Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 3 ending explained: Who owns the missing finger?

Only Murders in the Building season 5 has engaged its audience with edge-of-the-seat mysteries and unexpected twists. The first three episodes, released on September 9, 2025, set the stage for a fresh round of intrigue and suspense.

When the season starts, they are looking into a new death at the Arconia, adding to the list of killings they have already looked into. People are quickly drawn back into the relationship between Charles, Oliver, and Mabel as they solve a new case.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 3. Reader’s discretion is required.

The team discovers an important clue in episode 3, Rigor. This clue could change the course of their research. As they look for the person whose finger was cut off, they become caught in a web of power, mystery, and danger.

The missing finger in Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 3 belongs to Jay Pflug, portrayed by Logan Lerman. Pflug, a tech billionaire, is revealed to be missing a finger during a tense encounter in the Velvet Room.

In episode 3, things take an even darker turn, leading the trio to the Velvet Room and to a confrontation with powerful figures who may have more to do with these deaths than they originally thought.

The Velvet Room incident in Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 3

A still from Only Murders in the Building season 5 (Image via Hulu)

In the last part of episode 3, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are shocked when they find the Velvet Room below the Arconia. It was once a secret place where high-stakes gaming took place.

They meet three wealthy people who may have something to do with the deaths of Lester and Nicky, the mobster whose body they found earlier in the season. One of these billionaires, Jay Pflug, played by Logan Lerman, has a bandage on his hand, revealing that he is the one who is missing a finger.

This makes Pflug an even more important suspect in the ongoing mystery. The final scene of the episode reveals the high tension in the Velvet Room, where the billionaires, including Camila White (Renée Zellweger) and Sebastian Steed (Christoph Waltz), hold a conversation while hiding from the core trio.

As the trio tries to stay out of sight, they catch a glimpse of Pflug’s hand and immediately recognize the bandaged finger. This revelation deepens the mystery, as it ties Pflug not only to the deaths of Nicky and Lester but also to the powerful figures who seem to be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

What happens to Nicky’s body in Only Murders in the Building season 5 episode 3?

Before the conclusion of episode 3, the investigation leads to another chilling discovery. Nicky’s dead body has been temporarily stored in a freezer, and it’s Mabel who performs an impromptu autopsy. She concludes that Nicky was likely murdered hours before being frozen, indicating foul play.

The three people look at Nicky's body and feel more tense, realizing they might be in over their heads. Moving the body and trying to clean it up got in the way of their probe, and bad things could happen as a result.

The Velvet Room, an underground gambling establishment, plays a crucial role in episode 3. Oliver, Charles, and Mabel’s journey into the room uncovers new connections that could explain the deaths and the involvement of the city’s elite.

There was a time when powerful people ran New York's criminal underworld, but it appears that a new generation is now in charge. These dangerous billionaire players are in this high-stakes game due to their extreme wealth and power.

The investigating trio begins to understand the significance of the plot they've found as they learn more about the Velvet Room and what it means. Not only do mobsters like Nicky have a hand in what's going on in the room, but so do the new business elite who may have taken over the underworld.

Charles’s hallucinations and medication

Oliver and Mabel are still looking into things, but Charles is having trouble with his own issue; he hallucinates, especially about the dead bodies he sees. It's scary because he hears the dead talking to him at one point, just like what happened with Sazz Pataki last season.

These images make Charles feel more and more confused and paranoid. At the end of the episode, Charles gets medicine, possibly to help with his mental health. How this will impact his ability to solve the mystery remains unknown.

You can stream the released episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 5 on Hulu.

About the author

Rajan is an Entertainment Writer at Sportskeeda with previous experience of 6 years in writing about the genre. While he has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Application, it was his passion for the domain that led him to pursue a career in the field. He firmly believes that research is key when reporting on any topic, and glances through a wide array of articles to produce informative and accurate content.

Rajan admires Robert Downey Jr., Bob Dylan, and John Mayer since he feels they are the best at their trade. He is passionate about music and has had the opportunity to interact with popular Bollywood music directors A. R. Rahman, Pritam and Vishal-Sekhar.

If he could go back in time, he would jump at the opportunity to be part of Coldplay's hit track, 'A Sky Full of Stars.'

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Edited by Rajan Bhattacharya