Only Murders in the Building episodes 1 & 2 recap: Who are the new characters?

Episodes 1 and 2 of Only Murders in the Building season 3 were titled The Show Must... and The Beat Goes On. Directed by John Hoffman and written by Sas Goldberg, Ben Smith, and Joshua Allen Griffith, they were released on August 8, 2023.

Only Murders in the Building season 3 saw the introduction of two new characters, Loretta Durkin and Ben Glenroy. Durkin was an old woman who was finally living her dream, while Glenroy was a famous actor. They both hated each other with passion. Durkin is portrayed by Meryl Streep, while Paul Rudd plays Glenroy.

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Only Murders in the Building episodes 1 & 2 recap: Who is Loretta Durkin?

Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building kicked off with incidents that took place in the 1960s. A young girl gazed at a Broadway production with joy and excitement. Following a spectacular performance, she strived to enter the business herself.

The young girl worked all her life to fulfill her dream. She gave countless auditions and trained tirelessly, yet she failed to land a big role. After several failed attempts, he decided to let go of her passion. She ended up becoming a bitter old woman who never lived up to her potential.

Cut to the present; the very same woman was auditioning for Oliver Putnam's new Broadway play. Her name is Loretta Durkin, and she auditioned for the role of a nanny. Oliver was blown away by her performance and hired her in an instant. She, too, was filled with emotions.

The day of the play had finally arrived, but tragedy struck early. The lead actor, Ben Glenroy, collapsed and died just after delivering his opening monologue. Many people had their own theories regarding the reason for his death, but Oliver was feeling overwhelmed by what had taken place.

A flashback then showed all the actors of the play during their first table read. Its producers were Donna and Cliff. Howard was Oliver's assistant this time around. Ben Glenroy then introduced his team.

Glenroy was a huge name in showbiz. His team included his brother and assistant, Dickie, and cameraman Tobert. The actor was a huge deal, so he presented several high-caliber demands to Oliver. The table reading finally began with Loretta narrating her lines. Glenroy was not impressed with the old woman's skills, so he asked Oliver to fire her. However, the latter wholeheartedly trusted Loretta.

The story yet again shifted to the present, showing all cast members heartbroken by Glenroy's death. The news was even trending all over the country. However, the departed soon showed up, alive and healthy. Glenroy declared that he was pronounced dead but managed to come back to life and make a miraculous recovery. He did not know what exactly made him collapse. Everyone was shocked to see this phenomenon.

This reanimated Ben was different. He was good to everyone and much more humble. However, his opinion of Loretta hadn't changed. Soon, the cast members began dispersing. In a conversation between Mable, Charles, and Oliver, it looked like they were all going their separate ways.

However, the biggest shock of the episode came at the very end. When Charles entered the elevator, he noticed blood dripping on his head. Ben's lifeless corpse then fell through the ceiling and landed on the floor. The actor was certainly dead this time around.

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Only Murders in the Building synopsis

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of Only Murders in the Building reads,

"Three strangers share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth."

Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, the first season of Only Murders in the Building aired on August 31, 2021.

Episode 3 of season 3 of Only Murders in the Building will air on August 15.