Only Murders in the Building · Season 1 · Episode 10 · 19 October 2021
S1E10 Open and Shut
THE MOMENT The killer's reveal recontextualises several earlier scenes and proves the show's plotting has been more rigorous than its breezy tone suggested.
The season finale resolves the Bunny Folger mystery while expanding the show's emotional stakes considerably. The three principals have become a genuine found family by this point, and the finale earns its warmth without abandoning the comic irreverence that made the season work.
Full episode analysis below. Spoiler-light verdict above.
Updated
The Season 1 finale delivers on the contract the pilot signed: a mystery that has genuinely tracked its clues, a killer reveal that recontextualises earlier material, and a closing note that is emotionally warmer than the genre usually earns. 'Open and Shut' handles the whodunit resolution with the light touch that defines the whole series - the show is interested in the mystery as a vehicle for character, and the finale prioritises what the investigation has meant for the three principals over the procedural satisfaction of exposing the murderer. Charles, Mabel, and Oliver have become a found family over ten episodes, and the finale earns the sentimentality it permits itself. The reveal works because the show seeded its evidence honestly. The 100% RT season score reflects a first season that managed to be funnier, sadder, and better-plotted than the premise suggested possible.