‘Only Murders in the Building’ Creator, Star Talk Season 2 Killer: ‘I Generally Don’t Condone Murder, But …’
Only Murders in the Building Season 2 had another intriguing mystery that ended with a surprising killer. Many viewers were trying to guess who killed Bunny Folger, and many audience members were fooled by the reveal. Only Murders creator John Hoffman and actor Adina Verson discuss how they decided on who the killer was for the Hulu series and whether that character should be condemned.
Who is the killer in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 2?
Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building revolves around who killed Bunny Folger. The finale revealed that Poppy (Verson), Cinda Canning’s (Tina Fey) assistant, was the killer. In another shocking twist, Poppy also turned out to be Becky Butler, the supposedly murdered girl from Oklahoma that inspired Canning’s podcast, All Is Not OK in Oklahoma.
Becky ran away from her small-town life in Oklahoma in the hopes of becoming a famous true crime podcaster. While working as Canning’s assistant under the name Poppy, she pitches the story about Becky and works with her secret lover, Detective Kreps (Michael Rapaport), to fake Becky’s death.
After the success of All Is Not OK in Oklahoma, Poppy pitches another story about the artist Rose Cooper. When Cinda shows little interest, Poppy decides to create her own story. She murders Bunny, steals Rose’s painting, and frames Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez).
John Hoffman and Adina Verson have empathy for the season 2 killer
In an interview with TV Line, Hoffman and Verson are asked about their opinions of Poppy. The two say they try to find the humanity in the character, but that still doesn’t excuse her actions. She’s a character that needs help, but she also needs to be punished for murdering Bunny.
“Anyone who murders someone deserves to pay for that,” Hoffman says. “I don’t want anyone to go, “Oh, poor thing! Now I feel bad for her!” No. She’s done a terrible thing. But it’s usually rooted in something having gone very wrong, and usually there is confusion. You want them to get more help than they’re getting, to resolve their lives in ways that don’t come to this insanity. In that respect, I very much lean into finding the humanity in both the victims and the perpetrators.”
Verson shares similar sentiments and is curious about how Poppy might change in prison.
“I generally don’t condone of murder, but I think it’s important in life to know that even if somebody has done something unforgivable, that doesn’t mean that they are one-hundred percent a terrible human being,” Verson shares. “They probably became that way because of something tragic. Poppy had big aspirations, and her hubris got the best of her. When you’re leading a secret life, I think it’s easy to feel like your actions don’t matter or that you don’t have to live up to the same moral code. It’s horrific that she stabbed this older woman eight times, and she will likely be in prison for the rest of her life. But I’m curious how prison will be for her — if she’ll go totally cuckoo or become a nun.”
How did the creators decide Poppy was the best choice for the killer?
Hoffman shares how they decided Poppy would be the killer for Only Murders Season 2. The co-creator says he believed she would be an interesting killer once they came up with the Becky Butler reveal. He also says he wanted to give Verson a chance to shine.
“Poppy felt really interesting because of where she was positioned,” Hoffman explains. “But also, I loved Adina. It was exciting to imagine giving someone the spotlight that some people haven’t seen as much, and boy, could she handle it. I thought she was just brilliant. The other part of it was when we landed on the Becky Butler reveal — and truthfully, that didn’t come until early in the Season 2 writers’ room — I thought, “Oh, there we go! Now we have absolute basis because she’s had success.” Her biggest success was helping to create her own case.”
Only Murders in the Building Season 2 is streaming on Hulu.
