Only Murders in the Building Test

The Only Murders in the Building Test is inspired by psychometric methodology and based on research into the characters of the series. The test provides feedback such as the following:

Mabel Mora

Mabel Mora is a guarded, sharp-witted artist and apartment renovator who masks deep, unresolved grief with a cool, sarcastic exterior. Growing up in the Arconia, she formed a childhood bond with friends who were later lost to tragedy and prison, leaving her with a lingering sense of isolation and a fierce, protective streak. She approaches life as an outsider, using true-crime obsession as a shield to understand how to survive in a world that feels inherently dangerous. While she often dissociates when trauma resurfaces, she is the trio’s most grounded investigator, moving toward conflict to uncover the truth while quietly longing for genuine connection.

Oliver Putnam

Oliver Putnam is a flamboyant, relentlessly theatrical, and financially chaotic Broadway director who is addicted to the spotlight, drama, and dips. His bravado hides deep-seated insecurities regarding his past failures, his role as a father, and a persistent fear of being discarded. Once a visionary, he now clings to the podcast and his stage productions as desperate shots at relevance. While he often assumes leadership with childlike optimism and grandiosity, he is capable of profound loyalty and growth. He eventually learns that being loved for his authentic self is far more rewarding than the fleeting applause of a crowd or the validation of his peers.

Uma Heller

Uma Heller is a cranky, sharp-tongued, legacy Arconia resident and a quintessential old New York co-op matron whose bluntness often masks real heartbreak. She is brutally honest, transactional, and fiercely protective of the building’s traditions. While she frequently berates the podcasting trio for disrupting her routine and ruining the building’s atmosphere, she remains deeply loyal to the memory of her late friend, Bunny Folger. Uma processes grief through anger and nitpicking, preferring to gatekeep her community rather than welcome outsiders. She is a woman who has stayed in one place for decades, finding comfort in stability and expressing her care through constant, weary complaining.

Howard Morris

Howard Morris is the Arconia’s anxious, cat-obsessed, sweater-wearing gossip who starts as comic relief and morphs into a surprisingly brave, emotionally hungry member of the inner circle. He is neurotic, a yodel-singing knit-aficionado, and a building-board secretary who knows everyone’s business and thrives on being needed. While he initially appears as a suspicious neighbor, he eventually becomes an essential assistant to the podcast team. He is deeply insecure and prone to catastrophizing, yet he possesses a hidden reservoir of courage. Howard is defined by his intense desire for belonging, his genuine tenderness toward his pets, and his persistent, awkward efforts to remain relevant in his community.

Charles-Haden Savage

Charles-Haden Savage is a meticulous, emotionally bottled-up, semi-retired actor best known for playing the TV detective Brazzos in the 1990s. He is a man who once starred in fictional cop stories and now stumbles through real ones, trying to live up to his own fading myth. His apartment is tasteful and frugal, reflecting someone who has shrunk his life to a narrow, safe routine. Beneath his stiff, introverted exterior is a deeply loyal man who slowly reopens to friendship. Despite appearing rigid and risk-averse, he repeatedly pushes himself into danger once he feels morally compelled to protect his friends or solve a mystery.

Bunny Folger

Bunny Folger is the iron-fisted, long-time president of the Arconia board who serves as the building’s prickly, foul-mouthed guardian. She is a legacy resident who inherited her position and views the co-op as a sacred trust, often weaponizing rules and fines to maintain order. While residents frequently dismiss her as a villainous, cranky nuisance, she possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the building’s history and a hidden, tender heart for the people and pets she quietly protects. Her primary contradiction is that she craves genuine connection but masks her deep loneliness with abrasive, transactional behavior. She ultimately struggles to balance her fierce commitment to tradition with the inevitable, painful reality of being replaced.