be Greek, not Irish. He tries to make sense of it. He claims he's not worried his son isn't his son at all. The technician calls him back.

Poppy continues talking until a text from Cinda interrupts. Cinda has to poop and needs Poppy to come in and say she has a call so she can leave her meeting.

Naomi Jackson as Brazzos enters a crime scene as a body is removed. She finds a punch card for free frozen yogurt with only one spot left to punch. She asks her Uncle Brazzos, played by Charles, if it's his old nemesis, the Strangler of Slidell. Charles says he thought he was gone, but he wants soup. Nothing makes sense in his mind. She says it's the world that's lost its mind. They finish the scene and the director calls cut. He says that's the shot. He calls for stunts next. Charles walks to Joy Payne, who touches up his makeup. Sazz Pataki rolls up, asking if someone said stunts. She's there to double for Charles. He thinks he could handle rolling a wheelchair across a room, but that's her job. Charles finds Lucy, who liked watching him film. Oliver and Mabel are there, too, she says, and Oliver is making the PA get him food.

Oliver shows them the footage. He's sure the person in the diner with Bunny is her killer. They believe the matchbook in the footage is the one Mabel found. Mabel notices a fingerprint on it and says it's the first piece of evidence that doesn't point to one of them. Oliver says they could ask the cops for help, as they do have a friend on the force. Charles is still convinced that it was Detective Williams who texted them that night. Mabel takes his phone to text the number back. Joy comes to get the wig from Charles's head. She's not sure why they make him wear it as his own hair is great. He introduces Joy, who worked on the original Brazzos as well, to Oliver and Mabel. Charles pulled her out of retirement. Once she's gone, the others tease Charles, who insists it's not romantic between them. Charles says she's great, but he's not available emotionally. A phone chimes and Oliver checks it, saying he's waiting for DNA results that will ruin his life. Mabel says it's Detective Williams, who agreed to run prints on the matchbook. They can meet up later today to get it to her. A second text from Williams tells them not to tell anyone else because she's the only person in the NYPD who believes they're too stupid to pull this off. Lucy leaves to catch her train. She runs into a cop on her way out and says he looks like an actor. He tells the trio that Detective Kreps wants to see them at Bunny's apartment. He found something.

Charles, Mabel, and Oliver enter the apartment to find Detective Kreps there will Cinda and Poppy. Kreps tells them all to stop podcasting right now. This was supposed to be a career-making case for him, but they're screwing up his investigation. Cinda asks not to be lumped in with them as she can actually help him. Her next episode contains an interesting story from Jimmy Russo, a former co-worker of Mabel's from Long John Silver's. Mabel says Jimmy is a liar and he's irrelevant to the case. Cinda thinks he is relevant because he shows that she has a tendency to snap. He's the start of a pattern that led to Bunny's murder. Cinda insists that she tells the truth, but she tells an interesting story. She needs to leave so she can go do that. Kreps tells her again not to release anymore episodes. Cinda and Poppy leave. Oliver asks where Detective Williams is and Kreps says she's in Denver on maternity leave. He and Charles realize she can't be the person who texted them to meet up.

Mabel follows Poppy down the hall and asks if she's okay after how Cinda treated her. Poppy says she's fine. She's paying her dues, waiting for her big break. Mabel says she won't get that unless she speaks up and makes it happen. She needs to act like a producer, not an assistant. And she should start with Jimmy, who is full of shit. She can help Cinda by keeping that episode off the air. She might earn Cinda's respect in the process. Just as Poppy says Cinda respects her, Cinda whistles for Poppy like a dog.

Oliver says not to jump to conclusions. They should text Williams to see where she wants to meet up and see what she says. Mabel sends the text and they wait. When the phone chimes, Mabel checks it. The text says it's too risky to meet up and instructs them to hide the evidence in Morningside Park to be retrieved later. They realize they're texting with the killer, not Williams.

Charles, Mabel, and Oliver discuss what they should do next. Charles looks at a Brazzos poster on the wall and says they agree to their terms. Inspired by an episode of Brazzos, they will put a paint bomb out for the killer to retrieve, then they'll make a citizen's arrest. Oliver suggests using glitter instead, because you can't get rid of glitter.

Oliver returns to Charles' car after planting the glitter bomb. Mabel questions not what.

Cinda records an ad for her podcast. When she's finished, Poppy and Luis tell her she did great. Cinda's phone chimes and she asks Poppy about a meeting to set a performance review. Poppy says that's for her. She'd like Cinda to review her performance and consider a promotion if she finds it adequate. Cinda asks Luis what he thought of the Jimmy Russo interview. He thought it was unreal. Poppy found that guy. Cinda says she doesn't normally consider promotions until year five, but she agrees to think about it.

Charles, Mabel, and Oliver have been waiting in the car. Oliver shares a memory including Will watching him work as a child. Mabel and Charles tell him it'll be fine. Charles admits it could be bad. Mabel's phone chimes, but it's just the new episode of Cinda's podcast. She plays it. Jimmy claims that Mabel chopped off his finger in the Long John Silver's kitchen then cooked and served it. Mabel says he's lying. Jimmy says Mabel's a monster. Mabel says Jimmy was a creep and the first time she pushed back, he got his finger stuck in the meat slicer. Charles goes to play some music on his phone to break the tension, but Oliver notices a lot of calls from Hopestill. Oliver and Mabel realize he's been talking to Jan. He admits to it, but says it was about the case initially. She claims they never broke up. Mabel asks why he didn't end it then. Charles says he doesn't know how. He's never broken up with anyone before. He's 75 and thought he was in the clear. He knows he needs to break up with her, but she's scary and sexy and that makes it difficult. He thinks his father is at fault. As Charles talks, a figure walks up to the glitter bomb and sets it off. Mabel reminds Charles that Jan killed her friend. She tells Charles to get things straight. As she goes to exit the car, she sees the person running away with the bag. They race over to the bomb, but the killer is long gone. Mabel goes to leave. Charles says he's sorry, but Mabel feels like walking and needs some space. Oliver tells Charles that Mabel will be fine, but he needs to end things with Jan. Charles says it'll be hard. But then he realizes he may not have to.

Cinda's getting ready to leave. She asks Poppy if there are any messages. Poppy says the episode was a hit and pats herself on the back. Cinda says Stanley is turning three tomorrow and asks Poppy to write a card for her. Poppy asks if Cinda had a chance to do what they talked about earlier. Cinda says her asking for a promotion in front of Luis made everyone uncomfortable. She's a rock star assistant. When Cinda was an intern at The Post, Kay Graham gave her some advice. "Don't be too good at a job you don't want."

Jan is led in to greet her visitor. She's surprised that it's not Charles, but Sazz. Sazz has a few script pages she's rehearsing. She breaks up with Jan for Charles. Jan is surprised that Charles is using Sazz to break up with her.

Mabel arrives at the gallery. She walks in to find two actors dressed to play Tim and Zoe. They whisper as Mabel walks farther into the gallery to find a set staged to look like her apartment. She finds Alice talking to an actor dressed as Bunny, given stage directions. Alice herself is dressed to play Mabel. Alice is surprised to see Mabel there and says she wasn't meant to see it yet. She says she was trying to help Mabel with her trauma. Mabel leaves without listening to her.

Charles rubs CBD oil onto his hands. Oliver comes in saying he still hasn't gotten the DNA results. He's a mess. Charles says he can stay there until his email comes.

Mabel boards a subway train as she takes a call from Poppy, who says she didn't stand up to Cinda. Cinda's a monster. Poppy says Cinda didn't finish college. She dropped out and her teeth aren't real. She's a liar who will do anything for a good story. You learn a lot about a woman when you manage her calendar. She's got her sights on Mabel now. As she talks, Mabel notices another passenger who is covered with glitter. Poppy offers Mabel, Charles, and Oliver her help. She knows where the many bodies are buried. Mabel hangs up as the glittered figure approaches her.

Charles has given Oliver some salsa to replace the Greek dips he can't stomach. Oliver get a text from Will. It's a video. They are horrified to see that it's a video of Mabel stabbing the person on the train. Oliver and Charles awkwardly hug.

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

• Zoe Colletti as Lucy
• Tina Fey as Cinda Canning
• Wakeema Hollis as Brazzos (Naomi Jackson)
• Johnny Hopkins as Jimmy Russo
• Jane Lynch as Sazz Pataki
• Andrea Martin as Joy Payne
• Michael Rapaport as Detective Daniel Kreps
• Amy Ryan as Jan Bellows
• Adina Verson as Poppy White

Co-Starring

• Dipa Anitia as Quick Helix Technician
• Charles Everett as Police Officer
• Francisco Javier Gonzalez as Luis
• Matt Louie as Tim Kono Actor
• Ade Otukoya as Brazzos Director
• Eleanor Pearson as Zoe Cassidy Actor

Notes and Trivia

General

• The Easter Egg in the credits is the moon, which turns glittery as it goes over the top of the building. The moon was previously turned a different colour in the episode The Sting.
• Cinda's line "Don't be too good at a job you don't want" was inspired by a real piece of advice one of the writers of the episode received from a mentor.

Media

Episode Stills

Photos by Craig Blankenhorn and Patrick Harbron for Hulu.

See Also

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