Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building has already shown us that the Arconia still holds countless secrets, but episode 3 takes that mystery to a whole new level. While fans might have expected the series to focus more tightly on Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, this chapter reminds us that the show loves to surprise its viewers with unexpected star power, hidden rooms, and of course, plenty of suspicious corpses. Let’s break down everything that happened in this delightfully tense and slightly absurd episode.
A Flood of Guest Stars
Just when it felt like the series was dialing back on the parade of celebrity cameos, the closing minutes of episode 3 brought an avalanche of A-list appearances. Academy Award winners Renée Zellweger and Christoph Waltz, along with Hollywood favorite Logan Lerman, made their grand entrance. Their arrival adds even more names to a season already boasting Téa Leoni, Bobby Cannavale, Dianne Wiest, Jermaine Fowler, and Keegan-Michael Key.
The big question hanging in the air is whether this sheer volume of stars will enhance the story or distract from it. At least for now, the heart of the show, the undeniable chemistry among Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, remains intact.
The Velvet Room’s Mysterious History
The centrepiece of episode 3 is the discovery of the Velvet Room; this underground speakeasy and gambling den, hidden beneath the Arconia, dates back to the early 20th century. Legend has it that some of New York’s most powerful leaders once gathered here to make deals, including those that shaped the Empire State Building itself.
The Velvet Room is more than just a relic of the past it quickly becomes the latest crime scene. While exploring the space, the trio hear strange sounds coming from the ventilation system. To their shock, they discover Oliver is trapped with a dead body.
A Corpse in the Dry Cleaner’s
The Velvet Room happens to sit right beneath Nicky’s dry-cleaning shop. Unfortunately for Oliver, a body comes crashing down directly onto him, leaving his DNA smeared across the corpse. In classic Oliver fashion, his solution is wildly impractical, he shoves the body into a laundry hamper and wheels it over to Charles’s apartment.
What's next was hilarious and disturbing, the amateur sleuths' attempt to clean the corpse with nothing but alcohol wipes, as though tidying it up would erase any evidence linking Oliver to the crime. Their misguided confidence is exactly the kind of dark comedy that has made Only Murders in the Building such a unique series.
Mabel’s Forensic Curiosity
Mabel steps up in this episode, showing off her growing investigative instincts. She decides to examine the body herself in what she jokingly calls a makeshift autopsy, her goal is to estimate the Post-Mortem Interval, the time since Nicky’s death.
By checking for rigor mortis and muscle stiffness, she concludes that the victim did not die long ago but had clearly been frozen and recently thawed. This chilling discovery implies a calculated murder rather than an impulsive act. Someone deliberately stored the body, which opens a whole new layer of questions about who had the power and resources to pull that off.
Charles and His Haunted Imagination
While Mabel gets practical, Charles begins to lose his grip on reality. He starts hearing the dead man speak, though it’s obvious to the audience that it’s only in his head; this unsettling development mirrors his hallucinations from the previous season, when he imagined conversations with Sazz Pataki.
These visions hint at Charles’s ongoing struggle with mental health. Later in the episode, he is seen ordering medication, suggesting that his grip on reality may continue to slip; whether this will interfere with the trio’s investigation or ultimately help him uncover hidden truths remains to be seen.
Corrupt Cops
In a tense sequence, Charles returns the body to the dry cleaners, where he stumbles upon two shady police officers. He overhears them discussing how they planted Nicky’s body there the night before, raising suspicions of a much deeper conspiracy.
The disclosure suggests that law enforcement may be entangled in the crime, which dramatically raises the stakes. For Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, it means their investigation is no longer just about finding a killer, it may also be about exposing corruption within the system.
The Billionaire Trio
As if all of this weren’t enough, the episode ends with one of the season's most jaw-dropping reveals so far. Three billionaires stroll into the Velvet Room: Camila White, a powerful hotel tycoon played by Renée Zellweger; Sebastian Steed, a tech tycoon portrayed by Christoph Waltz; and Jay Pflug, a wealthy heir brought to life by Logan Lerman.
The trio hide behind the bar as the billionaires settle in, but it’s impossible to miss one very important detail: Pflug’s hand is heavily bandaged. With all the hints about a missing finger in earlier episodes, this visual confirmation feels like a smoking gun. Pflug may very well be at the center of the mystery, and the search for his missing digit is bound to become a key plotline in the coming weeks.
Ending Thoughts
Episode 3 of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 strikes the perfect balance between comedy and suspense. The Velvet Room is a brilliant addition to the show’s mythology, giving the trio a fresh backdrop for their sleuthing. Mabel continues to shine as the voice of reason, Oliver brings the chaotic energy, and Charles walks the fine line between comic relief and tragic vulnerability.
The arrival of Zellweger, Waltz, and Lerman at the end of the episode sets the drama for a glamorous but dangerous new chapter. With billionaires, corrupt officials, and secret underground clubs all colliding, the mystery is becoming bigger and more unpredictable than ever.
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