In the finale, history predictably repeats itself. Oliver, Charles (Steve Martin) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are baffled when cut-throat producer Donna (Linda Emond) confesses, on tape, to Ben’s murder. It’s never this simple, they muse.

Once again, it’s down to bloody Mabel’s trusty gut instincts that encourage her to keep digging into the crime. Donna is dying of stage four lung cancer, and throughout the series, has been trying to build her son Cliff (Wesley Taylor) a promising future as a stage producer.

At the side of the stage, Mabel overhears an emotional exchange between Loretta and Dickie, as she finally reveals his true parentage. Suddenly, the penny drops for Mabel – Donna is covering for her son Cliff – just as Loretta did for Dickie. Loretta even hammers this home as she says through tears: “There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing.”

Out in the audience, Mabel observes Donna whisper her confession to Cliff before he cries and flees the auditorium. This theme of ‘mother knows best’ is ultimately shown to be a toxic misplacement of our human protective instincts and a misguided interpretation of unconditional love.

Thankfully, the cycle of women taking responsibility for men’s horrific actions is broken, when Cliff confesses that he got into a fight with Ben and accidentally pushed him down the elevator shaft. His mother wasn’t without blame; she did lace Ben’s favourite treat, an iced cookie, with rat poison.

The motive this season for murder is rooted in protecting family, above all else. Yet, it’s problematic that women feel the need to take responsibility for their sons’ suspected mistakes, as though the blame lies with them by default as their parent.

“Only Murders In The Building shows the danger of women taking accountability for men’s actions”