The tenth episode of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 opens with a heart-wrenching flashback, as Nicky and Sofia engage in a poignant conversation. Sofia's sudden request for a divorce shatters Nicky's world, revealing the devastating truth that she is having an affair. Nicky's relentless pursuit to uncover the identity of her lover adds an element of urgency to the narrative.
Cutting back to the present, Mrs. Caccimelio informs Mabel, Charles, and Oliver that her mission to find the finger in Charles' apartment has led them to a startling revelation – the finger belongs to the individual Sofia was cheating with.
The trio is stunned to learn that Camila is razing the Arconia to the ground in preparation for a new casino. As they grapple with this news, they speculate about the billionaires' use of a fake finger as a ruse to conceal their identity.
With a mix of fear and determination, they call Camila, Bash, and Jay to the casino, inviting the Caccimelio boys to serve as a threatening force. Nicky's sons and the trio attempt to bully the billionaires into confessing the identity of the finger's owner.
Charles meticulously examines Camila and Bash's fingers, but they are genuine. Jay then reveals that he had faked his missing finger as part of his ruse.
Just as things seem to be reaching a climax, Mayor Tillman unexpectedly arrives at the casino. Mabel receives a text message from Howard, and in a moment of sheer brilliance, she strikes the mayor's hand with a cleaver, revealing that the finger belongs to him – a shocking twist considering his secret affair with Sofia.
Mabel boldly states that Howard's phone had autocorrected Mayor Tillman's name in the same way Lester's phone did in his final message to his wife, adding another layer of intrigue to the already complex web of lies and deception.
On the fateful night of the murders, Mayor Tillman's secret life at the casino was revealed in a dramatic turn of events. Nicky, overcome with anger and despair after learning of Sofia's affair with the mayor, resorted to drugs and, in a fit of rage, struck the mayor with a cleaver. Lester, determined to protect his friend, intervened with the elevator crank, attempting to quell the violence.
Lester's threat to expose Nicky's ledger notes only fueled Nicky's fury further. In a desperate attempt to prevent his secrets from being exposed, Nicky ripped out the page and force-fed it into his mouth. However, in his haste, he was ultimately stabbed with the very cleaver he had wielded earlier.
Lester, with the mayor's severed finger in hand, made a break for it, pursued closely by Mayor Tillman. As Lester stumbled to the fountain, the mayor pushed him, causing him to hit his head. In a final act of defiance, Lester sent a birding signal to alert the cameras.
Randall arrived on the scene and picked up the elevator crank but failed to spot Lester in the fountain. Who killed Lester? The question hung heavy in the air until Mayor Tillman himself confessed to his role in Lester's death during a subsequent press conference.
In the present day, Mayor Tillman's unwavering confidence in his own invincibility was shattered when Detective Donna finally arrested him. Jay, Bash, and Camila had conspired to save the mayor but ultimately found themselves arrested as well. Jay apologized to Mabel for her ordeal, while the residents of the Arconia celebrated their victory in saving their building.
Sofia's confession of her feelings for Charles was met with a decisive response from him. She announced her plans to move to Positano and leave behind her mother-in-law and sons, finally living for herself. And Lester's wife, Lorraine, expressed her gratitude to the trio for bringing justice to her late husband.
The story of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 unfurls with a leap into the future, where Lorraine now reigns over her own apartment in the Arconia, a testament to Sofia's generosity. The building hums with life, brimming with both nostalgic old residents and fresh new owners. Mabel, Charles, and Oliver find solace in their favorite podcast hosted by the enigmatic Cinda Canning, whose voice weaves a tale of a woman with fiery curls whose murder echoed through the building's corridors.
As they listen, the echoes of their own meeting and bonding over Cinda's podcasts are still fresh in their minds. In the very same moment, a woman with red curls stumbles outside the Arconia's gates, her life ebbing away. Howard springs into action, calling for the ambulance, while Mabel, Oliver, and Charles rush to her side.
And so, the season ends in a thrilling crescendo, as the trio discovers that the mysterious woman with red curls is none other than Cinda Canning herself. The truth is revealed in a twist that leaves us breathless, with the Arconia still humming with the whispers of a new murder mystery waiting to unfold.
