TV Recap: Only Murders in the Building — "Silver Alert" Sends the Trio Into Billionaire Trouble
After last week’s shocking reveal that Bash Steed may be behind both the catfishing and the cover-up, Only Murders in the Building takes the trio out of their comfort zone — literally. In “Silver Alert," the investigation leaves The Arconia for Bash’s eerie Connecticut estate, where Mabel, Charles, and Oliver find themselves surrounded by billionaires, secrets, and a missing finger. Meanwhile, Oliver’s latest misadventure turns him into the subject of an actual Silver Alert, and by the episode’s end, a new villain sets her sights on The Arconia itself.
Season 5, Episode 7: “Silver Alert" - Written by Taylor Cox & Pete Swanson
The episode opens with narration from Bash Steed (Christoph Waltz), who reflects on the need to escape life’s pressures — the burden of success as a titan of industry. His calm monologue is contrasted by scenes of a quiet farm as a Silver Alert appears on-screen. The alert describes a missing elderly man wearing cowboy boots. Moments later, Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) runs past two bewildered farmers (Dylan Baker and Becky Ann Baker), perfectly matching the description. “You’ve gotta save me, I'm in danger," Oliver gasps, out of breath and panicked.
Nine hours before Oliver’s frantic dash through the countryside, the trio gathers in Oliver’s newly redecorated dining room. Their suspect board looms nearby as they listen to The Bash Steed Greatness Academy lectures, hoping to pinpoint Bash’s location. They’re also preparing for their next podcast segment — a contractual obligation with Wondify — which will feature an interview with Mayor Tilman (Keegan-Michael Key).
When the doorbell rings, Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) answers, ushering in Mayor Tilman and his assistant, Romy (Caitlin Houlahan). Following advice from Wondify to make their show more like the hit podcast Drunken Sluts Do Murder, Charles greets Mayor Tilman with exaggerated enthusiasm on the mic. Tilman launches into his agenda about making New York’s streets safer. When Tilman pivots to the murder case the trio has been investigating, Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) quickly interjects, explaining that they’re contractually barred from podcasting about that murder — their prime suspects, after all, are Wondify’s new owners. When Tilman realizes Bash Steed is among their suspects, his demeanor changes. He insists he knows Bash well and would be shocked if he were involved. He then asks Romy to go get him a coffee from a specific cafe several blocks away.
As Romy steps out, Tilman drops his voice. “Bash Steed is your murderer," he insists. He reveals that Romy is Bash’s niece, placed in his office to monitor him. Tilman describes Bash as a manipulator — a man who donates millions to campaigns to pull political strings. He claims Bash has been using his influence to stop reforms and mentions overhearing Romy on the phone discussing a meeting between Bash and his billionaire friends at his country estate in Connecticut. Tilman scribbles down the address for them before Romy returns. With forced smiles, the mayor and his assistant depart for a ribbon-cutting at the New York City Ballet.
Oliver, anxious about traveling to Connecticut, tries to excuse himself. Mabel teases him about his shiny cowboy boots — a gift from Linda Lavin from her Best Little Whorehouse in Texas days — and dares him to take them for a spin When the trio arrives at Bash’s estate, they find a sprawling Gothic mansion that looks straight out of a horror film. Oliver, unnerved by the atmosphere, checks his phone for service. Before they lost reception, he’d sent Loretta a photo of his boots with the caption “I’ve been taken against my will" — a joke he now can’t clarify. Outside, a pale young boy (Weston Oliver) whittles a piece of wood near a tree. “I like your skin," he tells Oliver matter-of-factly, unnerving the trio. He tells them his dad is inside the house.
The trio enters the mansion uninvited, following the sound of voices. From a loft, they spot Bash, Jay Pflug (Logan Lerman), and Camila White (Renée Zellweger) gathered below, seemingly discussing “harvesting organs." Alarmed, they listen closer — until Camila hits a buzzer, revealing she’s just playing Operation.
Oliver’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he accidentally knocks over a display of medieval weapons, alerting the billionaires to their presence. The trio stammers out an explanation, and the billionaires clarify that they were simply playing for a small trophy — a ritual of friendly rivalry and gossip. Mabel proposes they stay to observe, hoping to prove the group’s innocence. Bash agrees, though his tone suggests he’s more amused than trusting.
As the group disperses momentarily, Bash steps outside, Jay wanders into a hallway, and Camila lingers behind. Charles follows Bash, Mabel tails Jay, and Oliver is left with Camila. She’s miffed at him for not being overflowing with gratitude for his redecorated apartment, making him anxious to ask her questions. All he does is let her know that his place is for sale and he received a very handsome offer for it.
Outside, Bash peels bark from a “skin tree," explaining to Charles that it helps his son Algernon’s digestion. He admits he wasn’t a great father to his older children — too obsessed with his empire to notice them growing up. Charles brings up the catfishing scheme, accusing Bash of posing as “Priscilla" and possibly orchestrating Lester’s murder. Bash denies any involvement, claiming he hates violence. His obsession with longevity, he says, isn’t about vanity — it’s about ensuring his son doesn’t lose his father the way Bash once lost his own. “I wish you nothing but happiness," Bash says to Charles before walking away.
In a hallway, Jay stops, aware that Mabel is following. She confronts him about shutting down their podcast. “I’m just trying to protect my family," he insists. When Jay brings up his unanswered flirtatious texts, Mabel points out that HR forbids relationships with bosses — and he’s still a suspect. Jay asks softly, “If I wasn’t, could I take you out to dinner?" He explains that he, Bash, and Camila were simply settling a bet — the same one from the Velvet Room’s Saturday night games. When Mabel asks if he means the night Lester died, Jay goes silent. She storms off, determined to find the truth herself.
Back in the game room, Mabel challenges the billionaires to a competition. “If we win," she declares, “you tell us everything. If we lose, we’ll stop the investigation." Bash smirks, raising the stakes with a joke: “If you don’t, we kill you." Oliver, already nervous, protests and decides to leave the mansion, abandoning his friends.
The first round of Celebrity begins. The billionaires choose the “World History" category and easily rack up five points in a minute. Algernon, watching from the loft, claps and is promptly sent to the cellar. When it’s the trio’s turn, they draw “Broadway." It’s Oliver’s wheelhouse, but Mabel has only seen one show — Death Rattle Dazzle — and it ended with Ben Glenroy’s death. She keeps passing on cards until she sees one that clicks. Boots. Linda Lavin. Suddenly, Mabel starts describing each clue through anecdotes from Oliver, and Charles gets them all right. They win the game.
With victory secured, the billionaires reluctantly explain: the night Lester died, they were playing for the rights to build New York City’s first casino. Charles presses about the edited footage, and Bash admits, “I don’t like anyone knowing my comings and goings." They all insist they had nothing to do with Lester’s death. Mabel eyes their small trophy suspiciously, then picks it up and slams it against the table. The top pops off — revealing a human finger sealed in a plastic bag — the one that had been stolen from her thermos!
Meanwhile, Oliver wanders outside, singing Stephen Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind" as he searches for cell service. When his phone finally connects, dozens of messages flood in — panicked texts from Loretta and news alerts labeling him a missing person. He stumbles upon a farmer couple and begs for help. Rambling, he mentions his “Hollywood actress wife," his murder podcast, and the fact that Zach Galafinakis is playing him in a movie. The couple exchanges worried looks, thinking Oliver is insane and trying to find a way to turn him into the authorities. But as Oliver begins to talk about his friends, without whom none of this would’ve been possible, he realizes he’s abandoned them… in a probable murder mansion!
Back at the mansion, Jay intercepts Charles and Mabel as they try to leave. “You’re in more danger than you think with that finger," he warns. “The billionaires paid a lot for it." He lets them go, urging them to be careful. Charles and Mabel are cornered as the billionaires emerge from the mansion. Just as tension rises, Oliver rides in heroically — on a tractor — rescuing his friends.
Later, back at Charles’ apartment, the trio examines the severed finger. Oliver sulks that the Silver Alert never mentioned his career credits. A knock at the door interrupts them. Expecting Detective Williams, they’re stunned to find Camila. “Like it or not," she says coolly, “that finger decides the casino bid." There’s only one permit to go around, and she wants it.
Camila lays out her plan: her casino will be chic, elegant — The Camila Club. She brandishes a small handgun, stealing back the finger. Camila smirks and drops another bombshell: she’s the mystery buyer of Oliver’s apartment. In fact, she’s trying to buy up all of the apartments to turn The Arconia into The Camila Club! She shows them concept art of their home being converted into a quiet casino. “Hopefully, they’ll have murders in your next building, too." she grins.
To be continued in “Cuckoo Chicks" streaming October 14th on Hulu.