Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Finale Explained: Who Killed Lester Coluca?

And, that’s a wrap! Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building comes to a dramatic close with the big reveal for Hulu’s original hit whodunit, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. 

No spoilers here, you will have to tune in for yourself to find out how the amateur super sleuths put the pieces together (with a little help from their friends, of course) to name the murderer of their beloved doorman Lester Coluca in the courtyard fountain on the night of Oliver’s (Short) wedding. Check out Season 4 finale for the backstory.

The 10-episode Season 5 for the comedy mystery first released on Sept. 9, with the drop of the first three episodes. Weekly installments have followed since, leading up to this week’s finale and big reveal on Oct. 28.

Only Murders has done a masterful job of keeping audiences locked in for the past five seasons with the leads comedic chemistry infused, at fortuitous moments, with a touch of the sincere and the poignant. For the most part, the season stayed to true to its winning formula of witty banter, clever plot twists, and a double dose of mystery. But, for this season’s finale, with an overload of guest stars and having to find a place for them on canvas dominating the narrative, at times, has left very little room for the viewer to see the clues, themselves, leading up to the reveal.

And while the unmasking of the killer remains quite the mystery until its not, the unveiling of such lacks the proper nuance for viewers to have their own a-ha moment and arrive at a similar conclusion this go-round. Hey, if you are thinking that’s not how it’s supposed to work, I say, that half the fun is trying to figure it for yourself before you have to be told. 

Nevertheless, though you know you have seen this all before, something about the series’ signature blend of humor and heart will keep you committed to finding out how it all comes to an end, once again.

Since the start of the season, Charles-Haden Savage (Martin) Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora (Gomez) have been hot on the trail of the double murder (Nicky Caccimelio, the dry cleaner, was also killed on the same night) at their historic NYC apartment building. After both men were found dead under suspicious circumstances, the amateur super sleuths delve into the investigation, uncovering the requisite dark secrets and hidden connections within their beloved building along the way, including the secret gaming room in the basement that appears to be at the epicenter of this season’s murders. 

Navigating through twists and turns that lead them into the murky world of organized crime, billionaire side bets, and robot friends amid their quest for the truth, the true crime trio must also grapple with their own personal challenges of love, friendships, and the impending loss of a place they call home. And, without a building when this is all said and done, can there really be any more murders? I digress.

With the clock ticking on their time left at the Arconia, now that billionaire designer Camila White (Renee Zelleweger) is set to take over the building for her new casino, the podcasters double down on identifying the killer in one last stand for their home.

Knowing that a key piece of evidence —that truly has been in more hands than the one it started with — belongs to someone in the building, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel go back to their murder board with the hopes of pinning the billionaires as prime suspects. Which, if you have been keeping up, also includes Christoph Waltz as tech guru Bash Steed and Logan Lerman as billionaire black sheep Jay Pflug. 

In a secret ploy, the podcaster trio arrange for the billionaire trio to convene in the Arconia’s Velvet Room in a classic “I thought you called this meeting. No, I thought you did!” moment to get them to confess.

From there, the episode finds its footing on familiar ground as the character dynamics and comedic timing of the onscreen ensemble highlights the core of the show’s success — undeniable chemistry and stellar comedy writing. 

Now five years in, the bond between the lead characters has become the crucial part of the comedy glue, the generational gap, notwithstanding, with the latter providing a consistent source of well-meaning jokes and miscommunication moments. In this episode, specifically, that callout is evidenced by a hilarious scene that unfolds during the gaming room confrontation and the ones that immediately follow when things do not go as planned.

It is in these onscreen scenarios that both Martin and Short’s decades of experience and rapport mix beautifully with Gomez’s deadpan humor and understated energy. Just when you think this should not be that funny, it most certainly is.

As with any end to an Only Murders season, there’s always a hope that there will be more to our podcasters’ stories, even if it means coming to terms with the fact that an unnerving number of murders take place in this one building. And, as luck would have it, there will be more — Season 6 for the Emmy-winning show has officially been announced, with this season’s closer hinting at a mystery that quite literally has landed on the true crime podcasters’ doorstep, and set to take them international. Grab your passports, friends.

Season 5 of Only Murders In The Building also stars Meryl Streep, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Cyril Creighton, and Dianne Wiest. All 10 episodes are streaming now on Hulu. Watch them again to see what clues you may have missed.

What did you think?

Change Image

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So