In the gripping fifth season of “Only Murders in the Building,” our beloved sleuths Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) are once again on the case. This time, they’re unraveling the mystery behind the murders of the Arconia’s doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca), and Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale), a Mafia figure who operated an underground lounge and poker game in the building. As their investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the two deaths are linked, suggesting that solving one murder will illuminate the other. The trio’s diligent detective work reveals a shocking twist: Lester himself is behind Nicky’s demise, having struck him with an elevator crank and inadvertently impaled him with a meat cleaver during a struggle.

Episode two delves into Lester’s deep connection with the Arconia and his entanglement in Nicky’s criminal enterprises. While the financial rewards initially seemed promising for Lester and his partner Lorraine, the consequences became overwhelming. Desperate to escape Nicky’s clutches, Lester seizes a perilous opportunity, even though it leads to both his and Nicky’s deaths.

Complicating matters further, Nicky discovers his wife is having an affair with New York City’s mayor, Beau Tillman (Keegan-Michael Key). In a drug-fueled rage, Nicky reacts violently, severing the mayor’s finger with a cleaver. This violent episode sets off a tragic chain reaction: Lester, attempting to protect himself, strikes Nicky with the elevator crank. In the ensuing chaos, Nicky falls onto Lester, who inadvertently drives the cleaver into Nicky’s chest. In a panic, Lester flees with the severed finger, only to be pursued and fatally pushed into a fountain by Mayor Tillman.

The cover-up is a calculated move to protect their illicit dealings with Mayor Tillman, whose corruption is a well-guarded secret. While Lester never intended to kill Nicky, the series of events that night spirals into a deadly domino effect, claiming both their lives. As the season concludes, viewers are left on the edge of their seats with the emergence of yet another murder victim, setting the stage for an intriguing Season 6.

Meanwhile, Camila (Renee Zellweger), Sebastian (Christoph Waltz), and Jay (Logan Lerman) are trying to figure out what to do. The billionaires didn’t want the two deaths connected, thinking people could look into Nicky’s role hosting their games with the mayor. They eventually decide to put Nicky’s body in Sebastian’s cryogenic chamber before leaving him in the dry cleaning store a week later. 

They go to such lengths because they don’t want anyone knowing about their deals with Mayor Tillman, which are widely corrupt, since one of them still wants to win the casino bid. Lester didn’t intend to kill Nicky, but Nicky’s actions that night create a domino effect that leaves them both dead — even as another murder victim turns up just in time for Season 6.