A fresh set of guest stars, a beloved character gone too soon, and more secret passageways — the Arconia trio, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, are off to another quest for the truth with someone new and something crooked missing in Only Murders in the Building’s fifth season.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 1. Read at your own discretion.
The first episode of Only Murders in the Building season 5 started with a quick callback to the season 4 finale’s cliffhanger, keeping avid watchers’ “whodunnit” suspicions restless until it aired on September 9, 2025. Although still early, Episode 1: Nail in the Coffin already found its footing and puts some of this season’s cards on the table (you’ll find out why later).
Also Read: Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Completes Filming
A Neverending Crime Scene
For the past four seasons, the Arconia has been home to quirky New Yorkers and some grisly murders, hence the show’s cleverly morbid title. Season 5 is no stranger to this, as the apartments remain a magnet for mysterious deaths, even those of unassuming residents and employees.
And yes, when we say unassuming, it’s sometimes the good ones. In the last minutes of Season 4, older, lovable Arconia doorman Lester Coluca, played by Teddy Coluca, was found all bled out and seemingly unalived in the courtyard’s fountain by the show’s main trio, the day after Oliver (Martin Short) and Loretta’s (Meryl Streep) wedding.
Also Read: 10 Korean Dramas For Thriller Enthusiasts
A “Cold” Case
While pondering over whether Lester’s death was accidental or not, Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Charles (Steve Martin) luckily stopped Oliver from munching on a decaying finger disguised as days-old, refrigerated cocktail shrimp from his wedding reception. This fueled their speculation of the usual foul play they’ve been dealing with in the previous seasons, further reassuring them that Lester’s fate was not accidental.
Then there was a lightbulb moment. Mabel seemed to remember their elevator encounter with a Sofia Caccimelio (Téa Leoni), the wife of famous Staten Island mobster Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale). Sofia was apparently paying them a visit to ask for help finding the missing Nicky on the night of Oliver’s wedding. However, Charles and Mabel turned her down.
Nothing is as It Seems
Now, they somehow have a finger pointing to a lead (get it?). After causing an embarrassing scene at Lester’s wake, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver reconvened in Mabel’s apartment. Oliver shows a wedding photo of him with Lester, seemingly talking to someone in the background. And that someone happens to be Nicky Caccimelio, handing a hefty envelope to the doorman.
Unsure of whom to place the severed finger, the three came seeking answers in Staten Island and ended up in the literal “Godfather” house, where the Caccimelio family apparently resides. But when confronted by Sofia, the trio seems to be heading to a dead end since, according to her, Nicky hasn’t been doing any shady mobster business anymore but just runs their dry-cleaning shop, Clean-Ups, by the Arconia, admitting that he is now a washed-up gangster. Hence, the photo of Nicky conducting business with Lester was just of an innocent exchange.
Seeing Red
After urging Charles to find her missing husband, Sofia handed him a deck of cards that Nicky used to carry with him all the time but hadn’t for some reason before he went missing. She believed that it might be a clue to finding him.
During a nightcap with red wine, Charles decided to open the deck’s box and started shuffling the cards. He noticed that one card had a magnet with a tiny map only seen through a red lens. Following the map with Mabel, they were led downstairs to a hidden lair leading to an empty underground casino. They also found the envelope Nicky gave Lester on Oliver’s wedding day, full of cash and bloody.
Meanwhile, while heading to Clean-Ups to do one last good deed for Lester, Oliver stumbled into something unexpected. Let’s just say it was Nicky hanging around.
About Season 5
Season 5 is off to a promising start, debuting fresh with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. With a stellar addition to the recurring cast and special guest stars, such as Meryl Streep, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Keegan-Michael Key, and Dianne Wiest, the 10-episode comedy-drama mystery thriller is something to look forward to on Hulu and Disney+ every Tuesday.
Listen to what the main cast has to say with Episode 1: Nail in the Coffin in the Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast hosted by Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard Morris from the show):
Source: Hulu, @hulu (official Youtube channel)
