Caution: Spoilers Ahead for Only Murders season 2, episode 3!
killed Bunny at the end of season 1, but not all the clues point in her direction. Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Oliver (Martin Short) are embroiled in yet another murder investigation, but this time they are out to clear their own names in the death of Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell), board president of The Arconia. Only Murders season 2 episode 3 takes a look back at Bunny's final day alive, revealing a slew of new clues and mysteries that point in various directions. One thing is clear though: Charles, Mabel, and Oliver are innocent, but someone really wants the police to think that they were involved in Bunny's death.
In episodes 1 and 2 alone, season 2's suspect list grew, adding new characters and reiterating old theories that pointed to the characters introduced in season 1. Howard, in particular, looks guilty. From his mysterious black eye to trying to teach Bunny's parrot Mrs. Gambolini to say "Howard is my friend," it looks like the cat-loving Arconia resident has something to hide. Only Murders' latest celebrity guest star has also raised suspicion; Amy Schumer is almost too interested in Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, but it's possible that her behavior is merely a misdirect and serves more as a meta-commentary on the fame the trio has achieved from their first iteration of the podcast.
One new character in Only Murders season 2 does seem particularly guilty, though. Nina Lin (Christine Ko) is introduced in season 2, episode 1 at Bunny's memorial service. She's the new board president of The Arconia and Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) describes her as "power-hungry" and "ruthless." Only Murders season 2 episode 3 dives deeper into Nina and Bunny's relationship and shows that on the surface at least, it was quite cordial, with Bunny teaching Nina the ropes of running The Arconia before she planned to retire. That all changed during Bunny's final hours alive, with episode 3 coming to an emotional climax before Bunny is ultimately murdered by an unseen assailant. Whether or not Nina killed Bunny remains to be seen, but Only Murders in the Building season 2 offers plenty of clues that point to Nina and even some that don't.
Bunny Was Going To Retire...Until She Didn't
season 2 reveals that Bunny was about to retire and maybe even move to Florida. She spends her last day planning on handing over the reins of The Arconia to Nina and tying up some loose ends, including giving her favorite waiter at a diner a parting gift of cash. When The Arconia's board convenes for Bunny's final meeting as president, though, things change. Bunny decides that she's going to stay on as board president, something that clearly bothers Nina; so much so that the pair exchange words, with Nina declaring, "This is about you holding The Arconia hostage until you're dead." The choice of words is certainly interesting, and while Nina doesn't say this as an overt threat, the fact that Bunny ends up dead only a few hours later certainly puts them in an interesting light.
It's All About The Painting
The Rose Cooper painting is a key clue in Only Murders season 2 and could be the motive behind Bunny's death. In episode 3, Bunny receives a phone call about the painting and she appears quite agitated, saying "Oh, it's you," indicating that, whoever it is, she's at least familiar with them enough to recognize their voice. She then declares that she doesn't want to talk about the painting and tells the person to stop calling before hanging up. There's still much mystery surrounding the painting, including who exactly wanted it back from Bunny (besides her mother) and what that has to do with Charles and The Arconia itself. While this clue doesn't seem to point to Nina as a suspect, it seems key to discovering who killed Bunny.
Who Was Bunny With The Day Before Her Death?
Another big mystery of Only Murders season 2 episode 3 is Bunny's unidentified lunch guest. When she goes to the diner that she seemingly frequents, the waiter asks her if she will be ed by the friend she was with the day before. Bunny makes sure to inform him that this person was not a friend and that they would most certainly not be ing her for lunch. So who was this person? It seems possible that it's the same person that has been calling and taunting her about the painting. It's also possible that she was seen with this person. In the very same scene, Bunny runs into Oliver at the diner with his son, meaning there are potential witnesses to what could be a key conversation between Bunny and a suspect in her murder.
Bunny Knew Her Killer
While Mrs. Gambolini may have learned the words "I know who did it" from a movie, the final moments before Bunny's death in Only Murders in the Building season 2 reveal that The Arconia board president did, in fact, know her killer. Bunny asks, "What do you want?" with clear disgust, indicating that this person may be the one who has been calling her. This doesn't narrow the list of suspects, nor does it absolve Nina of suspicion. Despite being pregnant, it's quite possible that the board president-in-waiting killed Bunny or had something to do with it at the very least. Bunny was not the most well-liked person in The Arconia, something that Only Murders season 2 episode 3 makes quite clear.
Bunny's ruling of the apartment building with an iron fist would have created quite a few enemies and it seems like Nina is at the top of the list. Nina could have found someone to help her in murdering Bunny, either by hiring them or pushing them to do it. While it's still early in Only Murders in the Building season 2, quite a few clues are standing out as important in the investigation into Bunny's murder and episode 3 indicates that Nina and the painting are key pieces of the puzzle.
New episodes of Only Murders season 2 drop Tuesdays on Hulu.