Does Charles Actually Die in 'Only Murders in the Building'?

Publish date: 2024-06-22

Did 'Only Murders in the Building' actually kill off one of its leads? Not so fast, Arconiacs. Let's break down what happened with THAT scene.

Katherine Stinson - Author

Spoiler alert: The following article contains major spoilers for the Only Murders in the Building Season 2 finale on Hulu.

The Only Murders in the Building Season 2 finale was packed to the gills with so many twists that even the characters themselves had trouble keeping track. However, the biggest twist of the episode wasn't a twist at all.

It was a stab. Did Charles (Steve Martin) seriously die in the Only Murders in the Building Season 2 finale?

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Charles's dance with deadly destiny occurred when he, Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Oliver (Martin Short) confronted Cinda Canning at the Arconia's killer reveal party. Mabel flipped the script midway through their interrogation of Cinda, pointing the finger at Alice (Cara Delevingne) instead.

Alice reacted as one does when they're totally not guilty of stabbing someone eight times. She stabbed Charles right in the stomach, to everyone's horror.

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Does Charles die in 'Only Murders in the Building'?

Oliver wasn't kidding when he asked everyone at the killer reveal party if they had any acting experience. It turns out that Charles's death was an elaborate ruse to get Bunny Folger's (Jayne Houdyshell) actual killer to confess to her crimes.

Becky Butler's (Adina Verson) constant sneezing was a dead giveaway. Turns out she was highly allergic to Mrs. Gambolini, Bunny's chatty pet parrot.

After all, when Lucy (Zoe Margaret Colletti) encountered Bunny's killer the night Bunny was murdered, the killer sneezed. Becky also accidentally revealed that she knew Lucy was down in the Arconia's passageways that night, something only the killer would know.

In the spirit of the truth being revealed, Charles decided to rise miraculously from the grave. Turns out his fatal stab wound was nothing more than a blood bag and some well-timed theatrics.

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So thankfully, Charles is very much alive. Not only that, but Cinda and our favorite crime-solving trio are able to release the true crime podcasts of the century thanks to Becky's murderous actions.

That is, until Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) mysteriously dies onstage at a Broadway show a year later!

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Will there be a third season of 'Only Murders in the Building'?

Great news Arconiacs — Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building has already been officially confirmed by Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Craig confirmed in a statement that "Only Murders in the Building is the true crown jewel of our slate. Its appeal across generations, the intersection of humor and heart, and its truly original approach are a hallmark of and testament to Dan [Fogelman], John [Hoffman], Steve, Marty, and Selena’s work ... We are grateful to be able to continue telling the stories of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to viewers that have consistently shown us they crave more of this story."

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