Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5 recap: Detective Williams reveals the extent of the Velvet Room cover-up

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5, titled Tongue Tied, aired on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The episode opens with Detective Williams leading Charles, Oliver, and Mabel into the Velvet Room, where she investigates signs of a cleaned-up crime scene.

Oliver finds a shrimp tail tied to his missing wedding shipment, while Charles prepares for a date with Sofia Caccimelio to gather information. Mabel and Oliver question staff about Tommy the Tongue, hearing resistance from Ursula and Miller. Charles and Sofia flirt at dinner, while Oliver hosts a tense building meeting. The night ends with LESTR’s destruction and Sofia’s suspicious trip to Flatbush.

Detective Williams confirms the Velvet Room has been wiped clean, pointing to a deliberate cover-up. She inspects the roulette tables with ultraviolet light and finds no prints, remarking on the unusual cleanliness.

Mabel reminds her that the tables were once covered in blood, showing that someone worked quickly to remove all traces. Charles presents Williams with a photo of two officers standing over Nicky Caccimelio’s body in the dry cleaners, but Williams denies recognizing them, noting the size of the NYPD.

Oliver then uncovers a shrimp tail, connecting it to his missing cocktail shrimp order from the wedding day. The discovery ties the crime scene to the trio’s personal timeline, furthering suspicions of inside involvement. Williams stresses that rich tenants often slip up around staff, urging Mabel and Oliver to question employees.

This advice sets them on a path through the Arconia’s underbelly, where staff members offer cryptic warnings. Each response adds to the mystery of Tommy the Tongue, a figure who appears tied to operations within the Velvet Room. The scene establishes the episode’s central question and signals that what lies beneath the Arconia is larger than the trio initially expected.

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5: Charles pursues answers through a dinner with Sofia Caccimelio

Charles confirms he is seeing Sofia Caccimelio in hopes of learning about her late husband’s dealings. They meet for hibachi, where Sofia is joined by her five adult sons seated nearby.

Charles and Sofia share a playful dinner, including food-catching games, while he tries to ask about the Velvet Room and Nicky’s activities. Sofia claims she knew nothing of the secret parlor and insists Nicky was not the thug people assumed, pointing out that he once wrote her poetry. Their dinner is interrupted when Mayor Tillman approaches Charles to ask about appearing on the trio’s podcast.

Charles continues pressing Sofia but gains little by way of concrete information. Their evening ends with Sofia agreeing to spend more time with him, showing she is open to building a connection. At the same time, Oliver and Mabel’s interviews with staff make it clear the Arconia’s employees know more than they reveal.

Charles later admits to Mabel that he was distracted during his date, providing little of value to their investigation. His focus shifts away from evidence toward personal chemistry with Sofia, leaving the mystery of Nicky’s role unresolved. The sequence closes with Sofia’s next movements, raising even more questions for the group.

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5: LESTR becomes the center of tension in the Arconia

LESTR, the Arconia’s service robot, becomes the focus of frustration between tenants and staff. Howard introduces LESTR as a machine capable of handling deliveries and medication, while Randall voices resentment over the robot replacing human labor.

Mabel and Oliver investigate further and find the words “Die Lester Die” scratched onto a table. Staff members insist the message referred to the robot, not the building’s doorman. Oliver then calls a meeting in the lobby, aiming to mend tensions between residents and employees.

In Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5, Howard reveals that LESTR has ranked every tenant numerically, placing Mabel high on the list while Oliver sits near the bottom. This revelation embarrasses Oliver but also highlights the robot’s deep involvement with residents’ lives. During the gathering, tenants such as Uma and Vince openly support automation, preferring robots to staff. Ursula, however, insists that either LESTR goes or the staff will quit.

In Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5, Charles arrives in the middle of this, appearing erratic from his testosterone trial, and distracts everyone. Amid the chaos, Howard realizes LESTR has gone missing. Later, the robot is found destroyed, thrown from above into the Arconia fountain. Its sudden end shocks the group and deepens the mystery surrounding the building.

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5: Sofia’s trip connects to the truth behind Tommy the Tongue

In Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 5, Sofia’s movements confirm a direct connection to the investigation into Tommy the Tongue. After her dinner with Charles, she drives to Flatbush, unaware that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are following. Inside Oliver’s car, the trio discuss his potential move from the Arconia, with Mabel insisting she does not want to lose him. Their attention shifts when Charles hands over invoices found in Miller’s trash portrait of Lester.

These invoices are all dated on the night of the murders and addressed to “Tommy,” linking directly to the Velvet Room and Lester’s death. The listed address is 4712 Empire Boulevard, the same location Sofia drives toward. Williams phones Mabel, warning that Tommy the Tongue is not an individual but a company that recently withdrew all its funds without leaving a name. She urges the group to turn back.

Instead, they watch from a distance as Sofia knocks on the door of a brownstone. Lorraine answers, raising questions about her role in the events. Mabel tells Williams that the people most likely behind the murders are the wives, setting the investigation onto a new course altogether and raising the stakes for what lies ahead.

Trending

Follow for more updates.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback