DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Only Murders in the Building episode “Flipping the Pieces” has spoilers. Prepare to send the investigation into a whole new direction and proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, Arconiacs! “Flipping the Pieces” finally introduces Mabel’s late father via flashbacks, complete with a career-best performance from Selena Gomez. Gomez infuses Mabel with searing vulnerability as we see the cracks in her foundation deepen. This outing delves into Mabel’s trauma and one of her dangerous coping mechanisms — blocking out memories. It’s a typical trauma response, but, in this case, Mabel must see the bigger picture, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to confirm her innocence.
I’m glad Theo returns here, and his bond with Mabel is so gratifying to watch. You’d think they’d be the last two folks on Earth to find common ground; however, as Theo confesses he’s unsure of whether he pushed Zoe or she slipped, it’s abundantly clear that he and Mabel share more similarities than differences.
Ready to delve into “Flipping the Pieces”? Let’s get to it.
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Flipping the Pieces
We open with Mabel (Gomez) donning a jumpsuit in her signature color — yellow. She narrates the episode for us while riffling through puzzle pieces before her. Mabel struggles to recall what happened on the subway with Glitter Guy. We flashback to a past scene wherein Mabel’s father (Mark Consuelos) and young Mabel partake in some puzzle construction.
Suddenly, Mabel wakes in a strange apartment. She’s wearing light blue, while the environment around her’s also doused in various shades of blue. I must tip my hat to the brilliant costume department on this show. In the preceding scene, Mabel’s dad dons a blue plaid shirt. Now, Mabel wears a light blue outfit, matching her surroundings. Blue is often associated with calmness, responsibility and intelligence, with lighter shades representing friendliness and darker hues of strength and reliability. Brava to this team.
Theo Dimas
Mabel spots her white coat next to her while blood spatters dot its sleeves. Theo Dimas (James Caverly) enters the space, and we learn this is his apartment. Funnily enough, Theo’s wearing a navy blue sweater. Does that mean he represents strength and reliability?
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Naturally, upon seeing him, Mabel tries to knock Theo unconscious. Theo shows Mabel the video of her stabbing Glitter Guy. Mabel wonders aloud whether she has stabbed someone again.
Side note: it took me a zillion episodes to realize the TV screen we see after the opening credits bears a rough estimate of the episode’s length. It shows where the episode is “paused,” i.e., around the four-minute mark, roughly when the opening credits roll. Additionally, it lists the “end” of their podcast episode at 33 minutes, and this episode bows out at 32:30. I can’t get over the subtleties and nuances of this show.
Fretting Over Mabel
We return to Charles’s (Steve Martin) apartment, where he and Oliver (Martin Short) fret over Mabel’s subway encounter and subsequent disappearance. Yes, in case you were wondering, our fave dynamic duo sports matching muted hues in their attire. See, now I can’t switch it off. Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) knocks on Charles’s door with her newborn son in tow. She cut her Denver maternity leave short to solve the Bunny Folger case.
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Meanwhile, Theo and Mabel face communication barriers. Mabel doesn’t know ASL, while Theo can only pick up on a third of what someone says. Theo resorts to writing down his questions for Mabel. She doesn’t remember stabbing Glitter Guy. Mabel fell into a fugue state after witnessing Alice’s insensitive art exhibit wherein “Bloody Mabel” was the star.
Mabel realizes she’s missing her purse, meaning Glitter Guy most likely absconded with it. Theo explains what happened the night before. He watched while GG attacked Mabel, and she retaliated by stabbing her attacker. Mabel, in shock, fled the train while a flurry of bystanders filmed her encounter. Theo took Mabel under his wing and ushered her to safety. There it is — the reliability. Sure, it’s a bit creepy, but his heart’s in the right place.
Going to Coney Island
Theo procures a “Coney Island Security” badge that Glitter Guy left in his wake. Mabel insists she must get to Coney Island to retrieve her purse. The bloody matchbook is in it, and it’s the only piece of evidence that might exonerate her in this case. Theo volunteers to drive her.
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Next, Detective Williams questions Charles and Oliver regarding Mabel’s involvement in Bunny’s murder. Glitter Guy was stabbed with a knitting needle, as was Bunny. Well, Bunny was initially stabbed with a knife. Oliver, in a panic, flees to the bathroom and tries to crawl into the secret tunnel therein. He remembers his bloody knife, a.k.a. the murder weapon, that he needs to discard. Charles catches him while Detective Williams eavesdrops outside the bathroom door.
Then, Mabel and Theo arrive at Coney Island. No, not to ride the Wonder Wheel. They search through the files, hoping to find some paperwork on Glitter Guy. Fearing someone might catch them, Theo surreptitiously tosses the files into a bag and hands them to Mabel.
Arcade Fun
Theo discovers he needs to recharge his house arrest anklet, so Mabel locates an outlet near a Whac-A-Mole game. Mabel introduces Theo to the exhilarating arcade game, and Theo takes a liking to it. Hey, who doesn’t love whacking a good mole?
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We see another flashback featuring young Mabel and her father watching The X-Files. It’s abundantly clear that Mabel derived her love of true crime and mystery, of solving puzzles from her late dad.
Later, the pair takes on the claw machine. Theo cheats by sticking his hand inside and procuring a prize. He opens it to find a green ring akin to what Zoe wore. It gives Theo pause. He confesses to Mabel that he sees Zoe every night, replaying the moment before her death incessantly. Theo wonders whether Zoe slipped or if he pushed her. To this day, he’s unsure.
Mabel expresses her fear that she stabbed an older woman. Ever since her father died, Mabel grew into the habit of erasing her mind, of “flipping the pieces,” when faced with a traumatic event. Theo apologizes, admitting that he didn’t understand most of what she said.
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A Chorus Line / A Glitter Guy
Meanwhile, Oliver helps Detective Williams’ fussy baby pass gas via a reenactment of “One” from A Chorus Line. It’s utterly adorable. I bet Oliver is a fun dad. On a somewhat related note, Oliver refers to Williams’ son as “Joy,” which might be a nod to Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the actress portraying Detective Williams.
Williams vows to help Charles and Oliver, but they must disclose the truth to her. No more secrets. They decide to meet in the bathroom for a brief chat while we simultaneously see Mabel in the bathroom. I love these parallels. Mabel spots red glitter in the sink. Bingo! Glitter Guy is close by.
We see a flashback to young Mabel arriving at her dad’s apartment for trick-or-treating. She’s dressed like Agent Scully, and her father was supposed to be Agent Mulder. This is a bit awkward considering the nature of the Mulder/Scully bond, but I’ll let it slide. Mabel’s father looks quite sick and doesn’t want his daughter to see him in this state. He hopes they can construct a puzzle together instead of trick-or-treating. However, young Mabel isn’t a fan of this idea.
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Charles and Oliver give Detective Williams the bloody knife found in Charles’s kitchen. They explain that Mabel’s prints aren’t on it. She thanks them for entrusting her with this evidence. Then, Williams belts out a line from “One,” blessing us with the musical mic drop moment to end all musical mic drop moments. What a badass!
Retaliation
Next, Mabel spots Glitter Guy in the locker room. She hides in one of the lockers but, unfortunately, gives herself away by making a noise. So, GG opens each door, hoping to find the source of the sound. When he reaches Mabel’s locker, she emerges, smacking him on the head with the door. Then, Mabel grabs GG’s backpack and flees the scene.
Later, Theo and Mabel head back to Manhattan. Mabel rummages through Glitter Guy’s backpack, sighing with relief when she finds her purse. However, it’s bereft of the bloody matchbook. Mabel notes the several missed calls and texts from Oliver and Charles and asks Theo to drop her off at The Pickle Diner.
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Then, Mabel reveals a memory of her dad’s final moments in the hospital. The adults tried to conceal her father’s illness from her, claiming he had to “move” for his job. He died six months later from stomach cancer. In this scene, we see young Mabel boasting a yellow cap. She sees her father in bed, hardly recognizable. He extends his hand for her to hold, which she does. Mabel curls up in bed with her dad.
Innocence Found
Amid this monologue, Mabel pieces together the mystery. She must flip the pieces so that she can see the full image. Mabel realizes she didn’t stab Bunny — the knitting needle was already protruding from her chest when Mabel saw her.
Theo ignores a video call from his father. Mabel advises Theo not to run from his feelings. Suppressing negative emotions doesn’t help. After thanking Theo for accompanying her to Coney Island, Mabel heads inside the diner to reunite with Charles and Oliver. We see the trio hug it out. Theo notices a string of missed calls from Teddy, so he returns the calls.
Rolling Blackout
Mabel shows a photo she found in Glitter Guy’s backpack. It features Charles with Lucy. Panicked, Charles calls Lucy (Zoe Margaret Colletti) to ensure her safety. Lucy reveals she’s at his apartment to surprise him. Suddenly, the lights go out. We see the city submerged in darkness as a rolling blackout encompasses Manhattan. How convenient!
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“Flipping the Pieces” is an emotionally resonant episode, bursting with character nuance and solid performances from Gomez and Caverly. The color palette in this outing is top-notch and proof that you can utilize just about anything to convey a story, including subtle visuals. I stand by my earlier assessment that Theo wears dark blue because he’s “reliable” to Mabel, while Mabel’s light blue departure from her usual yellow color scheme might be to indicate her innocence.
Regardless, this Mabel-heavy episode hits home. Diving deep into her story helps us understand her, and it’s beautiful to witness her growth throughout this series. “Flipping the Pieces” also boasts the always-perfect comedic timing of Martin Short, the delightful return of Detective Williams and explosive revelations. Plus, that cliffhanger could change the game for the final three episodes.
Only Murders in the Building drops new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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