Mabel Goes Solo and Matthew Broderick Guest Stars

When Mabel said she would solve Ben’s murder with or without Charles and Oliver, she meant it. Given the trio’s split at the conclusion of the previous episode, it was not entirely clear how far Mabel would go on her own without the support of her friends and co-podcasters. Yet, in “CoBro,” does Mabel make a decision that will split the group forever?

Mabel spends “CoBro” split in half. She is packing up her stuff from the apartment in preparation to move out of the Arconia while continuing to investigate Ben’s death, and it may have brought her to a new suspect.

Mabel and Theo are led back to Dickie, who is dealing with a few contradictory emotions following his brother’s death. While Dickie is upset by Ben’s passing, he describes his past relationship with Ben in an almost resentful fashion, where Ben received all the success while Dickie was left only to protect Ben.

Dickie spent his entire life watching after Ben and protecting him. However, Dickie’s discussion with Mabel suggests that perhaps Dickie had not been thrilled with Ben taking credit for the CoBro franchise when there was a chance the idea had initially belonged to Dickie.

Mabel, Theo, and Tobert’s theory is based on the idea that the letter “R” written on a childhood drawing was transformed into a “B,” which, while not a lot, is a bit more than what Mabel, Charles, and Oliver have had to go on in the past.

So, did Dickie kill Ben? He likely would have had the opportunity, and being the victim’s brother may have made him a less obvious suspect. But does he have it in him to kill his brother? Or is the uncertainty behind Loretta’s obsession with Ben still placing her in a leading position as a suspect?

Up until this point, nothing has been recorded for the podcast, considering how busy and messy Mabel, Charles, and Olvier’s schedules have been. But, in “CoBro,” Mabel makes a distinct set of decisions.

For one, Mabel follows through on moving out of her apartment, which she had warned Charles and Oliver would happen. However, she had not informed them that she was leaving, and given Charles and Oliver’s confusion when they arrived at the apartment, it may be unlikely that Mabel had given them her new address.

If that was not enough, Mabel followed through on posting a recording to the podcast, making a declaration that she was flying solo this season. Even though Tobert and Theo are not mentioned as being her new partners, there is a chance they are more involved behind the scenes, even if Mabel refuses to use Tobert’s professional equipment.

But is Mabel making a statement about going solo as her way of separating herself from Oliver and Charles? She had certainly been hurt by their fight and upset about the potential of them drifting apart. However, she had unknowingly made the decision around the time Charles and Oliver had decided to apologize.

While Mabel’s storyline is mainly separate from Oliver and Charles, the two men’s stories end up being intertwined.

Charles addresses his loneliness following the falling out between himself, Mabel, and Oliver. But, as much as he wants to make up with them, neither are talking. It takes the potential of Charles being replaced in Oliver’s play for him to eventually go to Oliver and apologize.

Charles had not thought that Oliver would go about recasting his part so quickly. However, Oliver, as much as he may miss Charles, does have a show to put on. But who will fill Charles’ shoes? Based on the actors Oliver meets, there are not a lot, if any, of options. No one brings out a charismatic performance, and Oliver is left desperate at the thought of who to cast. However, a last-minute thought may save the show.

Bringing in Matthew Broderick is a stroke of genius, given his Broadway background. However, Only Murders In The Building also includes fun callbacks to fan-favorite and iconic movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, War Games, and Election.

Matthew Broderick gets into a few fun jokes about his previous work, but eventually, he is not the right person for the part. He has so many ideas, and permission to think about the character in depth leads him and Oliver to be up for hours going over the several possibilities of how to portray the character to meet Matthew Broderick’s standard for method acting.

“CoBro” allows for Charles and Oliver to make amends once Oliver fires Matthew Broderick from the play in a desperate plea to get him to leave. With Charles right outside, Oliver quickly announces that Charles will that his part back and sends Matthew Broderick out the door. But will their evidence of potential suspects get them back into Mabel’s good graces? Will they try now that they know she has recorded for their podcast without them?

With only a few episodes left in season three, Only Murders In The Building, the season needs to reveal Ben’s killer, put on Death Rattle Dazzle, and bring Charles, Oliver, and Mabel back together.