ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

What this episode is about

The main topic revolves around the exploration of the pilot episode of "Only Murders in the Building," a modern detective show featuring a unique narrative twist. The discussion includes character introductions and the creative process behind reading the script, highlighting the participants' backgrounds and their roles in bringing the story to life.

Key takeaways

• Podcasts and murder mysteries: the perfect match that proves crime really does pay—if you're a storyteller!
• Who needs TikTok when you can create a complex web of suspense in a building full of quirky characters?
• Character names evolve like relationships in real life; even Oliver wasn't always Oliver—rename your drama!
• Panel discussions are great, but getting lost in a murder mystery script is the true path to collaboration.
• In any ensemble, miscommunication is just one missed character cue away from total chaos—welcome to the arts!

Who speaks in this episode?

• Tamir (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Vicky Dykes (Host) · 10 min speaking
• Anamik Faroh (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Judy Bell (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Leslie Helman (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Jen (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Aubrey (Guest) · 10 min speaking
• Cat Wilson (Host) · 20 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 10:00: Judy Bell, John Hoffman, Anamik Faroh, Leslie Helman
2. 10:00 – 20:00: Brazos, Apple Inc., ALS
3. 20:00 – 30:00: Tim Lee, Cinda Corning, Bose, Brazos
4. 30:00 – 40:00: Detective Donnie Williams
5. 40:00 – 50:00: Brazos, Tim Lee, Cinda Corning
6. 50:00 – 1:00:00: Tim Lee
7. 1:00:00 – 1:10:00: Tim Lee
8. 1:10:00 – 1:20:00: Tim Lee

Notable quotes from "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING"

• Facebook awesome Judy hi I'm Judy Bell and tonight I'm reading actions and descriptions for the teaser in act one I'm also Steve Part B later on I live in Los Angeles or Burbank California near Los Angeles it's.

  about Judy Bell · at 2:24

• So just there's not any confusion and yeah you can find me on all the websites my name's Leslie Helman on Instagram I'm captain lesle SEI so that's the word captain and then l s l i e s c so that's me fun I see.

  about Leslie Helman · at 3:44

• The title okay want me to start with should also I'll just say the whole thing only murders in the building written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman Episode One True Crime I'm…

  about John Hoffman · at 8:39

• Hey hold up are you Steve Grins and removes his sunglasses with a flourish I'm Brazos oh [ __ ] dude I used to watched that show with my dad it was his favorite what was the…

  about Brazos · at 12:31

• Apple pencil off my iPad back on the street AEL continues her walk past an Apple store I'm an apple girl [ __ ] that Microsoft Android [ __ ] Steve Jobs would come back from…

  about Apple Inc. · at 15:25

• Soaking in a pool of blood this stops our Trio cold what makes the shock worse is the victim is Tim whom they all shared an elevator with only an hour ago Steve starts to…

  about Tim Lee · at 33:00

• Did not but before they can respond the stairwell door yank open it's detective Donnie Williams straight out of the wire you associate with a deceased no we don't they all vaguely shake their heads no we're.

  about Detective Donnie Williams · at 33:54

• Which they start sorting through yuck we should get Cinda Corning toon Nar she's right in Brooklyn we wanted to use her voice for an Off Broadway gig I did last year but she…

  about Cinda Corning · at 41:53

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Tim Lee — Person · Fictional victim / plot catalyst (in script reading) · 5 mentions · first at 20:02
  The death on the 14th floor triggers the trio’s investigation; his garbage bag, notes, and misdelivered package (ring) become central clues.
• John Hoffman — Person · Referenced creator / credited writer (script) · 1 mention · first at 8:46
  Named on the title page as co-writer of the pilot script being read.
• Cinda Corning — Person · Fictional true-crime podcaster (referenced within script) · 2 mentions · first at 22:59
  Named as the narrator voice of the in-universe true-crime podcast the trio listens to; later referenced as someone they might involve.
• Detective Donnie Williams — Person · Fictional detective / authority figure (in script reading) · 1 mention · first at 33:59
  Confronts the trio, asserts the death is a suicide, and delivers a cautionary monologue about true-crime amateurs interfering with investigations.
• Judy Bell — Person · Reader/performer (table read participant) · 2 mentions · first at 2:28
  Reads action/descriptions and 'Steve Part B'; also shares she is a film producer.
• Anamik Faroh — Person · Reader/performer (table read participant) · 1 mention · first at 2:06
  Introduces herself and reads 'Mabel A' and later action/description sections.
  Awesome all right aname hi my name is anamik faroh I'm based in Sacramento California my pronouns are she her tonight I'll be reading Mabel a and then actions in the last Act of this script and.
• Leslie Helman — Person · Reader/performer (table read participant) · 1 mention · first at 3:49
  Reads 'Marty B' and comments in discussion about differences between the draft and the aired series.

Companies & orgs

• Hulu — Company · Incidental · 2 mentions
  Mentioned as the platform where the show is available
• Apple Inc. — Company · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 15:31
  Mentioned in passing as part of a character's monologue
• Bose — Company · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 22:13
  Mentioned as part of a character's setup for listening to a podcast
  Place he shares with his Bulldog Pete setting up for optimal immersion in that same podcast he links his laptop to Bose speakers by his baby grand sits in a velvet lounger and…

Concepts & topics

• ALS — Concept · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 13:09
  Mentioned in passing as part of a character's backstory
  Into a whole new Direction yes damn that was so cool dad has ALS now he can't really talk or feed himself anymore oh I'm sorry he's in Hospice but he just won't let go honestly it'd be better for a whole family if he did Steve nods wait.

Places & events

• Fair Corona — Place · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 5:30
  Mentioned as the location of a Shakespeare reading group
  Here at table read Tuesdays I'm also you can find me on Saturdays at hello two households in Fair Corona a Shakespeare reading group on select Saturdays and otherwise just on…
• April 17 2020 — Event · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 8:54
  Mentioned as the date context for the script
  Title okay want me to start with should also I'll just say the whole thing only murders in the building written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman Episode One True Crime I'm not…
• COVID-19 pandemic — Event · Incidental · 1 mention · first at 8:54
  Mentioned as the date context for the script
  Martin and John Hoffman Episode One True Crime I'm not going to read the network draft well okay April 17 2020 right beginning it's a good show it's a great show over black we…

Media & podcasts

• Brazos — Media · Incidental · 8 mentions · first at 12:37
  Mentioned as a TV show character Steve Martin played

Full transcript with timestamps

0:02 there we go all right is it still streaming yeah okay all right well Welcome to our reading of only murders only murders in the building took me a while to figure out why it was called that but we'll find out when we read the script so it will be revealed um although a lot of things won't be revealed in our script today since this is just the pilot episode of of apparently pretty interesting uh modern detective show with a new Twist on how they do things so um we'll go ahead and introduce everybody before we jump into our reading and I'll just kind of go down here in player order so we'll start off with Tamir everyone uh yes my name is Tamir I'm reading Steve part a uh and actions and descriptions later on uh I go by he him his I'm based in Montreal and uh guess that's it where people can find you if they want to on social media if you want them to find you it's okay don't I don't really have

1:19 anything I'm not that active that's fine thank you and we'll go down to Vicky and then anamik hello I'm Vicky dkes tonight tonight I'm reading Marty for the first part of the reading and actions and descriptions uh about a fourth of the way into it and um I'm she her uh did I mention that I'm in central Alberta in Canada um you can find me on Facebook under my name Vicky Dykes and I'm also on Instagram I'm yoga a 10 awesome all right um aname hi my name is anamik faroh I'm based in Sacramento California my pronouns are she her um tonight I'll be reading Mabel a and then actions in the last uh Act of uh of this script um and you can find me on Facebook awesome um Judy hi I'm Judy Bell and tonight I'm reading actions and descriptions for the teaser in act one I'm also Steve Part B later on I live in Los Angeles or Burbank California near Los Angeles it's still considered the same thing and um

2:45 let me see what else oh yeah I'm a film producer and you can find me on most social medias just not Tik Tok I don't do Tik Tok but all the other ones just ji and then Belle sometimes I'm middle initials in there which is see like in hatat but if you look up a Judy Bell or Judy C Bell it'll be me awesome uh cesie hi I'm lesie Helman I'm also in Los Angeles uh for I'm I'm actually in Los Angeles proper uh which is exciting to me because I lived in Altadena for a long time so I was always having to to do the explanation just like Judy did but now I'm at La for real um and I'm she her and I uh see today I am um Marty B uh so coming in strong after Vicky and uh because I have seen the series and this it's the Martin Short character so it's interesting that at this stage of the pilot it's still Stephen Marty but eventually the character becomes Oliver uh so just there's not any confusion and uh yeah you can find me on all the all

3:49 the websites uh my name's Leslie Helman um on Instagram I'm captain lesle SEI so that's the word captain and then l s l i e s c so that's me fun I see Jen hi I'm Jen I live in New Jersey my pronouns are she her um and you can find me in the Facebook group that's about it and I'm today I'm playing the uh Mabel B and I'm doing actions and descriptions for ACT 3A okay um Aubrey hi everyone I'm Aubrey my pronoun are whatever don't care um and I am in Rio Vista California Northern California and um I will just be playing a conglomerate of different characters and so I didn't even bother putting them in there because there's so many of just little one part things and um you can find me on Instagram and on YouTube and a bunch of other places uh you can find me Instagram at luthian theair and I'm on Spotify as well you can check out my album on there and yeah that's pretty much it cool and I am cat

5:11 Wilson at of Gig Harbor Washington pronouns are she her um when I'm not reading anyone tonight I'm just hosting unless um someone needs to drop out or we have some internet connections so I'll be just kind of in the background but um if anyone needs to find me I'm here at table read Tuesdays I'm also you can find me on Saturdays at uh hello two households in Fair Corona a Shakespeare reading group um on select Saturdays and otherwise just on face on Facebook um Katherine devony def Fox Wilson big long name um so when we jump in our script today just so you know we have there's there's no shot numbers um so we have to go kind of by page numbers and we will switch our three main characters on page 20 right after we finished detective William scene so with Detective William is still in the scene then you're still that same character and then somewhere along page 20 we will switch three people into the other um

6:10 Marty and and um and all Marty Mabel and it's our third character's named Steve thank you I actually haven't seen the script yet so um and oh let's see Jen had a comment here let me take a quick look um so see Jen you are actions and descriptions for three I have you for 3A Pages 15 to 20 yeah that should be correct um I'm not sure what you're looking at but yeah your your as descriptions for Pages 15 to 20 and Tamir is over Pages 20 to 25 oh uh actually have it the other way around you have next because 15 to 20 and Jen is 20 to 25 we could switch No it should be the way maybe because I have that I have it that way on I see yes yes yeah that's a good point yeah okay so yeah we'll switch our actions and descriptions Thanks Jen for catching that yeah you should not be reading actions descriptions if you're playing a major character yeah at least this um and so when I say Pages for the action

7:18 descriptions um like Pages 2 to 8 815 that means it will switch somewhere in the middle of that page so if you come into the page eight in the middle of scene you go ahead and finish you're scene fractions descriptions and then the next person can pick it up with the next sort of location change if that makes sense so um go and finish your scene for you switch um and I'll try and remind who's up where we in the chat all right so let's go ahead and share our screen and then we'll get reading on our script here so pull that up and is that the right one maybe it is let's see see what I got here what am I looking at um all right do you guys see the title page of the thing yes yes okay and I'm going to just scroll up a little bit so we can test the size of the print it's a little small is that okay yeah all right and okay can you still see where it says over black or did I scroll up too far you scroll too far but I I've got it

8:34 pulled up too you see it there right yes all right we'll go back up here then to the title okay want me to start with should also I'll just say the whole thing only murders in the building written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman Episode One True Crime I'm not going to read the network draft well okay April 17 2020 right beginning it's a good show it's a great show um over black we hear sirens blaring and smash to Interior New York pre-war apartment building various night cops swarming black boots found marble oh pound sorry black boots pound marble floors of a Lobby and down long carpeted hallways where tenants peek out doors closed stay inside door slam shut guns are drawn as cops approach two apartments on two floors where a goahead is given and two doors are kicked open in the stairwell step Marty whom will come to know frantically run down the stairs in terrified Escape mode oh my God my

9:44 God my God oh my God oh my God we have to get her I'm not leaving her here oh and I would of course you would of course I would they rush out of the stairwell into a hallway with no cops and aim toward an apartment toward at the end slightly a jar a glance of concern between them as they run and burst in the apartment where they are immediately struck Frozen by what they see a stylish young woman Mabel whom will come to know is on the floor covered in blood hunched over the bloody dead body of a young man in a tie dyed hoodie face unseen it's not what you think stepen Marty take in this shock as the happy bouncy intro to Jan and Dean's cover of the classic Manhattan kicks up we'll have Manhattan hard cut to Black where words appear two months earlier exterior New York Street Upper West Side magic hour today Jan and Dean sing about the aisle of the joy of Joy Manhattan can be as Steve walk home happily energized in hat

11:01 and shades amid a diverse throng on a fall evening where the city has never felt more alive or comfortably communal here's Steve over here's a thing I don't get people who worry about living in a big city because of all the crime he tips his hat to a woman passer by she pushes her glasses up using her middle finger Steve smile and smiles and Carries On as any True Crime oficiando will tell you it's The Boondocks you need to worry about he stops outside of Bodega to pick up red and yellow peppers he sniffs them feels them Smiles at the owner who misss the produce and nods to a sign you touch it you buy it I mean let's face it nobody ever discovered 19 bodies bued in the backyard of a 27 story apartment building because a backyard here is a courtyard and there's about 200 windows and 400 eyes with a view of the of that courtyard he pays and with his bag of peppers he's on his way again long way around to say there

12:10 safety in numbers like the numbers who live at the Arcadia Steve rounds a corner and looks up ahead to the Arcadia gleaming in the last bit of sun a stunning 27 story pre-war architectural Landmark apartment building on the street a young couple approaches Steve hey hold up are you Steve Grins and removes his sunglasses with a flourish I'm Brazos oh [ __ ] dude I used to watched that show with my dad it was his favorite what was the thing you always said Steve leans in preparing to deliver his signature line and we quick cut to a moment from brazzo's CBS Circ 1992 where a dark-haired Steve leans respectively to camera this sends the investigation back on the street today into a whole new Direction yes damn that was so cool dad has ALS now he can't really talk or feed himself anymore oh I'm sorry he's in Hospice but he just won't let go honestly it'd be better for a whole family if he did Steve nods wait

13:24 it's awkward would you like a picture oh man thanks that's so nice the guy then hands Steve his phone and puts his arm around his girl for Steve to take a picture of them mortifying can you do it horizontal and get the park behind us Steve takes the shot for them you tell your dad Brazos took that picture oh man I will but you don't understand not anymore thanks again we got Man Steve continues on his way A Little Less happily as we now hear Mabel over New York can be a [ __ ] lot exterior another New York Street saying do ol lippus don't start now kicks in as Mabel mid 20s walks home in a knit hat with a yellow pom pom Beats headphones playing Dua in her ears and big white sunglasses to avoid all the eyes she's catching right now all the eyes on you all the time hey baby where you going so tough Mabel ignores him 2,000 women report assaults here every year so it's a place that makes you binge date line

14:40 to find out how not to end up on date line I have this recurring dream interior Mabel's apartment bedroom night Mabel's Dream from above we see Mabel asleep on a mattress on the floor I'm in bed I wake up we drop down and push in and Mabel's eyes snap nap open and there's a man standing over me in reverse a mased man stands over her on the mattress I have no idea what he wants what he's going to do to me but I know it's going to be bad so I Megan rapino smack him smack in the nuts Wham she hard kicks up and the mass man doubles over and Falls to where Mabel has just jumped out of the way lunged out of the way sorry grab my apple pencil off my iPad back on the street AEL continues her walk past an Apple store I'm an apple girl [ __ ] that Microsoft Android [ __ ] Steve Jobs would come back from the dead and pig [ __ ] Android anyway back to Mabel's bedroom and her dream mael climbs at top

15:44 The Mask man pinning his arms down with her knees sometimes when I can't sleep I imagine that dude standing over me she stabs him in the eyes repeatedly with her apple pencil and I imagine taking him down to the bone with that apple pencil finally she rolls off and looks at the ceiling We rise to see Mabel is now back alone she shuts her eyes peacefully and I'm out like a light works every time back on the street Mabel continues on her way as I said it's a lot don't be here if you don't like a lot a selection from Annie kicks in and we hear Marty over NYC what is it about you exterior another New York Street same Marty in a fulllength braided coat that could have been mistaken for bergamasco a bergamasco sheep dog at Westminster speeds to catch the last seconds of a crosswalk light which of course is a line from a big hit show about an orphan and don't we all feel like orphans here at times

16:57 struggling to find our place I saw this brilliant dance piece on the worldwide web recently set to Claire Delon quick cut to footage of a dance piece to clar tooon where a male dancer bounces on a trampoline trying to ascend a staircase a simple premise of a man trying to reach the top of a staircase and falling but always trying to find some new way to bounce back up again and I thought H isn't that each of us every day in this big Berg that's life in New York honk back on the street Marty is now in the middle of the crosswork having almost been hit by a Prius really do you not see this coat as Marty finishes his narration We rise to take in the block still one thing is certain here just when it's all starting to feel the same that's when you get hit by something you never never saw coming the city sounds envelope and we see Marty enter a place he calls home the Arcadia interior Arcadia Lobby late day moments

18:11 later Steve enters clearly in a hurry and spots Marty that guy collecting a tall stack of packages while chatting up the doorman Lester these are all researched for new shows I'm developing some off some off off stay out of the theater if you want a LIF luster Steve pointedly slips past Marty and over to the elevators where one is just opening yes he steps interior Arcadia elevator late day continuous and hits 18 hold that please [ __ ] Steve repeat heads door closed but Marty hops on thanks I have a thing that's yeah me too Marty manages despite his boxes to hit 15 as they wait Marty sees it's Steve through an opening in his boxes oh hello uh filming something today I'm sorry all the makeup I just assumed I'm not wearing makeup oh okay me neither Steve hits door closed but the doors are now stopped by the arm of Mabel who steps in beats shades on and hits 17 she slips to a back corner to

19:28 scroll her phone and they ride up in silence Steve checks the time on his phone 6:58 it's not 7 yet is it nope no seems they're all in a rush as the elevator stops at 11: 11 nobody hit 11 the doors open and on steps Tim late 20s Asian Wall Street vibe holding a half full plastic garbage bag while on a call he continues at full Voice Tim Lee yeah do you see anything you gotten today a shoot sorry oh 412 and then his 14 steepen go ahead no no go ahead okay Stephen Marty I just wanted to say that because it's kind of important but Stephen Marty want to strangle him now as the doors Clos you do oh I don't know why this keeps happening well uh well this one's very important to me really can't get it sooner well how are tomorrow finally Tim gets off on 14 silence Marty looks at Mabel do you like your Beats Mabel stares forward unclear as to ignoring or just not hearing I had a red pair loved them but I left them on the train one

20:54 day Marty turns to Steve who Smiles the doors are open open on 15 man ever lost my Beats Marty gives Steve a pinched look as he heads off toing his boxes the doors close on Mabel and a newly pleased Steve now this is someone else's turn I interior Steve's interior Steve's apartment hallway moments later as the bluegrass twang of yo-yo Ma's attaboy kicks in the theme to Steve's latest True Crime podcast Obsession Steve trots down his Hall checking his phone to find at 7: and a new episode of all is not okay in Oklahoma has just dropped interior Steve's apartment late day continuous Steve hurries into his Bachelor abod dominated by a poster of himself in Brazos overlooking the park on one side in the Arcadia Courtyard on the other he puts his peppers in the fridge where we see more eggs and peppers then heads to a coffee table to unfold a math of chiasa Oklahoma he's marked up with Clues and locations of suspects he

21:57 positions himself on the C just so sets his phone down and preps to hit play on his app interior Marty's apartment same Marty runs around with his old school London meets Mulan Rouge place he shares with his Bulldog Pete setting up for optimal immersion in that same podcast he links his laptop to Bose speakers by his baby grand sits in a velvet lounger and lights up a fake fireplace with one remote and uses another for those speakers here we go interior Mabel's apartment main hall all master sa Mabel enters an almost empty eight room expanse and pass passes vast rooms till reaching her bedroom with only a big chandelier and her mattress on the floor Mabel flops and finds her new episode of all is not okay and hits play intercutting now we watch our three lonely tenants get happily Swept Away to Oklahoma where Farm noises mixed with the voice of a podcast narrator ala sakun who we call Tina fig huh no we

22:59 call her Cinda Corning when Ray Butler walked me into his bar that day in chasa I was thinking more about his own Orthodox clothing Choice than for a farm living in Steve's imagination lovely Cinda ambles to that barn with a 60-ish farmer Ray wearing a light blue sear sucker suit I wasn't expecting to find anything related to The Disappearance of his niece Becky in Maple's imagination a 30ish a 30ish ray wears a long black silk robe and Doc Martin's but all that changed because what was going on in the back of one of the cats in Marty's imagination a studly ray is full frontal naked well Ray's old lab bow was digging at something in the dirt intercut more rapidly between our three all Peak leaning forward what the [ __ ] is bow digging up once he got he got his dug up PR's boat ran proudly to me with it dangling in his mouth it took a moment to absorb what it was and then it became all too clear bird

24:04 found arth threey jolt what the [ __ ] it's the building's fire alarm loud and persistent which has also cut off all the main power in the building our inner cutting continues as they all spring up unable to hear their podcast now in the dark they grab up coats phones Steve's mat Marty's laptop and Pete in his doggy tote Steve is Marty has laptop and Pete in his doggy tote mapel her feets and all head to their holes where security lights Flash and elevators which are out interior various stairwell sections continuous down the steps are three go in the dark amid other tenants note to reader this descent sequence will ultimately hold many critical Clues pertinent to an investigation to come Meo passes a young mother who yells down to her 10-year-old son in Spanish she can't find her other Son Marty spots a Greek guy shouting up to his brother to stay put Steve is bumped by stly heading up the stairs wearing a tiedyed hoodie

25:04 up why is someone going up confusing but Steve continues down all to that alarm interior Arcadia Lobby night moments later Steve steps out of the stairwell and goes down to the bed and goes to the doorman Lester on his cell and ushering tenants outside someone Smell Smoke we I finding out Steve checked his phone in his paused podcast gets an idea uh gets an idea interior Billy springborn interior Billy springborn night moments later in a bustling in a bustling sorry in a bustling be across from the Arcadia Steve steps in scans for a quieter booth and spots one free excellent at Steve's Booth moments later Steve has his Oklahoma map spreads out spread out he presses his phone to his ear then looks up and jolts to find Marty and Pete look who got the L Booth listen if I've ever offended you during any of the many times you've auditioned for me I've never auditioned for you are you not Scott

26:16 bacula I am not oh you're the other one got it oh I won't say a word my favorite pop house just dropped a few EP he need he sees Steve's map of chiot and both realize together what does Bo have in his mouth I don't know at Steve and Marty's Booth moments later Steve and Marty now sit over Marty's laptop sharing Marty's earbuds with bald up napkins and their other ears riveted to what they're hearing fine fine let it sit empty I was going to spend Pretty Woman money here so you know Marty looks up and sees Mabel being booted by a host from a reserve two toop she's tried to Nab in the packed Place big mistake huge yeah you didn't think I'd have that reference in my pocket did you she spots Marty waving her over okay elevator guys sit half the building's in here I'm Marty by the way Marty pepper hi I'm Steve hey I'm Mabel Steve burst out laughing no really what's your great old school name would you

27:33 mind just for 40 minutes not talking nael looks at the map and podcast graphic on his laptop get out what the [ __ ] is in Bo's mouth Becky's panties panties go jaw dropped and plugs her beats into Marty's laptop at Ste still continue I'm not sure where I where where I where who takes over it is this sa for yet or I'm still it's still me no you keep reading I'll let you know at Steve Marty and Mabel's Booth an hour later done listening now this odd Trio is deep theorizing they all eat with Mabel noticebly uh notably chowing down from her plate and then theirs it is not Ray too obvious exactly I'm just relieved something of Becky Butler showed up somewhere I almost forgot who went missing they took too long with it her diary Becky had a smile that lit up the room blah blah I love a good peeling of the onion and let's Pace it up people a good headon from all the Marty turns to Mabel to that point who are you you

28:50 fascinating creature I mean we got our places 30 years ago when the Arcadia was a able but you do your parents have a place there good God you don't have time to that mayel unless you want to because I'm I'm also curious May considers this then with a squint she eyes Steve how do I know you Steve was in this old TV show called was it Boos BOS oh okay Steve waits for more there is none so that's Steve formerly recognizable kind of beloved lifelong bachelor by choice as for me directing is my day job as I'm sure you know Mabel stares at him blankly which Steve loves but my grandchildren they're my passion I only wish I had more time to spend with them oh that's really all we want isn't it more time with the people we love I literally pass him an the elevator once a month just just so you know and those my dear are our onions raw and unpeeled and yours care to unpeel for us really Babel considers these

30:27 strangers then I bet we can get back in the building now uh can I absolutely not we we've got it oh absolutely thanks so much Marty grabs a Pete and exits leaving Steve with the check exterior the Arcadia night moments later the trio exits the beastro and crosses the street to find cop cars and an ambulance on active alert outside the Arcadia the hell he leads them to Lester the doorman found someone dead what sounds like they off themselves 14 floor can't let anyone in Lester goes and our group eyes each other three True Crime obsessives and now there's been a death in the building angle on Steve looking up to the building and here over since the Arcadia opened in 1903 a total of 48 tenants and six non- tenants have died in the building most by natural causes three have been deemed questionable in Rapid Cuts we flash on a woman in 1920's Garb hanging from a chandelier in 8B a middle-aged man under

31:39 a toppled refrigerator in 4D a teenage girl with foam dripping from her mouth in 14a back with their group on the street all are stunned and wildly curious did he say 14th Lauren I think oh God did they jump did they leap to their death hey I know way to the back freight elevator follow me yeah but we should take it up to 13 then take the stairs they'll have cops posted on 14 Stephen Marty exchanged and oh she's good look as they head off trying to look casual and not sneaky at all uh interior of the Arcadia stairwell slh Hall night moments later riding on big time adrenaline are three super quietly open open the stairwell door on 14 and Peak down the hall a cop walks by and they freeze he's headed away from them though this giv s Trio a moment to slip out to the hall to see police activity around an apartment down the way they tiptoe toward it and a and a detective standing with his back to them

32:45 mumbling about this suicide the detective steps away revealing to our group a victim on the floor his face angled out toward them contorted his skulls been blown to bits by an at Point fatal gunshot exposing brain and matter soaking in a pool of blood this stops our Trio cold what makes the shock worse is the victim is Tim whom they all shared an elevator with only an hour ago Steve starts to hyperventilate Marty looks like he's going to projectile so Mayo pulls them back they all run silently backwards and panicked back into the stairwell where they try to collect themselves oh my God my God oh my God God my God my God my God my God my God my God it's that God his head was I I've seen TV dead bodies but that have you ever Marty is dry heaving clearly he hasn't he shot himself no he didn't the guys look at her a Steely resolve on her face we saw him what an hour ago did he seem like he was about to do something

33:49 like that the guys take that in no he did not but before they can respond the stairwell door yank open it's detective Donnie Williams straight out of the wire you associate with a deceased no no we don't um they all vaguely shake their heads no we're neighbors in the building we live in the building uhuh so you know the deceased oh just him passing not his passing yeah yes no oh when we passed by him mhm before he passed that's right but are you sure it's suicide I mean even in passing he didn't seem the type right but you don't know him look obviously you're just starting investigation looking at all the forensics oh [ __ ] what the [ __ ] show are you all hooked on the trio looks appropriately called out I swear if I meet one more of you True Crime nuts he stepped into the stairwell closing the door behind him all right listen up you want True Crime way back there was complaints about a

35:16 guy who' gone missing up on 12th uh 121st Street this guy had this big fat roommate he who said hadn't seen this missing guy for 6 days but fatty neighbor knew better than anybody else something funky was in that apartment said he heard these two fighting all the time so the cops started their shirts begin their work but this neighbor decides he's going to check out the apartment when the big man's not home so he gets in there searches around finds nothing till he looks around the freezer where way in the back behind some chickens he pulls out a baggie that's got inside it a godamn toe oh no which toe pinky toe it was the middle goddamn toe hard to figure out which one of the which one some look like thumbs you right so he pulls one out this toe and sees what there's teeth marks on it oh God he was eating him that [ __ ] was eating him [ __ ] and while the neighbor's processing this fact guess who comes home oh it's

36:27 go no big man sees this guy over by his freezer and they get into it down to the floor and the neighbor's hand goes in Fatty's mouth no no lucky for that neighbor he grabbed a frying pan and he knocked that [ __ ] out to the cop showed up our Trio all exhales in huge relief you know what that nosy neighbor learned that day he learned to let the pros handle this [ __ ] and believe it or not he actually became a cop himself soon after do you know this guy Williams holds up his hand revealing he's missing a middle finger Steve Marty and Mabel look stunned that's true crime and this was a suicide residue powder on his hand evidence of financial stress and a voice recording he left on his phone saying he was out of here which is all where you all need to be but what if it's not trust me hey K let go these True Crime nuts back outside looking like they're off to detention the three get up and ex the Arcadia Knight a little

37:45 later outside they all watch The Yellow Tape come down as a body bag holding Tim rolls out follow him by Detective Williams look we were all caught up in the podcast our mines were just on the track of something being fishy yeah that's probably it so you're just going to listen to some nine-fingered cop over what you know in your gut something in the emotion of how she asked this hits Steve no I'm not saying that because if he's wrong that means there's a killer out there and they may be living right here in our building wow then Marty can't help himself sorry um I'm going to need another read on that what take it again for me but hit killer a little harder you're a theater director not a If he if he's wrong that means there's a killer out there somewhere no no no sorry I I want you to really punch somewhere a killer out there somewhere that feels false yeah yeah no you're right let me think um what's

38:51 happening right now there may have been someone murdered we may have been the last people to see him and you two are you know what forget it she exits a long beat then you see how natural that was shut up Tom Waits Little Drop of Poison kicks in and plays over interior of Steve's apartment kitchen night later at his sto Steve uses those Peppers we saw him buy to make an incredible omelet displaying a chef's familiarity with this but he's clearly in his head he looks out his window at the apartments overlooking the courtyard is a killer out there his alet complete he routinely slides it into a trash can Steve Sarah is at the garbage in that plastic bag new thoughts into your Marty's apartment bedroom night same Marty talks on the phone and watches that Claire did the invance piece on his laptop because I'm literally surrounded by 12 grits I need to read right now I said I'll try will you know what

39:53 I'm like when I'm deciding a new project though he R his favorites on his laptop almost all are true crime podcast fan sites Marty gets a new thought interor Mel's apartment bedroom night soon map's iPad is on her mattress her screen sa displaying her photos selfies art Seer shots Etc as mle enters from the bathroom and picks it up to resume what she was watching an old episode of Brazos on YouTube wherein Steve as Brazos is in a crowded elevator eyeing a suspect at the front of the elevator who has his back to him chlo is on Mabel quick flash to her earlier elevator ride in Mabel's po she sees Tim get on blocked by Marty's boxes save for a half filled garbage bag Tim is holding nabel has a realization as ominous cut two commercial Brazos music plays on her iPad interior Arcadia elevator night moments later the basement button is lit as Steve in robe and slippers descends ding the door opens on 17 to reveal

41:01 nabel the [ __ ] garbage bag Steve Sparks excited bbel steps on and the doors close why would you get on an elevator with that there's a shoot on every floor what was in there nael nods as ding the do open on 15 and Marty we all have the same thought we need to do our own podcast the door closed and Steve Andel eye each other what into your arcadio basement night moments later ding the three get off the elevator and carefully slip below the eyes of the security cameras I'm just saying these podcasts can turn into franchises and yes it's early but we should be recording this moment right now he takes out his phone hits record and Marty's phone po they enter a gated pen with two garbage shoots holding all the tenant waste which they start sorting through yuck we should get Cinda Corning toon Nar she's right in Brooklyn we wanted to use her voice for an Off Broadway gig I did last year but she was interviewing the

42:03 Taliban so um I have a connection oh yeah do you know who do you know in the Taliban that's how I laugh the guy's not accepting this or you can narrate the podcast oh please actually part of the big job would be you go on here it is I found it the guys turned to her she's holding a bag are you sure there's mail she hands Steve a piece of mail which Steve reads Tim Lee that's him interior Steve's apartment living room night later Steven Mabel in plastic gloves SI through Tim's garbage bag like forensic scientists Marty films them you are filming this because I'm still deciding between podcast or docu ser mael lets out a small wiper she's just unfolded a piece of stationary with handwriting there's anyone left to care there's nothing for me anymore oh [ __ ] Marty lowers his phone and sits with them Steve finds similar bald up stationery which she and Marty silently read over I'm so lonely I don't want to

43:21 be this lonely anymore all three of them sit back relating in a way to those feelings Tim expressed though none would admit the fact that's it that's our answer so we're done back to Oklahoma mael and Steve look at Marty yeah this is likely the end of this burining burining investigation and whatever it was they were feeling about this newbound connection with each other interior Steve's apartment kitchen the next morning Steve is back to his routine making an red and yellow pepper omelette while on the phone with his agent I read the script but my character has no lines not one and his name is guy in corner with drink wait so they want someone who looks like Brazos and they want me to audition for this okay whatever fine I'll go he hangs up and dumps his perfect omelet in the trash interior Marty's apartment living room morning looking particularly depressed Marty is now wrapping those boxes of his

44:32 supposedly filled with all that development research in little boy and girl wrapping paper interior Mabel's apartment bathroom morning Mabel showers she bends over either stretching or crying hard to tell which due to the water and her wet hair a moment later Mabel tells off and we take note of a distinctive bird of paradise dice tattoo on her shoulder she opens her medicine cabinet filled with prescription bottles which she considers in a resigned way but then she hears her neighbor through a vent in the top of her wall be good for Mommy where she's out Mabel seems to have a thought she rushes out to Interior Mabel's apartment foyer continuous Mabel runs in her towel to her front door and looks through the peephole to see her neighbor Jane 60 Stout double locking her door her mind whirling Mabel thinks interior exterior bus Halland tunnel area morning later a somber Marty is now on a bus with his bag of wrapped gifts

45:44 headed out of the city towards Jersey interior Steve's apartment hallway day a disgruntled Steve heads to the elevator when ding the doors open and again there's Mabel we've got to stop meeting like this I need your help I've got an audition they trade places he gets in and she steps out does this have to do with Mabel nods Steve stops the elevator door with his arm [ __ ] them I'm offer only exterior a house in New Jersey day Marty pulls it together to give happy on the stoop of a Suburban home holding those wrapped p packages as the do is opened by Will 30s Marty sun to reveal Marty's excited fraternal twin for yearold grandkids Kate and Luke Grandy is here hug uh interior Mabel's apartment hallway day off the elevator Mabel walks Steve to her apartment and fills him in on her thinking as they go so like a month ago I saw him s the dead guy at that apartment James asking for a package that got delivered to her by

47:09 mistake makes sense they're on the a line I get Mr LED packages on my sea line do you remember him on the elevator saying it happened again and this package was important I want to know what's in it and I saw her leave a few minutes ago did you ask her for it for a dead gu package plus she's mean I have a way in interior Mabel's apartment main hall bathroom Mabel ushers Steve into her vast almost empty space what who are you I'm remodeling she takes some pass rooms into her bathroom and that bent see therey I I just need a boost Steve looks at that small vent up near the ceiling no no no have you forgotten I'm Brazos off Mabel wondering how that pertains interior Marty's son's house living room day Marty play wrestles with his grandkids as will enters who did a stinky I smell a stinky on you Dad you want to talk you in the middle of a stinky oh oh oh holy [ __ ] that is Ransom Marty gets up and follows

48:34 will into another room interior Mabel's apartment hallway at Jane's door Steve shows Mabel his set of Jimmy Keys which he's about to use to try and unlock Jane's apartment door Brazos was the son of a locksmith so the crew gave me these Jimmy keys for a rap gift season five Mabel spota we love you from the crew key tag attached she smiles and keeps looking at the stairs uh And he as he starts working on the logs oh I watched a few of those Bros I like early 90s stuff sometimes you get to see Hammer pants you're a good you're a good actor did you ever do any other shows I did a few Pilots they didn't move forward I don't think I test well yeah yeah I can see that thanks wait what how long have you lived here 28 years but not always by yourself Steve considers then no yes you've been alone for 28 years I like alone alone isn't so bad Mabel doesn't get it Steve Works thinks then offers my father was also a Steve I'm a

49:53 junior it was the most consistent refrain of my childhood how much I was like him heavily perfumed relatives would shout the words in my face you're his spinning image and I really was he was left-handed I was left-handed but we both used scissors with the right hand both of us could pick up about any instrument play by ear but ask us do basic algebra forget it we went gray at 48 completely white at 57 like clockwork Mabel Smiles people liked him my father they meant it as a compliment when they told me I was like him he was awful to my mother he was awful in quiet unseen ways that people didn't see he lied he cheated he made her feel small he seemed to get pleasure out of it making her feel silly making her feel unsure of herself and I think at a certain point I figured I use scissors like him and I play instruments like him odds are that in a serious relationship a beat alone isn't so bad Mabel absorbs

51:07 that it's opened her up enough to divulge it's my uncle's place he asked me to redo it for him you can see how well that's going first time I've been alone in like ever I tend to make packs wherever I go even when I was a kid I had my Hardy boy pack that's too old a reference for you we were being old school calling ourselves that but I did read some of the books that original series is way racist that's the beauty of my generation anyway me and the my Hardy Boys there there were four of us only two were actual Boys by the way we got into solving these Mysteries around the complex we all lived in this was in Singapore a glance from Steve that last bit sounded like a cover so this stuff isn't new to you well those were madeup Mysteries or at least most of them were another curious glance from Steve still working that long and your hearty boys where are they now things got weird as things seem to do when I play

52:21 with others maybe you've got it right maybe it's better to go in alone where in he's just unlocked Jane's apartment door yes good job Bros she slips inside excited but Steve stops at the threshold whoa hold on this this is actual breaking and entering sorry it just hit me they look at each other then Steve impulsively steps inside he's done it now crossed a real line Steve shuts the door interior Marty's son's house sun room Marty is in a black sun room looking at his son's backyard a back sun room with a swing set and jungle gym will appear stressed yard looks nice thanks the kids live out there sorry I missed kit today yeah she had a bunch of errands so how's work oh good good very promising yeah that's great did you pick up your next project yeah I well I thought I had something and then it went away so I I need to um Will's face drops you know I never wanted to have to be this this to be a

53:44 regular thing but I'm I'm in this bind just strapped like like a d just a few grand to help me get through the next little window will I'm close I'm so close on a few things that's what you said the last time this will be the last time for sure and I'd only need half of it Dad I can't give you a check not now I'm sorry the kids and we need to put a new roof on the place I promise kid I wouldn't I just can't will looks away this kills him obviously it's mortifying coming to you like this I'm revolted at myself but will I I can't get work it's been years now you know and I don't know what else to do I really just need a little help son you have to sell the apartment I can't Dad it's all I've got it's who I am well obviously it makes me very sad to hear that sorry oh will I'm sorry for for so many things but I'm just in a rough patch and and a need Dad I can't not again Marty nods gathers himself

54:54 goes to a closet in the hall well I certainly appreciate what you've already done for me and and don't worry it's just a rocky moment that's all dad you tell kit that I I you tell kit I send love okay and tell those stinkers gry loves them come on you're staying for lunch no no no no I should get back got to dig in nose to the grindstone right can I my coat please will looks at him fights the urge to Bend Will heads to get the the coat leaving Marty to absorb his this final gut punch exterior Arcadia rooftop deck day Mabel now holds that package about a foot square addressed to Tim Lee as she and Steve exit to the roof thought I'd be more of a hunt feels a bit lame it was right on her foer table Mabel looks more nervous now as she leads oh wait I apolog I totally messed up it's not me who's freeing usor that's okay I wasn't sure so okay I thought it would be more of a hunt it feels a bit lame it was right on her

56:07 fore table Mabel looks more nervous now as she leads Steve's towards a low wall at the edge of the rooftop deck which all of Manhattan and the park around and Below them she pulls out a joint and lights it takes a hit offers to Steve he passes you should open it I can't tell if I want it to be nothing or something that means something Steve nods agreeing now he grabs the joint takes a hit and then he carefully opens a package and pulls out filler on Mabel she can't see what's in the box uh from where she stands but watches Steve's face as he finds what's inside what is it what kind of a guy kills himself an hour after being desperate to get his hands on this he reveals to Mabel a small box holding an engagement ring off Mabel's expression looking with many conflicted feelings at that ring we go back to exterior Marty's son's house in Jersey Marty steps out to the front stoop dazed the weight of the world

57:24 Weighing on him and then he gets a text from Steve where are you we found something this sends the investigation into a whole new Direction the plaintive tones of CLA Delon begin as Marty takes that news in this is all he's really got right now and it brings him huge relief so much so that he falls off to the side of the stoop completely over where he bounces back up in a surreal moment that hearkens to that [ __ ] dance video we saw in his opening narration as soon as he's upright Marty heads off that stoop back to the city with a new kick in his step exterior New York Street another morning clar Delon continues as Mabel crosses a busy crosswalk she stops Midway and lifts her face to the Sun and then Falls backwards straight down to the pavement and immediately bounces back up she continues on alive with new purpose interior Steve's apartment kitchen day Steve makes sunny side up eggs no more omelette now he lifts the

58:40 pan from the stove and instead of instead of the dumping the eggs into the trash he drops the whole pan down to the floor where it bounces back up into his hand new life for all of them as Steve slides the eggs on a plate here over here's a thing I don't get people who worry about living in a big city because of all the crime interior Marty's apartment living room foyer another night Marty has set up a little podcast recording session and Mabel and Marty are watching Steve deliver his own written narration opening for their potential first podcast episode as any True Crime afficianado will tell you it's The Boondocks you need to worry about he looks to Marty to see if he likes that take I don't know it sounds so PBS maybe Mabel should give it a try uh no thank you he's already giving away my part he and Mabel gather their stuff and head to Marty's door actually I have a riff on a piece on a

59:48 piece to clear the Loon that could be fabulous and now my part goes to him so tomorrow we lay out a timeline I've also got Maps full blueprints of each floor of the Arcadia oh you fancy hey did you read about that mysterious death in the park last night you know we could multitask a bit Silo out a second investigation do a second podcast no we've got to focus only murders in the building seems fair only murders in the building Mabel and Steve go Marty closes his door re-energized interior Arcadia elevator night moments later Steve and Mabel ride up until the doors open on Mabel's floor a shared smile then Mabel goes the doors close interior Steve's apartment hallway night moments later ding Steve exits the elevator and heads to his apartment as his neighbor aiz early 30s steps out of his own hey how's it going good all good Steve passes Aziz who turns before heading down the hall you know sometimes

1:01:00 I can smell that omelette you make oh sorry I'll turn on a fan next time no I like it besides it reminds me of Lucy it was her favorite right uh I'm not have you heard from her here and there well say hi next time for me Steve nods heads inside his apartment interior Steve's apartment kitchen night continuous Steve shakes off that Exchange and steps to his kitchen he turns on a glass floor lamp then looks out his tall Windows over the Arcadia Courtyard the courtyard he spoke of in his opening narration that brings a sense of security with all those eyes looking out for you from those other apartments Steve scans the activity in a few apartment Windows a couple lays on their bed illuminated by only TV light that when they start to wrestle and kick playfully prequal a pair of Greek Brothers sit at a computer studying something on the screen arguing over what they're seeing a woman sits facing

1:01:56 her window and a makeup mirror obsessively plucking and shaping her eyebrows a light goes on three floors up across from Steve's Place catching his attention Steve watches a shirtless young man step into the room to find a tie-dyed hoodie that he puts on close on Steve wondering where he's seen that hoodie before quick flash to the stairwell the night Tim died as Steve heads down the stairs with all the others he clocked someone suspiciously heading up wearing that same tie dyed hoodie back with Steve who watches more ominously now as the young man steps to his window to look out then down seeming to look directly at Steve Steve jolts and quickly turns off that floor lamp knocking it over in the process from the dark Steve Peaks back out eyeing him I'm on to you interior Mabel's apartment bathroom bedroom night same Mabel showers humming an odd little discordant tune we move into her bedroom and over

1:02:52 to her iPad which is in screen saver mode and scrolling through her photos the first photo is a close shot of that bird of paradise tattoo on Mabel's shoulder that we saw earlier and the second is a wider shot outside a Beachside tattoo shop where Mabel is standing arm in-arm with a handsome man who's got that same tattoo on his shoulder we push in to discover this man is Tim Lee cut to Black credits rooll to Daniel Johnston's don't be scared the end wow what a nice wow that was fabulous that was a nice short script yeah I like these short scripts yes life chain from the really long films huh um if anyone needs to take a quick little break um go ahead and then anyone who can stay for a short little discussion that'd be lovely I would love to stay but I really don't feel so great so I'm going to actually take awful early um but next week I I will you know migrain suck um anyways it was lovely seeing all of you

1:04:03 I hope to see you guys in the next one bye yeah and we don't have anything next week but we've got something the week after although I have no idea what okay excellent and I have to head out because it's East Coast work night so all right thanks everyone bye bye all right I've got five after so if those you want to stay want to come back here at 10: after after that would be lovely okay and I'm meanwhile I'm going to check and see what's coming up next I think it's Space Balls oh is it space balls that would be fun and I don't think I'm going to be able to be in it I'm I'm heading off on Thursday to my niece's she's having an operation on Friday on a hand so she's not going to be able to take care of herself for a while and I'm going to be her you know Chief you're going to be her right hand left hand I will be I will be her left hand actually left hand lady there we go but we're we're thinking probably about

1:05:09 the two week Mark she's going to be able to do more for herself we'll see but so I'm gonna miss Spaceballs oh no but if something happens and she's doing really well I'll let you know okay and I'll be back all

1:05:39 right oh y it is space balls and oh Never Ending Story after that for e e e e e for see so have you seen this one Vicki I have not but um we're gonna try is it on Netflix what is it on Hulu Hulu I think oh it's fun I like this show it's Hulu and it's hilarious so good and and hoping that some some other people have seen it because what's super exciting to me to hopefully talk about is how the the things that are different in this draft of this pilot script to what actually aired yeah I was gonna ask you about that yeah I watched it too long ago to remember but but please tell I remember all the differences but there were definitely differences I noticed that too yeah there there's well there's a lot I mean um man I'm G to come off Sun like such a dork because I can tell you all of them um okay so for instance and I was actually talking about this in the car with my husband today um the um so

1:10:43 okay so the m so first of all I'm assuming that Selena Gomez had not been attached yet when they wrote the script because they've got like you know Marty and Steve but like then they they don't have Mabel and then the Mabel character seems very unfinished like she kind of seems like a like like a boomer trying to write about like what like the cool things that the so like that monologue about like the I'm an I'm an apple person that's a completely not in there b the big thing that happens the the um it's a recurring theme like there's that the dream she has where she stabs the guy and then that becomes the framing for the entire season um because you know there's that opening teaser with where you find Mabel like over the bloody body and so in the series it's knitting needles so it's completely different it's also a different person it's not like a young guy in a tideye it's a different character an older

1:11:44 woman um named Bunny and uh so that is like a and then that whole monologue like really read to me like somebody didn't know know what was like thinking like what's a thing that like Millennials use and they came up with an apple ey P like no one uses the stylist and and it's much more real to have it be like this is this weird old school girl who has the name Maybel and is like yeah I'm obsessed with meting meals what have it and then um another thing is the detective story um that character uh winds up getting cast with a now Oscar winner uh Divine Joy Randolph so that that that changes quite a bit um but then some other things and then Tim Tim Lee becomes Tim Kono uh but then some other things are like word for word so yeah and it's the world's cutest dog that they cast as the Bulldog the cutest dog yeah it looks like the script was written in April 2020 and It first aired on Hulu on August

1:12:59 2021 and so there's obviously some time between you know the writing of the script and then making the changes and hiring their actors and shooting everything and sure before all the release so that's what a year and a few months um and then another season in June and then the next year and then August the following year and looks like it's renewed for Four Season supposed to come out in August of this year and Mer stet in it no Street she's great yeah this new season is almost a musical which makes me wonder because we have you know a writer strike and an actor strike going on and all of these these recent times I wonder how that affected everything here too I don't think it it slowed down but they still are doing all their Seasons they just delayed so what what you guys think of this um this the structure of this script um and you know it's got only a few characters and we see a lot of

1:14:04 intercutting between the three of them and a lot of action and description yeah but it is kind of fun when steveen Marty do the oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God that was cute either way no matter how you do that it's fun I moved from uh the the um the the the the house in Altadena with a with a yard that I lived in to um like a building in that has an elevator in LA and this year and so like it really resonated with me like I'm like now I'm like oh like I'm in this building with an elevator and I'm always like and like you know I'm like walking down the hallway with my trash and I'm thinking about Tim koono and I'm thinking about like the clues about the trash and um you know and then like you know or I'll here are the neighbors and think like about the like it it it's I mean but you know so there's something about like apartment building and complexes but it's also a very new it's a very New

1:15:05 York Love Story um you know with this this beautiful building that would be a gazillion dollars um for anybody to live in uh and uh and it's you know it I don't know I I but maybe I know like I know too much about this so what did what do everybody else think well I was just thinking about you know I I don't know how it plays out in the actual show which I haven't seen but you know this one when I was looking through to figure out where I might put the scene divisions in it seems like you know there'd be something and then all three characters would do something very similar and then we'd have some stuff and then all three characters would do something very similar and we'd have some more stuff and I pattern keeps repeating throughout the script um do they do that a lot in the actual um show when when it's aired or is it I think they still do I'm trying to remember in the recent season I guess I'm

1:16:08 concentrating on mle street but they I mean they they have moments where they interact a lot more it goes through a lot of evolution but they're still the three distinctive characters yeah and I mean go Ahad they kind of there's there's a lot of cleverness there's a lot there's there tends to be a lot with those the electronics like they um it doesn't quite carry as much from reading the the pilot but you know they integrated a lot like you get a lot that's happening just like with like their phones um and it gets integrated with this idea that it's this podcast there's a lot of like sort of meta interplay there um it's it's really fun like it is and Tina Fay plays Cinda so it's really cute that's right I and so I I watched this like a long long time ago probably when it first aired I've only seen the first season so um forgive me if I am misrepresenting based on just this pilot what but I feel like I

1:17:05 remember that as they become more of a group the three of them that like three separate experiences things gets less it lessens yeah that's what I was thinking it does so like in the first one they kind of set her up to be the suspect um like you were talking about Leslie like it's it's more you know they they set it up even more in the in the ual one to have her be to have Maybel be a possible suspect and so you start having like Steve and Marty or whatever their names ended up being having more time together and she's still kind of separate and then as as the as it progresses and the three of them become more of a group um I feel like that like kind of their experiences meld together too um instead of having it be three people experiencing things separately it it can have them experiencing things together a little more and right and they go through a LoveHate relationship too like the tension that's there initially it

1:17:59 builds and it wains then it builds and you know Steve well I don't want to cut I don't want to ruin it because relationships change and you find out who Lucy is and all kinds of stuff and relationship between Marty or Martin Short and his son that changes and there's a lot it's it's good character development it's a good story it's got like a lot of humor and aot of suspense and it's very interesting I enjoy it I saw I think to sorry go vict I that's quick I saw a publicity shot of the three of them and Selena's got the rabbit ears behind each of their heads and I mean Steve and uh Martin Short they're just grinning their faces off and she's back there making fools of them which in a way feels like that's how they are together uh maybe it's how they work together I don't know but um possibly their characters become more playful I don't know yeah I just I love how the three of them like how those

1:19:08 relationships meld in the show because you have like these like two you know old guys right who are respected actors in the real world they they obviously have their bond with a kind of a shared experience and then you have like this young kid coming in um and she really holds her her own and three of them together become more and more hilarious as it goes on because she's always like this like has this dead pan humor like you can't really tell what's going on inside her head um which is works right because they set her up to be a suspect um and so she she just like the three of them just ping off each other so nicely it's a lot of fun it's interesting to me because I I feel like the the heart of I mean the the show is about like the joy is about the three of them together and how they become this this found family and um I I feel like I mean I still think it's a great show but I feel like the the most recent

1:20:09 season which is either season three or season four I forget yeah I'm trying okay go ahead the meril strep season I feel like it kind of suffers because they're they're separate uh for a lot of it and and and it I I'm hoping they're going somewhere with it because it feels like a loss um because there but I almost feel too like and this seems very weird to say about Merl strip I'm like there's too much Merill strep there's a lot of Merl strep yeah kind stealing the show yeah and and I mean she's great but yo that's a different show like we want these three what we want these three together being ridiculous and solving crimes right um in their ridiculous way and like so you know I mean that's what I have to say about it I anamik I think you you remembered the arc perfectly that that resonate that's exactly what happens that you know that there's sort of desperate people and then like the Arc of the season is that

1:21:12 they come together and form this unit and it becomes their podcast creation but also their point of view yeah I like how you you use the term found family and I think that's a huge theme of the season because when you you first meet them they all are very much Alone um and dealing with that in the best way they can and putting their best face forward but but really they are very very lonely people and so finding these characters who they don't typically like like Steve Steve and Marty whatever their names end up being um like Steve really dislikes Marty at first he's very annoying um and you know so like these people who don't necessarily like each other and like why on Earth would mbel hang out with these two right but but they really do find they do choose they they make up with this found family um of three very lonely people bonding over um you know a deep personal interest um it's quite

1:22:10 touching actually it is and you can see that in the script too because when you look at like the actions and descriptions you know some some scripts we read you know they have specific like angle on this person or from the point of view of or you know all the details is how to shoot it and this one just says you know we'll have some scenes in here that are that be Clues where they go down the stairwell right and they don't specify necessarily which of these are the clues or what angle to shoot them from um so there's a lot of the the technicality part of it is missing um so that really emphasizes the personality part you know these these three and that's the Crux of this show is just these three characters and we don't even see hardly see anybody else you know we see a bit of will we see a bit of the detective and everyone else just kind of pops in and goes out um as you know every time Aubrey got a chance to speak

1:23:02 that was kind of give you an idea you know so it's it's very very focused on the threesome for sure um I wanted to talk to about the setting because this is filmed I mean most of it took place in an apartment building you know either it within within someone's room or or or apartment itself or in the hallway or in an elevator or in a Lobby or you know in a in a cafe these are all very small settings except maybe Na's house eight rooms but um you know it's just interesting because it's I don't know if you ever had a film in an elevator it is not easy you know you to try to get all the different camera angles and your actors and your whole crew in there you know I don't know how large this elevator is in in the show but I can't imagine it's exceedingly large um so just you know how many times they would have to film the elevator scene itself just to get all the right angles that they would want in there do we do we

1:24:03 tell her about about the the season one finale elevator thing with that's pretty great there's a physical comedy thing with the elevator and elevator Barton that is so [ __ ] funny I mean the elevator is so key in this whole thing the elevator is it's almost like its own character I was wondering about that because they spend so much time with you know punching the pointing out which buttons you're hitting and well I remember like Judy were you doing the reading during that that bit Yeah fish number 11 15 14 you know it it it becomes one of those things where it needs to be precise and you were like no no nobody matters because there's there's there's all this specificity going on about the way that there you know which buttons there are it it has to do with the story it has it there's actually clues in there like one of the things that I did when I finished the series one is I went back and I

1:25:00 watched the whole thing again because yeah because you see things you didn't notice first time for sure it's it's and and that's what really resonates with a really good detective story like you'll yeah even even one like this that's funny it's still it's still a a mystery and you you you see where they're seeding all the clues and all the little things that they're doing and all the hint that they were giving you all the way back long yeah it's well written not a lot of places to hide a clue in like an apartment hallway or an elevator they well and the whole thing about the mixing up packages is important and they get to that in the pilot but is Nathan Lane in season one or Season Two Season one do you remember season one okay and then the thing that she hears remember this is important but we don't know it when she hears the woman through the vent like the whole structure of the apartment building becomes extremely

1:25:53 important right well I think it's best to not give those those uh special things away I I may watch it I'm hoping to and we may have audience that are still listening to us oh I was still recording and hopefully we've sparked the need for them to watch it and we don't want to ruin anything yeah know it's fantastic I would watch it three times yeah I want to say that I I thought it was really well written and it was a pleasure to read everyone was able to keep a quick Pace uh especially when they were reading actions and descriptions and and everything was tight tonight obviously we did an hour well you know without the commercials but um with reading action and description we were done at five after so that was an hour and five minutes that's crazy and and great I think it helps too that the script is in a good type um you know some of the scripts we read are written on a type literally written on a typewriter and

1:27:03 the it's blurry and it's hard to see and it's really small print and um this one is very nice and lots of capital letters in places which makes it easy to see um and and such um so that that's certainly helpful but also there isn't a lot of you know specific actions so that and it because it is comedy timing is all important it has to go fast so most characters only seem to have I you don't have the only long monologue we have in there is I think from the detective and he's explaining about his true crime you know with this in his past before he became a cop and that's right well then Steve when when Steve talks about his father that's a little long it's a little bit because I had that part and it was it was a good two paragraphs I think because he's describing why he's alone because he's so similar to his dad and he didn't like the way his dad treated his mom so he goes into a little detail but those are the only two places

1:28:01 where it gets kind of serious or not the fast-paced comedy yeah I think my favorite set of lines was when they were talking about the detectives asking them you know do you know him like well only in passing well not his passing you know that was great that was a really good word he used passing like seven times and it was very funny that was fun it was very funny like that scene a lot but that's actually an that's an interesting one to point out oh there's only the one monologue except for this one other outlier monologue because that outlier monologue that the that long chunk of Steve Martin dialogue becomes a thing so there's a re so there's actually that's something I wouldn't have thought of there's actually a reason why there's this random discreet long monologue about his dad which becomes important dad that comes in that there's a reason why that structure happens but we don't find

1:28:58 out till later so and we never even get to the ti byy guy hardly we just the one that's dead we do eventually I know I I figure they have to leave it you know for the next couple of episodes but yeah I was like I got to the end I'm like oh but we don't know how she ended up in that you know room with the dead body I'm like oh we're going to have to watch the next episode maybe it comes in at the at the the book end it bookends the series so you find in the in at the end of season one it it's playing out and like it ends into it leads into that a repeat of the scene right the other really interesting thing about this series is because you know it is a it's a murder mystery essentially a detective story and however it's very different it comes out at it from a totally different angle you you know it's it's not just people involved in the murder um and then a detective comes in and you have to figure out which of

1:30:00 these people are all the suspects and you know and the detective is the star of the show here we have just three True Crime fans um and there is a detective but it sounds like he's not the main character you know and um and I'm assuming he's going to pop back in later or some other yeah we have some police involvement throughout the series I'm I'm sure there is but fact that titled only murders plural in the building yeah well but then we also don't forget that that Steve Martin's character is an actor who is famous for having played a detective in a '90s in like a Cheesy 90s show on TV so you have that metan of him is he a real detective or is he not a real detective and like he'll drop into oh I know about this because I'm wait a second yeah like so then it become like like like that's all in there this this idea of is this is this theater is this you know what what is truth um so it's

1:30:59 it's it's it's a lot of fun yeah well that's like the dynamic with remember when I was I think I was doing the lines or maybe I wasn't but when Steve says something and then Marty is a director just in conversation like we're talking now redirects him how he should say this thing in conversation so it's like EMP emphasis on a killer okay no emphas emphasize killer right exactly and that's kind of funny and they do things like that their interactions are very strange but true to form for their characters yeah yeah and uh oh what was I gonna say well then it's also interesting too about the the detective one because I I wonder um you just the her her part gets bigger because you know I wonder if it's just one of those things where you know they just had magic casting because they cast you know Divine Joy randf four years ago and uh then as they were like oh my God we have this this actress in this part

1:32:04 and then like she becomes a bigger character as the season goes on as the seasons go on I wonder too how this influences the um the whole True Crime thing I remember I had a I had to serve recently um not serve but I had to go in for jury duty and um you know they they asked all the potential jurors all sorts of questions make sure you're be a good candidate for a juror and I remember one of the questions that the lawyers were asking um were how many of you are true crime fans you know please raise your hand and I like oh my gosh why would they ask that you know and there were several people in the room that raised their hands and you know you could tell that the lawyers were thinking about their answers very seriously as to whether or not this was going to affect whether they'd be a good juror or not you know I don't know what they were thinking whether they thought it' be a good person to have or a bad person to have

1:32:56 but they were definitely um in their minds you know and I didn't raise my hand just because I really like not true crime you know I like the fictional murders I'm like okay I'm not gonna raise your hand for this one you know I'll watch midmer murders and all those crazy ones but true crime no that's too close to home so but yeah those Jers get on the jury or did they get dismissed the ones you said um I think most of them did not just because um they have when do jury duty they have to pick you know they like the 12 they is sitting in the box and there's like three more rows of other people and if you can eliminate people sitting in the box then some of those other ones could move up but you might have a juror in the very last row who'd be the perfect one but because they have to follow um you know they can't go yeah so if you want if you want to serve on a jury you get to the jury Place early so that you are higher up in

1:33:51 the in the possible selection process and if you don't want then you you arrive late and then you yes um so I was kind of disappointed but I also late I was a little bit I knew the line was going to be long anyways coming up next um we have baseballs on July 2nd and um so another featurelength film should be quite fun and then Never Ending Story on July 16th so two two films so not a not a long reading um and then we have a fifth did I say Friday um Tuesday they were Tuesdays um there the fifth Tuesday we're not having a reading we're having a summer break um partly because I won't be in town to host anything um but then August we'll go to Born Supremacy and um we'll have a actually a fourth Tuesday of Fried Green Tomatoes just because my summer schedule is so crazy so August will be the first and fourth um Tuesdays that we'll be reading so um so yeah a lot more films I don't know if we have any

1:35:07 more television shows Ozark might be a television show that's fun that's a good one I mean there's so many out there oh yeah how do you decide I mean I've seen polls on Facebook page but are there other ways that you decide yeah we had um we had a list of scripts um like some 100 scripts or so and um we did a zoom meeting like this and we put a poll out and we asked to vot and asked people to off their opinions and you know we only we had to narrow it down somehow so we decided to go with kind of this year with popular um you know not necessarily the brand new and Cutting Edge stuff that's out there but tried and true Classics and really fun stuff that we all would like just to kind of um you know build some interest back in here since we had a huge you know change of and and um as people as you know as a pandemic kind of slows down people end up finding of Interest so you need to be able to entice new people in too so we

1:36:03 went with fun stuff and uh you know stuff we all wanted to read good at least through the end of the year so and then we'll start again with another set of scripts so we still have tons of scripts we that didn't make the list this year not because they weren't good but just because there's only so many spaces to put them in yeah for sure and they'll be considered down the road in a different season yeah I I'm a I'm Taurus when it comes to um horoscopes which is uh known as a very stubborn character I've been involved with this group from the very beginning so that's two and a half years and I've only missed four readings impressive I will be there yes Vicki's very dedicated which is great I also at least one person in the audience I can count on and willing to read 20 Parts if need be this one was speaking of which this was like the easiest script I had to cast because once I once I realized

1:37:08 there's only three characters three main characters a few action descriptions and lots of small parts I'm like all right we have seven people this piece of cake we'll just have AB a AA BBB and whoever's not reading characters of read action descriptions it still took me two hour is because whatever I was tired but sorry it took so long yes well and then I just I really did just you know went down the list and put people in randomly I didn't even look at the characters to see if who would be what this time I was like that's all right they'll all be good and they'll have fun so well it makes sense for me to be Martin Short because he's Canadian and I'm short too that's funny well but I always forget he's can it's easy to do because Canadians blend in everywhere true camouflage Canadians camouflage Canadians yeah we can hide in snow and the green grass too all right I'm done doing imp yes on

1:38:16 that note maybe get ourselves some dinner dinner and bed and hopefully you in a couple weeks here thanks you guys it was fun thank you everybody night everyone good night night

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING"?

Tamir (Guest), Vicky Dykes (Host), Anamik Faroh (Guest), Judy Bell (Guest), Leslie Helman (Guest), Jen (Guest), Aubrey (Guest), Cat Wilson (Host).

What is "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING" about?

The main topic revolves around the exploration of the pilot episode of "Only Murders in the Building," a modern detective show featuring a unique narrative twist. The discussion includes character introductions and the creative process behind reading the script, highlighting the participants' backgrounds and their roles in bringing the story to life.

What is mentioned in this Table Read Tuesdays episode?

15 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Tim Lee, John Hoffman, Cinda Corning, Detective Donnie Williams, Judy Bell, Anamik Faroh. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING"?

The episode runs 1 h 39 min; the transcript is about 14,917 words in 84 timestamped sections.

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