S03.E07: CoBro

[jenrising]

Quote

Charles finds an unexpected source for a major clue. A Broadway icon comes knocking at Oliver’s door. And Mabel forms an alternate trio to pursue a lead that sheds light on Ben’s bro and CoBro history.

Available 9/12 on Hulu.

[LadyintheLoop]

So Loretta is Dickie's birth mother? Not Ben's?

[dwmarch]

The make-up scene with Charles and Oliver was hilarious. I loved when they kicked Matthew Broderick out.

It's interesting to catch up with Theo again. I appreciate that they had Mabel admit that her sign language isn't 100% and she doesn't understand some of what he is signing to her.

[sjankis630]

I liked this episode better. I actually loved the call Oliver made to you know who about Matthew. And of course the call back to the very end of Ferris Beuller's Day off was a fitting ending. 

I chuckled at Matthew and Charles both going for the Ferris role.

[thuganomics85]

Hissssss... tory!

As much as I've been enjoying this season, I remember thinking there seemed to be a lack of Uma this go around, so I'm glad she got some focus on this episode.  Didn't predict that she was a klepto this entire time and takes things to remember people since she struggles with actual human interaction.  And that she was the one who had Ben's handkerchief this entire time.  Also loved the brief glimpse of Bunny again and seeing how her death is something that she carries with her.  One thing I think this show has done a great job with is showing the loss and impact of both hers and Tim Kono's deaths on these characters.  Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if even Ben's presence will continue on after this season.

Great seeing Theo again too and I continue to like his interactions with Mabel.  Wouldn't mind him sticking around and helping out Mabel (until Charles and Oliver finally reunite with her!)  Even thought his brief exchange with Tolbert was well done.

Well, Oliver certainly found himself appreciating Charles more once he got sucked into the vortex of Matthew Broderick!  He was clearly having a ball playing a variation of himself who is method to a fault (that Election reference was all sorts of messed up!) and is beyond a perfectionist.  And that was all for a minor supporting role!  I don't even want to know what he did to get into the mindset for the likes of Glory, Godzilla, and The Bee Movie!!

Mel Brooks!!!!

Glad that Charles and Oliver made up already.  Hopefully a reconciliation with Mabel will happen to soon: even if she's already got a jump start on a solo version of the podcast.

Won't lie: if we can never actually get the films on screen, I'd at least read a Wiki page about the history of the CoBro franchise.  Continue to love all of the memorabilia of Ben's in the background as well.  Pretty sure the big painting of Paul Rudd is just a photo of him from Anchorman. 

Agree with the theory that it will actually be Dickie who is Loretta's biological son due to the adoption reveal.  Plus, it could explain the fight Charles saw: maybe Loretta was confronting Ben for the way he treats him.  We shall see!

Edited September 12, 2023 by thuganomics85

[phalange]

I missed Uma so it was good to have her back and see how she's coping with Bunny's death. She said she sold Ben's handkerchief to someone at the auction, but Dickey is shown holding the bloody handkerchief at the end. Does Uma not know who Dickey is or did Dickey get it back from someone else who bought it?

Nice to see Theo again. I love him him and Mabel investigating together like they did last season at Coney Island. And Mabel has picked up some ASL. Good find by Theo, noticing that the "B" on the CoBro drawing was actually an "R." Dickey is tired of always being in Ben's shadow and cleaning up after him while getting none of the credit, so he certainly has motive. 

It's also looking likely that Loretta is Dickey's birth mom and she was able to keep tabs on him because he was always in the background when Ben was photographed. Maybe Loretta confronted Ben about his treatment of Dickey and that's what their fight on the balcony was about.

Nice to see Oliver and Charles making up. Now they (mostly Oliver) need to apologize to Mabel.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, dwmarch said:

It's interesting to catch up with Theo again. I appreciate that they had Mabel admit that her sign language isn't 100% and she doesn't understand some of what he is signing to her.

I wasn’t sure if I appreciated or resented the writers using Theo as a window into the Mabel-Tobert relationship. 
— and please don’t call them “Mobert”!

I was definitely annoyed by the scene blocking with Theo facing away from the other speakers instead of showing him lip reading. What was up with that?

BTW, FYI: Gerrard Lobo (Detective Biswas) is 2 years older than Jesse Williams (Tobert).

 

3 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

I actually loved the call Oliver made to you know who about Matthew.

Anyone else wonder if Mel Brooks really just wanted Matthew Broderick for his own show? Heh.

 

2 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Uma this go around, so I'm glad she got some focus on this episode.  Didn't predict that she was a klepto this entire time and takes things to remember people since she struggles with actual human interaction.  And that she was the one who had Ben's handkerchief this entire time.  Also loved the brief glimpse of Bunny again and seeing how her death is something that she carries with her

Yes. Excellent use of Jackie Hoffman as Uma in this episode. 
Probably not a dramatic enough scene to get her winning Emmy attention for Best Supporting, but we OMITB viewers appreciated it.

I hope there’s another twist, because it seems too early for such strong implications that Loretta is Dickie’s birth mother and his avenger. 
Cliff was such a bouncy Tigger this episode — maybe he accidentally bounced Ben down the elevator shaft? 
— or maybe Crazy Cliff has a psycho-killer side?

Edited September 12, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Bill1978]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I was definitely annoyed by the scene blocking with Theo facing away from the other speakers instead of showing him lip reading. What was up with that?

When Mabel was explaining how Gregg couldn't be the killer and turned away from Theo, I thought I saw Theo with a look of annoyance that when she finished hypothesising he was going to say 'I got nothing of what you said cause you walked away' but instead we got a 'I heard everything you said you little nerd'

Apart from that little moment, I loved this episode (I have fond a couple of the episodes this season lacklustre - compared to previous seasons). We moved the murder plot along very nicely, there were some great humourous bits. A surprise big name star that actually worked well from a comedy point of view, a little surprise cameo and the return of multiple past characters. I was wondering if Theo was going to appear this season, and it was great to see Bunny again.

I still have no idea who the murderer is but I'm leaning towards Tobert for no other reason than a wild stab in the dark.

[cardigirl]

Bunny!!! 🥰 And Uma!  🥰

Not as great at The Boy from 6B, but still a good episode. And kudos to whoever thought that Dickie was Ben's older adopted brother. 

Who was the hooded guy at the auction? Clearly someone we should suspect. And possibly the one who paid Uma $7 grand for the death rattle hankie. 

 

Glad to see that Mabel still talks to Theo with her back turned to him, and he understands her. 🤷‍♂️ That drives me crazy in her scenes with  him. But at least she's signing a bit more. Loved Theo's line about Tobert's eyes. Ha ha!!

 

Matthew Broderick was hilarious and I loved the cameo from Mel Brooks. 

 

Will re-watch this one several times. 

Edited September 12, 2023 by cardigirl

[paigow]

While Broderick is leaving the building, he will bump into Nathan Lane...

[ofmd]

OK, whoever fired last week's writers like Oliver did Broderick deserves an Oscar. Or at least a Patsy.

Nice dialogue! Uma! Zingers! Good pacing, and also: Uma!

So glad Charles apologized for Oliver insulting him, and Oliver was gracious enough to forgive him!

Eh, not cool to steal the podcast brand without consulting the boys, Mabel.

Nice that Theo is back, but shouldn't he be in prison? Anyway, cool he can still read lips even if the person have turned their back on him, lol.

Tl;dr: really nice episode.

Edited September 12, 2023 by ofmd

[Jediknight]

Can Theo be bumped up to a regular next season?

Matthew Broderick was clearly having a blast.  Mel Brooks was great as well.  Meryl, Rudd, Mel, and Broderick this season.  Everybody wants to be on this show.

The "You're fired" scene after that stupid article a few days ago saying that Martin Short was never funny, just perfect timing.

Sticking with Dicke as the killer.  Ben stole CoBro from him, Dickie always cleaned up the messes, and Ben was an ass to Loretta (who's no doubt Dickie's mom).

Edited September 12, 2023 by Jediknight

[moonorchid]

It’s funny how in everything Jesse Williams does, he can never get away from references to his eyes lol. The burden of beauty I guess. 😏 

This is prob my favorite episode so far as a whole. It’s the first time I felt everyone acted like themselves and not the disjointed version we’ve been watching. 
 

I am lost at who could be the killer (if there is a killer) but there will def be big reveals at the end of the season. I def think Loretta is dickies mother and tobert is working for cinda. All that equipment, the push to podcast, the new hash tag! 
 

I know that the guys said some mean things to Mabel but podcasting without them using the “Only Murders” podcast feels like a stab in the gut. 
 

Why do I feel like she’s prob staying with Tobert instead of having found her own place. 
Like I said, great episode. Really felt like “Only Murders in the Building”…and I feel like the disconnect all season and the reconnect of this episode is very intentional. 

[tennisgurl]

Awww it was nice seeing Bunny again and I am glad that Uma still misses her so much. She might not be the cuddliest old broad, but she really did care a lot about her best friend. Did not call her being a serial stealer of peoples things because she finds it hard to connect with people and that she nabbed the hankie! That was overall a really good episode, we got some real progress on the case and a whole lot of great one liners, plus Matthew Broderick and Mel Brooks himself! 

Matthew Broderick has jumped pretty high on my list of actors playing themselves on this show, he was hilarious as this ridiculously method super annoying version of himself. "While filming Election I dated several high schoolers." Then Oliver's brief "wait, what?" reaction, this episode was just filled with great jokes. 

It was awesome seeing Teddy again, he and Mabel make a great team, especially now that Mabel isn't talking to the rest of the trio. I hope we continue to see him around regularly. 

The "Loretta is Dickie's birth mom" theory is looking more likely now that we know he's adopted and that Ben probably stole the idea for their whole snake franchise from him when they were kids, which makes Loretta a prime suspect. Not sure I totally buy it being her yet though, I keep wanting to say its going to be Tobert just because its the most out of left field so far.  

[Snapdragon]

The second they showed that childhood drawing and said that Ben had come up with the CoBro idea, I knew it was really going to be Dickie's drawing.  Don't think he's the killer (though he's definitely Loretta's son) though.  I'm assuming he paid $7,000 for the handkerchief because, as Uma said in the intro, after people die, you hold onto the things that remind you of them.  

My guess for the murder right now is the producer mother/son team.  Maybe mother's protecting their sons is going to be a theme this season?  So the producer mom killed Ben because he was going to mess up her son's first production in some way and she wasn't having it?   

Minor gripe: Mabel pretending that she was a CoBro fan when talking to Dickie at the auction.  She was a big Girl, Cop fan, so why not bring that up instead?  Also, I would have liked it better if when Theo told her he was a CoBro fan, instead of just calling him a nerd she had said, "It's cool. I'm into Girl, Cop, so I can't judge."  Would have been a nice moment.  Also, I'm hoping that Theo ends up being Mabel's endgame in the romance department.  I enjoy their relationship and how it's been built up over the course of the show and it would be a nice ending for both of them that wouldn't feel forced.

[paigow]

43 minutes ago, Snapdragon said:

Also, I'm hoping that Theo ends up being Mabel's endgame in the romance department.

Theo tried to murder her in the funeral home... so that is par for the course...

[cardigirl]

40 minutes ago, Snapdragon said:

 Minor gripe: Mabel pretending that she was a CoBro fan when talking to Dickie at the auction.  She was a big Girl, Cop fan, so why not bring that up instead?  Also, I would have liked it better if when Theo told her he was a CoBro fan, instead of just calling him a nerd she had said, "It's cool. I'm into Girl, Cop, so I can't judge."  Would have been a nice moment.  Also, I'm hoping that Theo ends up being Mabel's endgame in the romance department.  I enjoy their relationship and how it's been built up over the course of the show and it would be a nice ending for both of them that wouldn't feel forced.

I love Theo, and even I would have to handwave away a lot of stuff for Mabel and Theo to fall in love. Theo was responsible for her friend's death, intentional or accident, and then allowed her other friend, Oscar, to sit in jail for 10 years for something Oscar didn't do. I haven't really seen Theo try to make amends for that. 

I wonder if Mabel has moved into Teddy Dimas's place for the time being, if he is in jail. Maybe Theo offered it to her. 

[peeayebee]

8 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Who was the hooded guy at the auction? Clearly someone we should suspect. And possibly the one who paid Uma $7 grand for the death rattle hankie. 

I completely missed the hooded guy. Guess I'll have to rewatch. 

I had assumed that Dickie had bought the hankie from Uma. (I don't think it's implausible that she's never met or seen him.) 

Quote

Glad to see that Mabel still talks to Theo with her back turned to him, and he understands her. 🤷‍♂️ That drives me crazy in her scenes with  him.

Sometimes I'm very unobservative. I never paid attention to whether Theo could see a person's lips while they're talking to him. I'm surprised the actor doesn't point out to the director that this is an issue.

Quote

Loved Theo's line about Tobert's eyes. Ha ha!!

That was pretty funny.

Matthew Broderick was great thruout the ep. "Ferris Bueller may take a day off, but Matthew Broderick? Matthew Broderick does not." And I loved the bit where he was talking about how a constable in Nova Scotia would not raise his hand too high from his gun. The difference in height was a few inches. :D

Loved Cliff's stress-dancing. And his and Donna's relationship continues to crack me up.

I wonder who the detective was talking to on the phone. The one from last season?

 

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Interesting stories in this episode:

Mabel finding out about Ben’s watch was always set 20 minutes earlier and the idea of CoBro was originally Dickie’s, Ben stole it. It’s just weird that it never occurred to Mabel to talk to Dickie until Theo suggested it.

#BloodyMabel - Mabel flying solo, doing the podcast without her olds. She even moves out from Arconia without telling them. Isn’t it fascinating that Tobert is way more excited than Mabel about the podcast, with new equipment, new poster and everything.

It’s only episode 7 and the show is now pointing at Dickie as the killer. So, he’s probably innocent. Yes, he has solid motives of wanting to get rid of Ben - tired of living under Ben’s shadow, always has to clean up his messes and not being valued/recognized. It’s quite hypocritical of Dickie to be complaining about everybody wants to make a quick buck out of Ben when he himself establishes a minimum bid of $5K for Ben’s memorabilia. Why would Dickie want to spend $7K on a bloodied hankie? As a way to remember Ben or to pin the murder on someone else once Gregg is no longer a prime suspect?

The return of the good-looking detective! 😍🥰😆

I find the B plot is not really engaging despite the cameos of 2 MB. I grow tired of Oliver’s DRD show. Bunny cameo is way more heartwarming. Finally, we get to see Uma and Lester again. They have been forgotten, too many other famous faces in this show. Theo is OK, he appears in episode 07 in all 3 seasons. No idea how he reads Mabel’s lips though, they barely move.

The fight between the trio is getting tedious. This show seriously needs to pick up the pace for a dramatic, rewarding finale.

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[sistermagpie]

12 hours ago, phalange said:

I missed Uma so it was good to have her back and see how she's coping with Bunny's death. She said she sold Ben's handkerchief to someone at the auction, but Dickey is shown holding the bloody handkerchief at the end. Does Uma not know who Dickey is or did Dickey get it back from someone else who bought it?

I think it was Dickey and she just didn't know him or care.

 

11 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I was definitely annoyed by the scene blocking with Theo facing away from the other speakers instead of showing him lip reading. What was up with that?

 

11 hours ago, Bill1978 said:

When Mabel was explaining how Gregg couldn't be the killer and turned away from Theo, I thought I saw Theo with a look of annoyance that when she finished hypothesising he was going to say 'I got nothing of what you said cause you walked away' but instead we got a 'I heard everything you said you little nerd'

I thought he was just reacting to the parts she said when she turned around and the annoyance was real. She started out saying it wasn't Greg, then went into her own world with her back to him, then turned back with her conclusion and he just congratulated her, having not needed to hear the rest.

 

[Quilt Fairy]

5 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

Also, I'm hoping that Theo ends up being Mabel's endgame in the romance department.  I enjoy their relationship and how it's been built up over the course of the show and it would be a nice ending for both of them that wouldn't feel forced.

This.  I wouldn't be surprised if Mabel has moved in with Theo or maybe into his Dad's apartment, which might be vacant with his Dad in prison.   It did bug the heck out of me, when they've gone to great lengths to emphasize that even with lip-reading Theo is only getting a fraction of what people are saying, to have Mabel keep talking  while walking away from him, or for Mabel and Tobert to carry on conversations where their faces are both angled partly away from Theo.  

[JenE4]

It’s sort of too obvious at this point to be Dickie, but the fact that he sold all of the memorabilia “to make a buck off of his brother’s death” (as he accused others of) but spent $7,000 to get a piece of murder evidence out of circulation—and also didn’t like the idea of Mabel poking around and reopening a “closed case” does seem like a very major clue…or a major red herring. Likewise, Dickie is definitely Loretta’s child and the scrapbook is keeping tabs on him, not Ben.

However, the solutions of the first two seasons were so damn convoluted, that I am not even sure I completely understood what happened especially with the whole father’s mistresses’ painting(???)), so I expect there to be some other crazy-ass explanation that I won’t even understand. Llke Dickie is Loretta’s love child with Mel Brooks after a wild night at Studio 54, and Tobert was Dickie’s foster brother before he was adopted by Ben’s family, and they were child labor in a silk factory that made handkerchiefs and it was only with the success of Ben in Girl Cop was Dickie able to make it out of the sweat shop, and the three of them became like the Pickwick triplets—with Tobert and Dickie giving up all of their ambitions to support Ben. After decades of toil, they have enough. Tobert puts poison he got from an African Medicine man in the cookies—poison he had contemplated using to help put the mudpit stuck baby elephant out of his misery. But Ben’s leading man cocktail of propecia and whatever from Dr C made him immune to the poison, and he came to hours later. After fighting with Loretta on the top level of the stage over his treatment of Dickie, Loretta convinced Ben, another method actor like Matthew Broderick, to practice once more at the top level of the Arcadia at midnight. Dickie was waiting in the shadows of the elevator shaft with his silk hankie, getting himself into White Room level hysterics when the memories of the silk sweat shop came roaring back to him, and he instinctively gives his co-bro a CoBro kick that he invented when he was 5, and the rest is hissssss-story. But finally Ben’s death gives them all opportunity to make a name for themselves. Loretta finally has her big break on Broadway. Tolbert is going to have a hit with his true crime documentary that he needs Mabel to help him create, because he’s truly not that talented on his own. And Dickie will sell the rights to “CoBro 3: Triplet Serpents,” starring Matthew Broderick as the new CoBro. Unless our Arcadia triplets can put their differences aside to solve the mystery. 

[Affogato]

My quick take is Dickie saw Loretta kill Ben but at the same time learned she was his birth mother. He's conflicted. Loved Ben  but Loretta did it for him. 

I hope Mable is staying with Theo, not Tobert. 

[Snapdragon]

28 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

It’s sort of too obvious at this point to be Dickie, but the fact that he sold all of the memorabilia “to make a buck off of his brother’s death” (as he accused others of) but spent $7,000 to get a piece of murder evidence out of circulation—and also didn’t like the idea of Mabel poking around and reopening a “closed case” does seem like a very major clue…or a major red herring. Likewise, Dickie is definitely Loretta’s child and the scrapbook is keeping tabs on him, not Ben.

 

As I see it, since Dickie came up with the CoBro idea, he probably felt entitled to all the money that was to be made off of Ben's memorabilia.  There was obviously some resentment there, so why not sell it and get what he's owed?  At the same time, he also misses his brother, so I can see why he'd pay $7,000 (which he has readily after just selling all the CoBro merch) for the last thing his brother held.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I thought he was just reacting to the parts she said when she turned around and the annoyance was real. She started out saying it wasn't Greg, then went into her own world with her back to him, then turned back with her conclusion and he just congratulated her, having not needed to hear the rest.

Yes. When I rewatched their scenes, I didn't see anything standing out that showed there was no way he could have read her lips, even just enuf to get the gist of what she was saying.

[Yeah No]

I wonder why we haven't been told yet where Mabel is moving.  I'm figuring something significant is going to happen when she moves in so it can't be shared just yet.  I theorized the other week that she'd move in with Tobert but I thought perhaps he would be the buyer of her aunt's apartment.  Maybe he is and he's keeping that from her?  I can also see her moving in with Theo. but I somehow think wherever she goes it's going to figure into the plot in some instrumental way.

I loved this episode in general and felt like it brought us back home to some of the people in the building that have not been featured this season like Uma, Theo and even departed Bunny.  I feel like we needed that right about now. 

As soon as Matthew Broderick started going off in space about his character I KNEW he was going to drive Oliver crazy and he would hire Charles back.  I thought the way they handled that was brilliant.  And Oliver's reconciliation scene with Charles was amazing.  The two work together like the true old friends they really are, and it's heartwarming.  Now we just need to see Mabel reunited with her "olds".

I knew they would find a way to implicated Dickie further.  At this point I'm even wondering if everyone they've implicated so far has some kind of role in the murder.  While most would not be murderers themselves they may still have some indirect or circumstantial role in Ben's death and may even be all involved together and know more than they're letting on.

I KNEW (and posted a few weeks ago) that the police were going to have to get involved again at some point when their case fell apart and our crew (in this case Mabel) found reason to believe that Gregg could not be guilty.

[DoctorAtomic]

I certainly wasn't expecting Matthew Broderick, and most even a War Games reference. 

I'd also like to know what went down at Plato's Retreat with Buck Henry. He's my favorite SNL host. 

I liked the twist at the end that Mabel got two other guys with her on the podcast, when the olds thought they were just going to reset. I'm sure they're going to come together in the end.

[HelloooKitty]

Theo!!! I’m so glad you’re back! 1) bc I like Theo and 2) diversity on screen!

 

I am now even more certain in my theory that Dickie is Loretta’s son. 
 

and im still clinging to the multiple Ben’s theory. I mean, if you can’t have kids and you try some sort of infertility treatment, your chances of multiples do go up…

[sskrill]

Jfc this website is so full of bloat, after 3 tries to post I finally had to move to my phone.

Matthew Broderick was hilariously over the top. "Hold my gun here? Or here?"

I'm going to go all in on Oliver being responsible for Ben's death. He didn't murder him, but had a kerfuffle related to the play, and an accident occurred. He's laying false clues to make others look guilty. He wiped FP off the mirror after Mabel realized they could match the handwriting .. because it was his handwriting. He never liked Joy so he used her make up to make her look guilty.

He's so desperate for this play to be successful, and to be back on top again, he's acting like a crazy(ier) person. 

(I will add, I am never correct when I make wild predictions)

Edited September 13, 2023 by sskrill

[tkc]

21 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Won't lie: if we can never actually get the films on screen, I'd at least read a Wiki page about the history of the CoBro franchise.  Continue to love all of the memorabilia of Ben's in the background as well.  Pretty sure the big painting of Paul Rudd is just a photo of him from Anchorman. 

We might have gotten the CoBro theme over the closing credits -- you can hear the "cobra strike" effect several times, and strangely, a rattlesnake "death rattle" effect as well!

17 hours ago, paigow said:

While Broderick is leaving the building, he will bump into Nathan Lane...

...which will make it really confusing when the two of them run into Teddy Dimas! 😲

[Bill1978]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I knew they would find a way to implicated Dickie further.  At this point I'm even wondering if everyone they've implicated so far has some kind of role in the murder.  While most would not be murderers themselves they may still have some indirect or circumstantial role in Ben's death and may even be all involved together and know more than they're letting on.

I like this suggestion, very Murder on the Orient Express. But I am kinda hoping @JenE4's idea is closer to the truth because it is so wild it makes sense.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, sskrill said:

I'm going to go all in on Oliver being responsible for Ben's death. He didn't murder him, but had a kerfuffle related to the play, and an accident occurred. He's laying false clues to make others look guilty. He wiped FP off the mirror after Mabel realized they could match the handwriting .. because it was his handwriting. He never liked Joy so he used her make up to make her look guilty

But last episode (3.6, Ghost Light) we were clearly shown Oliver discovering that the F  and P in “Fucking Pig” on the mirror matched the F and P in the scrap book in Loretta’s apartment.
Plus,
in this episode, Loretta unabashedly admits to calling Ben a “Fucking Pig.” 
But perhaps Ben was widely referred to as a “Fucking Pig” behind the scenes and away from recording devices?

Anyway, no, it wasn’t Oliver’s handwriting.
However—
it could be Dickie’s handwriting if it’s Dickie’s scrapbook in Loretta’s apartment.
👀 📝

Dickie crying in this episode  — seemingly remorsefully — while clutching the $7k bloody 🩸 handkerchief, could support Dickie as the cause of Ben falling down the elevator shaft — whether accidentally or on purpose.

[shapeshifter]

Any chance “CoBro” is a clue to point us to the Monk episode 3.11 "Mr. Monk Vs. The Cobra"?
— which is chock full of classic murder mystery tropes: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MonkS3E11MrMonkVsTheCobra 
— many of which parallel or mirror this “murder”
— with “murder” in quotes because it could still be another Accidental Fall To Death During An Argument In The Building like in season 1.

[Haleth]

23 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Who was the hooded guy at the auction? Clearly someone we should suspect. And possibly the one who paid Uma $7 grand for the death rattle hankie. 

Yeah, I kept waiting for the reveal that the hooded person was someone we've seen.  He has to be someone important.  (Like the third triplet?)

I'd be surprised if Uma didn't know Dickie.  She seems pretty on top of things.

Did Mabel move into the tiny apartment she was looking at?

I'd like to see Loretta's notebook now to see if all the photos show Dickie as well as Ben.  Plus I'd like to see a comparison of Dickie's handwriting on the drawing to the words on the mirror.

17 hours ago, paigow said:

Theo tried to murder her in the funeral home... so that is par for the course...

Eh, no relationship is perfect.

[Blakeston]

On 9/12/2023 at 2:12 AM, sjankis630 said:

I liked this episode better. I actually loved the call Oliver made to you know who about Matthew. And of course the call back to the very end of Ferris Beuller's Day off was a fitting ending. 

I chuckled at Matthew and Charles both going for the Ferris role.

What was the call back to the very ending of Ferris Bueller?

18 hours ago, Snapdragon said:

My guess for the murder right now is the producer mother/son team.  Maybe mother's protecting their sons is going to be a theme this season?  So the producer mom killed Ben because he was going to mess up her son's first production in some way and she wasn't having it?   

Or maybe the mother will confess, to cover up her son being the murderer?

A few thoughts:

1. The writers have given us clues pointing to pretty much every character except the mother and son producers, which makes me suspect them all the more.

2. I really hope they explain what happened to the (completely justified) criminal charges against Nathan Lane's character and his son.

3. Is it possible that the "R. Glenroy" who supposedly made the drawing is actually Ben's secret twin (assuming he has one)? The idea of a celebrity having a secret twin is pretty far-fetched, but it sure seems like a possibility.

 

[Jediknight]

20 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

What was the call back to the very ending of Ferris Bueller?

Charles saying to Broderick, "You're still here?  It's over.  Go home."

[Crs97]

24 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

What was the call back to the very ending of Ferris Bueller?

When Charles asked him incredulously, “Are you still here?  It’s over.  Go home,” it was based on the post-credit serene of Ferris Bueller.

 

Loved seeing MB and his obsessive method acting.  My favorite was when he switched to an operatic voice singing about babies in a bassinet because that was truer to the early 1900’s.

24 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

Is it possible that the "R. Glenroy" who supposedly made the drawing is actually Ben's secret twin (assuming he has one)?

The assumption is Dickie is short for Richard so the older brother.  I’ll be curious if they have managed to add some sort of secret twin in the story.  
 

Felt back to form, though my heart broke for them hearing the solo podcast, as much as they might deserve it.

[cardigirl]

 

Here's a bad screen capture of the hooded person at the silent auction. Maybe it was Uma trying to flog her hankie, but when I first watched the episode, the fact that the person carefully avoided being seen, stood out to me.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Any chance “CoBro” is a clue to point us to the Monk episode 3.11 "Mr. Monk Vs. The Cobra"?
— which is chock full of classic murder mystery tropes: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MonkS3E11MrMonkVsTheCobra 
— many of which parallel or mirror this “murder”
— with “murder” in quotes because it could still be another Accidental Fall To Death During An Argument In The Building like in season 1.

I don't know about it being a deliberate reference to Monk, but sign me up for Tony Shalhoub appearing on the show.

 

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

Yeah, I kept waiting for the reveal that the hooded person was someone we've seen.  He has to be someone important.  (Like the third triplet?)

The hooded person is definitely important. I'm not sure about the triplet idea, but twins is more likely. (Dickie can be considered the third child.) So it's possible that Hooded Guy is Ben (or "Ben"). However, this makes me wonder about what Dickie said about Ben being the miracle baby, which indicates no twins. Of course Dickie could be hiding that there were twins.

Quote

I'd like to see Loretta's notebook now to see if all the photos show Dickie as well as Ben. 

I'll google to see if I can find screenshots of the pages.

 

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

1. The writers have given us clues pointing to pretty much every character except the mother and son producers, which makes me suspect them all the more.

True dat.

Quote

3. Is it possible that the "R. Glenroy" who supposedly made the drawing is actually Ben's secret twin (assuming he has one)? The idea of a celebrity having a secret twin is pretty far-fetched, but it sure seems like a possibility.

I think it's possible. When they immediately came up with Dickie being a nickname for Robert, I was skeptical. Yes, it fits, but I expect the characters to take some time to properly identify clues and to make wrong assumptions (like WHO Ben is talking to in his dressing room, as opposed to WHAT, i.e., a plate of cookies). Or maybe this was to show how well this new trio -- Mabel, Tobert, and Theo -- are working together. 

BTW, I loved the little dig Mabel made to Tobert about some names actually beginning with R.

[Ohiopirate02]

11 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I think it's possible. When they immediately came up with Dickie being a nickname for Robert, I was skeptical. Yes, it fits, but I expect the characters to take some time to properly identify clues and to make wrong assumptions (like WHO Ben is talking to in his dressing room, as opposed to WHAT, i.e., a plate of cookies). Or maybe this was to show how well this new trio -- Mabel, Tobert, and Theo -- are working together. 

BTW, I loved the little dig Mabel made to Tobert about some names actually beginning with R.

I thought they said Richard not Robert, and Dick or Dickie is a diminutive of Richard.  

[Milburn Stone]

Was Theo played by a different actor? This guy did an amazing job of channeling Nathan Lane right down to the eyebrow inflections, which of course makes sense. I don't remember Theo being this convincingly Nathan Lane's progeny before.

My main question now: OK, the show opens in two weeks. Yet Oliver hasn't seen Loretta? Is she not a featured actress in his musical that opens in two weeks?!??!??

Edited September 13, 2023 by Milburn Stone

[peeayebee]

55 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I thought they said Richard not Robert, and Dick or Dickie is a diminutive of Richard.  

Yes of course you're right. I had Tobert/Robert in my mind.

[Lugal]

On 9/12/2023 at 4:12 AM, cardigirl said:

 

Who was the hooded guy at the auction? Clearly someone we should suspect. And possibly the one who paid Uma $7 grand for the death rattle hankie.

Dickie is definitely a suspect, but if he is innocent, I sort of assumed that he paid Uma the $7000 for the hankie because he wanted some small piece of Ben back.  Which would explain his rant at Mabel about how everyone wanted to cash in on his brother's death.

12 hours ago, tkc said:

..which will make it really confusing when the two of them run into Teddy Dimas! 😲

I did see in Uma's klepto closet behind the clothes what looked like a poster with Nathan Lane on it.

[Irlandesa]

On 9/12/2023 at 10:15 AM, tennisgurl said:

"While filming Election I dated several high schoolers." Then Oliver's brief "wait, what?" reaction, this episode was just filled with great jokes.

I loved this line. 

Another favorite for me was something like:

Oliver: You would have made a better Ferris than Matthew.
Charles:  Do you really believe that?
Oliver: I want to.

I loved MB as a guest star but I also appreciated the return of Theo (I'll forgive him for anything) and Bunny.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, Blakeston said:

3. Is it possible that the "R. Glenroy" who supposedly made the drawing is actually Ben's secret twin (assuming he has one)? The idea of a celebrity having a secret twin is pretty far-fetched, but it sure seems like a possibility.

So maybe there's a Reginald Glenroy whose been filling in for his famous twin over the years when he goes to rehab or whatever.
Or, there are fraternal twins with very different sperm donors (or lovers) and maybe Tobert is really Robert Glenroy. 

6 hours ago, peeayebee said:

BTW, I loved the little dig Mabel made to Tobert about some names actually beginning with R.

— which kind of points to the "R. Glenroy" signature reveal in this episode.

 

[chitowngirl]

I’m leaning against Ben having an identical twin. Dickie said that he was adopted and then Ben came along. If there were twins, you usually say “the twins” came along or “Ben and [insert name here]” came along. Saying just Ben’s name if there were two seems weird.

[shapeshifter]

Rewatching... The case against Dickie is very strong.
At about the 15 minute mark, at the Cobro fan memorial, Dickie avoids Mabel's queries about Ben's death by acting offended at being asked the questions and then accusing Mabel of being a profiteer of the dead.
This is classic, old-school, whodunnit, guilty-party reaction/reveal, especially when the not-yet-proven guilty guy then turns right around (here with comedic speed) to hawk his dead half-brother's valuables — whether with ironic sarcasm, or just doing business:

• [MABEL to DICKIE] Right before Ben died, you said he had to take a phone call, and it seemed serious. Was that the cops or his doctor? Because Ben's autopsy said his blood work was clean, but I started thinking...
• [DICKIE] I'm gonna stop you there. If you came looking for a juicy nugget for your podcast or maybe a story to sell to the Daily Mail, you can try somewhere else. I'm not your guy.
• [MABEL] I-I'm sorry, I didn't...
• [DICKIE] God, even after he's dead, everyone's just trying to make a buck off my brother. It's fսck¡ng gross. But I guess that's the world we live in.
• [TURNING AWAY FROM MABEL, DICKIE]
  Hey, excuse me, there's a minimum bid on this of 5K!

and then, about 5 minutes later:

• [MABEL TO DICKIE] Hi. I just wanted to say I'm so sorry. I've lost people, too.
• [DICKIE] It's okay. I shouldn't have taken it all out on you.
• [MABEL] Taken what out on me?
• [DICKIE] Just frustration. My brother has always been my business. My folks adopted me when they thought they couldn't have kids, but then they had Ben. Miracle Ben, child star Ben. So, I spent my life protecting him. A guy who, by the way, was always fսck¡ng up, you know? Insensitive jokes, DUIs... Oh, the dіck pics. The thousands of dіck pics.
• [MABEL] I never read anything about the...
• [DICKIE] That's 'cause I was there, cleaning up the mess, making him look good. But he still gets all the credit. ( chuckles ) For everything. Story of our lives. The fame, the CoBro franchise, the... Sorry,...
• [MABEL] Sounds like he was really difficult.
• [DICKIE] Uh, yeah. But, you know, sometimes I think a person's just a... collection of a thousand little details. And when they're gone, those are the things you miss most. Ben loved boba, that disgusting green tea flavor, and... and funny dog videos on Instagram. He set all his clocks 20 minutes early so he'd always be fashionably late.
• [MABEL] I'm sorry Ben is gone. But I think we owe it to your brother to find his real killer.
• [DICKIE, DEFENSIVELY] We did. That's the only silver lining, that maniac's locked up.
• [MABEL] I guess I never bought that Gregg was a killer.
• [DICKIE] Didn't he chain you and Charles-Haden Savage up in a basement?
• [MABEL] Yeah, but I can't picture him hurting Ben. I mean, he loved him. And I have this theory about a hanky...
• [DICKIE] A hanky? Jesus, Gregg had been following my brother around for years. I should have sensed he might turn dangerous, and when I took my eye off the ball for one second, he killed my brother. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Gregg was here the night of the murder. The cops say Ben died at 12:06 and Gregg was seen leaving the Arconia right after that. You do the math. I'm sorry, Mabel. There's no story here.

And then later, Mabel, Theo, and Tobert:

• What's up with the flyer?
• Author?
• Oh, B. Glenroy. It's Ben Glenroy.   What, the B is an R? What...
• [MABEL] Yeah, R. Sometimes, a man's name actually starts with an R. ( laughs )
• [TOBERT] Okay, so, it's an R. For what, like Richard... D-Dickie. Dickie.
• [MABEL] "Story of our lives."
• [TOBERT] What?
• [MABEL] Dickie said Ben always got the credit. And the fame. And the CoBro franchise. I didn't think anything of it then, but...
• Okay, so, what,
• CoBro was Dickie's creation, and... Ben just stole it and made millions off of it?
• [TOBERT] All the while, Dickie's doing everything for him? Damn, that's cold.
• [MABEL] That's motive. ( Music swells )
• [TOBERT] And, just to be clear, our theory rests entirely on this B being an R?
• [MABEL] We once accused Sting of murder because he doesn't like dogs. This is actually pretty solid evidence for us. Let's do some digging. But, first things first, let's record. Yes. And get you out

But...🤔
I'm still considering that Tobert is really Robert Glenroy.

Edited September 13, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Snazzy Daisy]

Easter Eggs:

Opening credit - Death Rattle hankie’s wallpaper.

 

Teddy Dimas’ painting in Uma’s closet.

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[cardigirl]

"Counterpoint, you have no integrity!"  Donna gets some great lines!

[Clawdette]

While it's a little too on point for the show baby triplets to be a parallel for the Ben & Bros, it's an intriguing idea.  After all, one of those bebes may be a murderer.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Clawdette