The Tell

"The Tell"
"The Tell" title-card
Season	2
Episode	5
Director	Cherien Dabis
Writer	Matteo Borghese Rob Turbovsky
Editor	Shelly Westerman
Production code	2DWB05
Original air date	July 19, 2022
Running time	35 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous	"Here's Looking at You"
Next →	"Performance Review"

"The Tell" is fifth episode of the second season of Only Murders in the Building, released on July 19, 2022. The episode was written by Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky, and directed by Cherien Dabis.

Short Summary

Mabel hosts a party for an eclectic art crowd which also serves a double purpose for smoking out a liar in the trio's midst. Oliver relies on a party game and an era which he feels brings the best out in him to uncover the truth and any potential psycho killer.

Full Summary

Will tells his wife on the phone that they're working on Henry's science fair project. Well, he took over, but he'll make Henry do some of the gluing. He looks at a picture of his father from the 1970s.

Young Oliver steps into a party and asks who wants to play Son of Sam. In the game, if you're the killer, you kill. Otherwise, you try to survive. Most of the players are innocent blondes, but one is the Son of Sam killer. He's going to find out who it is. He warns Teddy not to cheat, then turns out the lights, simulating a blackout.

At a different party, an older Oliver starts the same game, while Will watches from another room. He questions if his wife, Roberta, is the killer. Oliver sees Will watching and follows Will back to his room. When asked, Will lies and says he didn't sneak out of bed, but eventually admits to it. Oliver tells him he knew he was lying because everyone with a secret has a tell. Will has both his socks on, but he hates sleeping in socks. Also, his door was open, while he likes to keep it closed to keep out monsters. He just know Will, like he knows Roberta isn't the killer tonight because she ate cheese, which she only does when she's relaxed. Will finds his father amazing. Oliver puts Will back to bed.

Back at the party, Oliver walks around. He tells Teddy he's the killer. Teddy picks up his card to show Oliver that he's correct.

Will glues more pictures to the family tree.

Jan is happy to see Charles and asks if they're okay. He asks if she's insane and then tells her he wants to know who killed Bunny and thought she might have some insight that could help him. He tells her what he knows about the case. When she starts talking about the men she murdered, Charles realizes he made a mistake and tries to leave. Jan puts her hand on the glass between them and says he can't pretend he doesn't love the way they connect. It's like when they bonded over the last case. She tells him he's looking for an artist of some type and an artist will stick to the project until the end. She asks if anyone is sticking close to him, because that's the killer.

Alice and Mabel talk on the phone while Alice deals with a leak at the gallery and Mabel wanders the passageways. Alice asks what Mabel is wearing, but correctly guesses before Mabel can answer. She then asks Mabel for advice on the leak because she's hosting a full collective get-together. Mabel mutes Alice while she opens a grate and pokes her head into her own apartment. Alice asks if Mabel would be willing to host the party at her apartment and Mabel unmutes her to say she will. She hates being home alone anymore and could use the company. Alice tells Mabel not to worry about anything as she'll organize it all. As she hangs up, Mabel sees a matchbook inside the vent. It's from The Pickle Diner and is stained with blood. Mabel drops it when she sees that.

Will and Oliver watch the kids rehearse. Oliver is glad to see Will directing, as he feels it runs in their family, going back five generations. Will wonders if that will show up on the genealogy test they took for Henry's science project. He'd like Oliver's help for that. They agree to make him visiting a more regular thing. Oliver gets a text from Mabel, so he hugs Henry goodbye and leaves.

Oliver arrives at Mabel's place, where she and Charles are examining the matchbook. They debate if it's blood or ketchup. Mabel suggests that the killer stabbed Bunny then left through the grate in the bottom of her closet, dropping the matchbook while they left. Charles wonders if Bunny said passage, not Savage. Mabel doesn't remember because that night is still a blur. Oliver comments on the fallibility of memory. They wonder if the matchbook belonged to the killer. They want it to be simple, like someone who's a regular at the diner.

At The Pickle Diner, Ivan gives them a list of his regulars. Half the list is in Russian. Charles says the killer set the scene to tell a story, so who did Bunny know who was a storyteller. Mabel tries to whisper about the matchbook, but Charles and Oliver can't hear her, forcing her to speak louder, which draws the attention of Sam, Paulette, Marv, and Grant, who are sitting nearby. Marv actually thinks he knows those passageways as he goes mold removal for the building. Charles declines to comments on it. He suggests thinking about anyone new who has tried to get close to them. Mabel's phone buzzes with a message from Alice, who is on her way. Mabel says Alice isn't a killer, just an artist friend she's been on a few dates with. Charles is surprised by that, which Oliver makes fun of him for. Marv says his daughter came out recently and he was proud of her, even though she says he's dead to her. Mabel tells them about the party and they invite themselves. She begs them to be normal. After they leave, Marv, Sam, Grant, and Paulette talk about the case and Mabel dating a woman.

Charles and Oliver enter the party. Charles sees Alice and says he doesn't trust her. The timing is suspicious. Alice and Mabel approach and Alice is happy to meet them. She recognizes Charles from one of his obscure film roles. Oliver asks how they met, but Mabel points them toward the bar to get them away from Alice. Oliver is suspicious of Alice, but Charles finds her charming and says she didn't do it. Oliver thinks it's just like Jan, him being charmed by a woman paying attention to him, but he says the odds are low of that happening again. He says Oliver can't go around believing everyone is lying. Oliver says he only believes that if they are lying and everyone has a tell. Charles asks what his is. Oliver says his is that he doesn't have a tell. He's just as uncomfortable as he looks. Oliver excuses himself and walks away, leaving a nervous Charles on his own.

Oliver returns and calls everyone's attention to him so they can play Son of Sam killer. Alice joins happily. Oliver offers a bowl of pills to everyone before they get started. He turns the lights off to simulate a blackout and then sets the scene. He hands everyone a card and explains the rules of the game. They all put their hands in the center to start the game. As the lights come back on, a partygoer falls to the ground and declares himself dead. Mabel immediately says that Charles is the killer and asks who agrees. Charles says it's not him, so Oliver calls for a vote. Several hands are raised, but Charles turns his card to reveal that he is not the killer. Charles is out of the game as Oliver starts the next round. They play several more rounds without finding the killer until only Alice, Oliver, and Mabel remain alive. Oliver thinks it's Alice. He says her tell is that she plays with her hair when she's lying, which she's doing right now. She says she just likes to play with her hair, but Oliver says she did the same thing when she was talking about her life as a posh art legacy and when she mentioned going to Oxford. He starts to interrogate her and ask why she befriended Mabel. He knows she's the Son of Sam and possibly worse. When Mabel looks to him for support, Charles admits that the timing does seem suspicious. When Oliver keeps pushing, Alice admits she was lying and is really the daughter of a plumber from Essex. She had to lie to create legitimacy for herself in the world. Then she says if he's done humiliating her, it's game over. She hands him her card, revealing that she's not the killer. Mabel follows her out. Oliver is surprised because he was sure Alice did it. The rest of the guests slowly filter out.

Oliver watches as someone slides something under the door across the hall and walks away. Once they're gone, Oliver steps out and pulls the envelope back out, showing it's an envelope of cash addressed to Ivan.

Through the bathroom door, Mabel tells Alice that everyone is gone. Alice lets Mabel in and Mabel says she's mad at Charles and Oliver, but especially at Alice for lying. Alice explains how she felt she had to lie to become the artist she wanted to be. She admits she should have been honest with Mabel. She just didn't know how to tell her. Mabel says everyone lies a little, herself included, and cites some examples of that. Mabel makes Alice promise not to tell any more half-truths. She kisses Alice and then they hug.

Over the phone, Charles tells Jan about Alice and Mabel. Jan tries to draw Charles back in, emboldened by him not just hanging up on her.

Ivan explains that he heard Oliver talking about Bunny that morning, which made him think he should return the money she gave him. He doesn't want any trouble. For seven years, Bunny was his regular. She always tipped him extra, more generously the longer time went on. Oliver asks if he remembers anything about Bunny's final days that was different. Ivan points to the camera on the wall.

Charles says it's quiet in the building aside from Howard's yodeling and admits that he misses the bassoon. They get warned that they have one minute remaining. Jan and Charles reminisce about the bagels they had the night after they slept together. Jan bets they're still in his freezer waiting for someone to come for them. She'd love to have one. The phone cuts off before Charles can reply.

Ivan shows Oliver the footage from the day before Bunny died. Ivan heard she had lunch with someone who made her angry. Oliver sees Bunny storm out angrily and records the footage with his phone. The footage is too grainy to tell who the other person is, but Oliver can see them picking up a matchbook.

Will enters Oliver's apartment.

Mabel watches Alice sleep. In Alice's bag by the bed is the Son of Sam card.

Jan thanks Charles for the bagels and he puts his hand up to match hers on the glass.

Oliver sends Mabel and Charles the footage he got of the security tape.

Will tells Oliver they got back the DNA test they did for Henry's school project. He asks if Oliver is sure he's 100% Irish. Oliver insists that he is. Will says half the DNA that came back for him was clearly his mom, but the other half was Greek. Oliver looks down at the food containers on the tray he's holding and sees the name Dimas on them.

Will asks Oliver who the Son of Sam is.

Oliver notices that Teddy is being quiet at the party and asks if he has another secret. Teddy and Roberta share a look, which Oliver doesn't notice.

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

• Ryan Broussard as Will Putnam
• Jayne Houdyshell as Bunny Folger
• Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas
• Daniel Oreskes as Marv
• Amy Ryan as Jan Bellows
• Ariel Shafir as Ivan
• Ali Stroker as Paulette
• Jaboukie Young-White as Sam

Co-Starring

• Samuel Farnsworth as Young Oliver
• Oliver Fequiere as Henry Putnam
• Carter Harris as Young Will
• Orson Hong as Superfan Grant
• Martin Landry as Borgir
• Dave Marr as Young Teddy
• ChaCha Shen as Little Dorothy
• Everett Sobers as Little Lion
• Marie-Francoise Theodore as Roberta
• Abey Xashi as Partygoer

Notes and Trivia

General

• Charles and Jan's conversations at the prison were given the name "Silence of the Jans" in the writers' room. This is a reference to the 1991 horror film Silence of the Lambs, where a serial killer is interviewed in order to discover information about another murderer.
• The Easter Egg in the credits is a lava lamp in Oliver's apartment window.
• This episode is narrated by Will.

Cultural References

• The Son of Sam game itself is fictional, and is similar to games such as Mafia and Werewolf. The Son of Sam, from which the game gets its name, was a New York serial killer in the 1970s.
• Cheers is an American sitcom that ran from 1982 to 1993 on NBC. It was broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 from 1983. Norm is an original main character in the show; he is a regular at the bar where the show is set.

Soundtrack

• "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus

Media

Episode Stills

Photography by Craig Blankenhorn for Hulu.

See Also

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