Playing a failed actor named Loretta who finally gets a break on Broadway, multiple Oscar winner Meryl Streep also looks to be enjoying the irony. Without even trying to sugarcoat things, Glenroy lashes out at Loretta, clearly seeing her as a threat. He tells her he knows a fellow snake when he sees one. Last but not least, Charles pleads with Glenroy to just skip over him and go on to someone else. It’s a lovely, quiet character moment that reminds everyone that, on a good day, Charles would probably want to just be left alone. Glenroy accuses his aging co-star of being happy about his sudden (and unfortunately temporary) death, a sentiment Charles immediately agrees with.
Aside from showcasing Rudd’s immense talents and comic timing, every confrontation that happens in this round robin charade has another purpose. Each character has a motive for killing Glenroy based on his antics. At the end of the episode when Glenroy is again found dead in the elevator shaft, his behavior the night before may have incited someone else to put him in an early grave.
After being called out as someone with ulterior motives, Loretta may have moved up to the front of the suspect line. Right after Glenroy makes his triumphant exit after supposedly making amends with everyone, she storms out of Oliver’s apartment. “Ben may be back but it doesn’t change the fact that he is a f**king a**hole,” she yells for everyone to hear.
As the season moves on and the clues mount up, it’s nice to know that Rudd will still be appearing in a few flashbacks where he’ll have even more opportunities to shine. Playing an out-of-control jerk like Ben Glenroy is a chance for one of our finest comedic performers to act on pure id. And it’s a joy to watch.
“Only Murders in the Building” is streaming on Hulu.