Sparring Partners

While I didn't think "Flipping the Pieces" or "Hello, Darkness" were bad by any stretch of the imagination, "Sparring Partners" felt like a return to top form for the show. All of the acting is terrific as usual, and the episode thankfully revisits several plot points that were just starting to feel lost in the mix. My only complaint is that I wish they had shown what happened between Charles and Lucy after the events of the previous episode, although they hopefully might be saving that for next week. I'm realizing more and more how underrated Michael Rapaport is. I'm glad he's still finding work that allows him to shine. On the whole, this is one of my favorite episodes by far, and the ending has me psyched for the season finale!

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I hope this season has "well-ending", this season has some bad episodes and a few good episodes.. we don't want this .. sometimes I watch it just to finish the show..

Before I start with my review I will like to how the series portrays the trio as amateur detectives and never cop like, an issue with several PI shows. They are smart people who stumble, bumble and solve mysteries like a normal person. Makes them relatable.

The episode reveals a lot about the mystery of Rose Cooper and Becky, the painting behind the $mn painting, the puppet master of Detective Kreps, and finally the significance of Cinda and Poppy. It peels off the layers one by one to connect the dots. The fight and subsequent make up of Oliver and Teddy over Will's paternity is heart breaking. Charles' discovery of Rose Cooper and her revelations of his father's good side was really moving. Mable confronts the glitter guy face to face in a boxing ring. As expected she made a stupid braggart such as Kreps spill most of beans regarding the plot right in a boxing ring. Of course the scene was realistic and creators didn't make a ScarJo out of Gomez (which I definitely think is a great idea for a future Marvel venture).

Special credits goes to Bunny who entrusted her prized possession - the painting - to the three people she hated the most as neighbours but surprisingly trusted the most. Hats off to you Bunny!

This is was one of the best episodes of this season and I am going with solid 10/10 for this flawless episode ( excuse me for using episode too many times). I seriously can't wait for the finale.

Mabel continues to be a more real character. Her quirkiness in the past has made her unlikeable at times. She is beginning to realize that all that glitters is not the bad guy. That big lunk of a cop is her target and there are some good scenes between them. Oliver and Teddy meet in the elevator and get into it because of some secret information Oliver has discovered. Charles makes a discovery in the parrot cage and this leads to a phone call and information about the father he lost at a young age. We also are made aware of the truth about Poppy. But most of all, the plotting and the setup for the finale are choice. Good writing and a tangled web.

Episode 9 of Only Murders in the Building Season 2 begins with a voice-over by Detective Kreps. He is shown sparring in the boxing ring (the building is also his home) and mulling his annual wages in the NYPD. The $80k income isn't nearly enough to cover expenses in one of the costliest cities in the world. To make ends meet, he must do a little "extra" on the side. During the voiceover, we see him sneak into the evidence room in the station and tamper with it. He also divulges that he freelances as a detective in small towns and enterprises to give them city-like expertise in handling evidence and solving murders. Kreps also mentions a special lady he met in a bar. Saving the best till last is a good thing. Only Murders In The Building has certainly preserved its best episode probably over the course of the two seasons until episode 9 of its second season. If someone were to ask your opinion on the good/bad about the show, you'd probably ask them to watch this one. Except, they wouldn't understand a thing. Because all the missing pieces; all the loose ends are found and tied together to make one hell of a story in episode 9. All the little clues that were dropped for us through the season - examples - are fitted in an exhilarating fashion. The editing is breathtaking and actually so frenetic that you could see some of the scenes being cut halfway to fit everything in. Before you know it, the credits start rolling. Where did all that time go? Not only that, the show's true USP of finding lost souls in the midst of murder, mystery, and crime shines the brightest in episode 9. Against all odds, Oliver's heartbreak felt so real and intimidating. His dynamic with Teddy is something we have been missing this season. This episode brought the two ailing fathers sailing in the same boat together and gave some sort of closure to their struggles in connecting with their sons. OMITB was guilty of dragging things and coming up with fillers every now and then. Its appeal dropped quite a few notches in the second half of the season. It can certainly happen to any show but the storyline did seem to be a bit thin in season 2. After watching episode 9, that opinion has certainly changed.