Top 10 Things You Missed in Only Murders in the Building Season 2

The grisly murder of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger was a shock to everyone, especially the number one suspect Mabel Mora. Bunny is found in Mabel’s apartment, apparently the victim of one of her knitting needles. How did the killer, who we learn is Poppy White, aka Becky Butler, know about Mabel’s penchant for wielding the craft tool? Well, Mabel did confess in season one that she has a fantasy about putting them to a more…pointed use. Then she almost took out Oscar when he made the mistake of following her down an alley, later joking about always wanting to use it as a weapon. She didn’t attack Bunny but she sure got Glitter Guy on the subway.

One of the newcomers this season is Cara Delevingne’s Alice Banks, an artist and gallery owner who slides into Mabel’s DMs. In episode 1, Mabel attends an event at Alice’s art collective, the Third Army Gallery. In the second episode, though, we get a better look at the place during the day. Fans of Fox’s “New Girl” will recognize the exterior of the industrial-style building. Both productions filmed at the Binford Lofts, located in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. And though the show was almost set in New York, “New Girl” takes place in LA, very far away from downtown NYC.

Speaking of Mabel’s new love interest, like Oliver, we were instantly suspicious of Alice. It’s pretty sketchy that she came into Mabel’s life the day after Bunny’s murder. When Mabel first meets up with her at the gallery, Alice even makes an offhand comment that alludes to these misgivings. Of course, we later find this to be true during Oliver’s Son of Sam game. But at the gallery, Alice also tells Mabel about her idea for a future project. At the end of episode 6, Mabel sees that Alice used her as inspiration, recreating her traumatic experiences in the very video series mentioned earlier.

Episode 3, “The Last Day of Bunny Folger,” is filled with little details. Some are more obvious than others, like Bunny’s morning statement. But others may have flown under the radar, like the keychains of Evelyn’s leg hanging up on the Arconiacs’ merch setup. Then there’s Bunny’s foreshadowing advice to her successor Nina Lin. Charles almost has to deliver Nina’s baby in the next episode. Other details include Bunny using the same bag that Oliver uses in the season premier to gather things from her apartment. We also get answers to some lingering questions, including how and why Bunny was wearing a “Only Murders in the Building” hoodie the night she died.

In episode Six, Detective Kreps calls all the podcasters to Bunny Folger’s apartment under false pretenses. There wasn’t any new evidence, Kreps just wanted to yell at everyone. Apparently, listeners latched onto this “Parrot Theory.” This is clearly a reference to “Owl Theory,” from the true crime docuseries “The Staircase,” which dug into the suspicious death of Kathleen Peterson. Mrs. Gambolini wasn’t the culprit of the crime in “Only Murders,” but she was a witness. In the finale, when Poppy begins to talk, Mrs. Gambolini squawks in the background, probably because the bird recognizes her as Bunny’s killer. Poppy’s sneeze was also a huge giveaway, especially since it was Becky Butler’s saliva that was found on the murder weapon.

Since we first met Cinda Canning back in the fourth episode of season one, it’s been a running joke that her two assistants look just like her. We gradually get to know Poppy more, but Cindy only appears twice, the second time being very briefly in season two. The writers used this lookalike setup to steer us in the direction of Cinda as Bunny’s killer. It’s assumed that the Queen of True Crime Podcasts would be more of a “criminal mastermind” than her quiet, mistreated assistant Poppy, who we wouldn’t suspect as being “nosy” or “pushy.” But never underestimate someone looking for their big break.

Many “Only Murders” fans were not expecting the twist in the penultimate episode — Poppy White is in fact the subject of Cinda Canning’s most successful true crime podcast! There are some subtle clues, though. At the beginning of episode 6, we see Poppy sit directly under the poster for “All Is Not OK in Oklahoma” that specifically says “Where Is Becky Butler?” And again in episode Nine, she’s standing near one when Mabel comes to talk to her. Later, when Cinda scolds her about the mispronunciation of Chickasha, Poppy corrects her. Who would know this information better than a Chickasha native?

In the second episode of the season, we get to see a young Charles Haden-Savage with his father Charles Sr. We know that from Charles’ past comments about his father he was a heavy drinker who spent time in and out of jail, though it isn’t explicitly stated what crimes he committed. Later in the episode, he’s hauled away from Rose Cooper’s apartment building in handcuffs looking like he was just in a brawl. But what happened? Well, according to Rose, she was in a violent relationship. Could Charles have gotten into a fight with Mr. Cooper?

Season one’s shocking finale prepared us for Cinda Canning’s podcast about the Arconia three. But we actually got a little preview back in episode 4 of season one. Earlier in that episode, she praises Poppy’s knack for taglines and assures her that her other skills would catch up (SB). And did it ever! It was Poppy who came up with the title. And, as we learned in the season two finale, she’s an all-around master storyteller. Although her “creative” methods did involve the death of an innocent woman, the framing of innocent podcasters, and a slew of other consequences. We don’t think Poppy White, aka Becky Butler, will be teaching any classes.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Puzzle Sweater
Mabel Has a Lot of Sweaters…But This One Makes Multiple Appearances

Mabel’s Yellow Hat
An Affinity for Yellow Headwear Goes Back to Her Childhood

Bunny Impressions
Charles & Oliver Quote Bunny from Season One’s Tim Kono Memorial

Framing with Puzzle Pieces
Mabel Puts the Pieces Together…Literally

“Only Murders in the Building” fans know not to skip past the opening title sequence. And not just because the music is incredibly soothing. Each episode’s credits offer some visual clues. In episode One, we can see a painting in Charles’ window, like the Rose Cooper painting he finds in his apartment. Episode Two shows the older woman walking a green bird instead of the usual dog, a nod to the introduction to Mrs. Gambolini. In Three, there’s a champagne bottle next to Charles, while Four shows flip flops in a tree. It’s hard to miss Oliver’s groovy lava lamp in Five, and the glittery sun in Six. Then there’s the puzzle pieces, the blackout, the chicken, and the finale fireworks.