Get yourself some dip and pizza rolls, because we're deep-diving here, Arconiacs! It's fair to say this show has achieved self-awareness. Look at how the Arconiacs mirrors Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. As recently as Only Murders In The Building Season 1 Episode 4, they were fawning over Cinda Canning's podcast "All Is Not OK In Oklahoma."
Fandom is a strange beast. If you're here reading this review, it's safe to say you're a fan of the show. Thanks to the internet and social media, it's easy to connect with other fans -- obsessing over little details, questioning motives, embracing red herrings. The title of the episode is "Fan Fiction." One of the most popular types of fan fiction is the "self-insert" genre, where a fan writes themselves into the story so they can interact with their favorite characters.
This is our self-insert episode. Let's face it, the Arconiacs are us. Not every show is audacious enough to poke fun at its fans while simultaneously paying tribute to them, but we love it, so we're here for it. By giving the episode's voiceover narration to Sam (Jaboukie Young-White), it's almost as though we're in the story. Our theories carry weight after all and our critiques are validated. The way Paulette (Ali Stroker) rolls her eyes at the Sting cameo -- let's face it, that was pretty real! It's a nice wink to the audience, letting us know you can still be a fan of something even if you're critical of it from time to time. Meta comedy isn't necessarily funny for its own sake, but this show has always leaned into it instead of shying away. It's a huge part of the appeal. Enough about us though, let's get to what actually happened in the episode! He's still wickedly funny, but the tone has changed. He's a monster. At least he loves his son. The inclusion of Jan in the investigation is clearly useful, but Oliver and Mabel are strangely at odds with her. Are they still on edge from their traumatic encounter with the Dimases? Are they jealous that she's going to take Charles away from them? The Dimases are guilty of grave-robbing and Zoe's death. They are no longer a danger to the trio. But there is still a murderer somewhere in the building -- and now Jan has been threatened and attacked. Winnie was poisoned. Tim was poisoned. In the final shot, Jan is bleeding from a wound, but the M. O. of the "warning" note and the unlocked apartment door suggests a similarity there. Tim's killer has to be someone who knows the ins and out of the Arconi -- someone IN THE BUILDING. If not a resident, perhaps a staff member?
