Bassoonist in only murders in the building

(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 109 of “Only Murders in the Building.”)

One week out from the “Only Murders in the Building” Season 1 finale, we still don’t know who killed Tim Kono — but we do have a possible big break in the case based on a clue that was first seen in Episode 2, but only had its significance revealed in Tuesday’s Episode 9: that “sex toy” that Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) found in Tim’s apartment soon after his death isn’t a sex toy at all, but a device used to clean a bassoon — the musical instrument Charles’ girlfriend, Jan (Amy Ryan), plays.

Charles and Mabel do not make the discovery until the very end of the episode. He spends much of the time at Jan’s performance, where he gets a bloody nose after learning she lied about being first chair in the City Symphony. Just wait until you hear this next part, Brazos.

What he doesn’t know while there — but some eagle-eyed “Only Murders” viewers/woodwind instrument experts may have deduced — is that the “sex toy” that first popped up weeks ago among Tim Kono’s stuff is actually a bassoon cleaner. And that’s something that “Only Murders in the Building” co-creators John Hoffman and Steve Martin were really counting on not happening to keep their murder-mystery comedy’s murder-mystery going until they were ready to show you that clue.

“That is a very, very astute question and one that has been hanging over all of our heads — the writers, including me — for a long time now,” Hoffman told TheWrap, when we asked if his team had concerns about the bassoon cleaner’s true purpose being apparent upon its first appearance. “I think, I hope — we were very particular in choosing that piece, that bassoon cleaner, because it was one among many of what a bassoon cleaner looks like, and it looked like it could be other things as well. So that was a very key moment for us, looking at that and saying, ‘Alright, how do we hide that? We know that’s going to be one of the major clues in Episode 9. How do we hide that?’ And so we thought, ‘OK, what is it? It could be a cat toy, it could be a sex toy, potentially.'”

He continued: “And then it became sort of intriguing to us to imagine where it’s going from here. It just poses a very particular question at the end of Episode 9 that points in one direction and we have to find out, is that an accurate direction? And how far does that direction take us into who killed Tim?”

That particular direction is pointing at Jan right now, given that she is both a bassoon player and, apparently, a liar. But the choice to make Jan a bassoon player came before Hoffman, Martin and the “Only Murders in the Building” writers started looking through their options for cleaners that they could sneak past you.

“Jan playing the bassoon and her position as first chair in the City Symphony was the story pairing that came first in developing her character — as they were both tied to her deeper self-esteem issues: the bassoon, which I just enjoy, was Jan’s ‘second choice instrument’ and being ‘first’ in key aspects of her life is an obsession for her.”

The Season 1 finale of “Only Murders in the Building” launches Oct. 19 on Hulu.

Evil murderess Jan Bellows

Jan Bellows (Amy Ryan) is the hidden main villainess from Season One of Hulu's series, Only Murders in the Building.

Introduction

Jan Bellows first appeared in episode 1.03, "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?," which saw her meet Charles-Haden Savage and Mabel Mora in the elevator of the Arconia apartment building. The meeting saw Jan mention her profession as a bassoonist, adding she was first chair, with Charles mentioning that he had heard Jan playing the bassoon in the building and loved her performance. Charles quickly developed feelings for Jan, leading to the pair going on their first date in the following episode, "The Sting."

Despite the date being disastrous, Charles and Jan continued their relationship, which turned sexual; all the while, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver Putnam were working on their podcast regarding the murder of Arconia resident Tim Kono. It was originally believed that Tim's murder was connected to fellow resident Teddy Dimas, who was revealed to be running an illegal jewelry business, with Tim's murder being believed to be committed due to his knowledge of his actions. However, it was uncovered that they were connected to a different murder, with the victim being Mabel and Tim's friend, Zoe, who was killed by Teddy's son, Theo.

As for Jan, she ended up joining the trio in their investigation in the season's antepenultimate episode, "Fan Fiction," though she was ousted due to Oliver and Mabel being against Jan's involvement. The Dimases ended up arrested for the aforementioned crimes, but they were cleared in Tim's murder when it was uncovered that he was poisoned on the night in question, with the episode ending with Jan being found stabbed in her apartment. Jan survived the attack, and the following episode, "Double Time," sees Charles tend to Jan while leaving the podcast. The final scenes of that episode see Oliver and Mabel continue their investigation, which led them to what Oliver originally believed was a sex toy earlier in the season, only for Mabel to learn that the whip-like object was a bassoon cleaner. All the while, Charles attended Jan's recital, only to learn that Jan wasn't the first chair, leaving Charles stunned that Jan lied to him, while Jan gave a shameful glare.

Reveal

The discovery of the bassoon cleaner led Oliver and Mabel to realize that Jan may have killed Tim, though in the following episode (and season finale), "Open and Shut," Charles disbelieved their suspicion of Jan. Later in the episode, Jan appeared at Charles' apartment to explain why she lied to him about being first chair, which led to the pair having drinks together and voicing their love for each other, though Charles revealed that Oliver and Mabel suspected Jan in Tim's murder. Despite voicing his assurance that Jan was innocent, Charles revealed that he knew that Jan killed Tim, as after Jan noticed that Charles wasn't drinking out of his glass, Charles voiced his belief that his drink was poisoned--as she had done the same to Tim.

At that moment, Jan turned heel by gleefully admitting to killing Tim, but not to poisoning Howard Morris' cat, Evelyn, adding that Evelyn's death was circumstantial. As Jan revealed, she had dated Tim shortly before meeting Charles, but became enraged when Tim broke up with her. Two days afterwards, Jan invited Tim to her apartment under the pretense that Tim had left some of his things at her place, and later invited him for drinks, with the villainess poisoning Tim's glass. Tim began to feel the effects afterwards, and on the night in question, Jan activated the building's alarm before entering Tim's apartment and finding him on the floor clinging to life. After finding Zoe's ring, the evil Jan typed a suicide note before placing a gun in Tim's hand and shooting him in the head, with Evelyn licking the poisoned blood afterwards, leading to her demise. As Charles was stating how he figured out that Jan was the killer, he began slurring his words, leading to the revelation that Jan actually poisoned his handkerchief.

The villainess later admitted everything, including the revelation that she stabbed herself to ward suspicion--with Oliver and Mabel finding the knife (as well as the poison and other pills, and Zoe's ring) in Jan's apartment. After leaving Charles for dead, Jan went to the basement and attempted to gas the entire building during her escape, but after Oliver and Mabel (while pushing Charles on a wheelchair) prevented the disaster, the villainess appeared and pointed a gun at the trio. Charles later rises and gives an impassioned speech about his kinship with Oliver and Mabel, though it is revealed that the speech was a fantasy and he was still having problems talking, but it was enough of a distraction for Oliver and Mabel to subdue Jan, with Mabel knocking the villainess out with a loaded punch (while wearing Zoe's ring). Jan was later shown in handcuffs and placed in a police car, as she had been arrested for Tim's murder and the attempt on Charles (among others in the building).

Imprisonment

After getting revealed as Tim Kono’s killer by Mabel, Charles and Oliver, Jan was arrested and brought to an unnamed New York prison. In the final scenes of episode 2.04, "Here's Looking at You," Charles went to visit Jan insight on the murder of Bunny Folger, and in the following episode, "The Tell," Jan informed Charles that the killer is artist who has not yet finished their piece. She also admitted that she spends her wifi time watching pornography and TikToks, and revealed that she had killed at least 3 people and accidentally saving one by stabbing their appendix. Later that night her and Charles are on the phone where she suspiciously asks him to bring her the blueberry bagels she left in his freezer, which he brings to her.

Gallery

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