How the Only Murders in the Building Finale's Surprise Celeb Cameo Sets Up Season 3's Big Mystery

Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

This post contains spoilers from the Only Murders in the Building season 2 finale.

Tuesday's Only Murders in the Building season 2 finale was full of surprises. Not only did viewers finally learn who killed Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell), but they now have a new murder mystery to look forward to in season 3.

Everything appeared to return to normal for protagonists Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short). After learning that Cinda Canning's (Tina Fey) assistant Poppy White (Adina Verson) — a.k.a. Becky Butler — was the assailant all along, the three Arconia neighbors are able to get their lives back on track.

Oliver, especially, received some good news — he gets to helm a Broadway production starring big-time actor Ben Glenroy, played by PEOPLE's current Sexiest Man Alive Paul Rudd.

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As time leaped one year forward, viewers saw Oliver struggling to get a seemingly difficult Ben ready to perform on the production's opening night. In fact, Ben isn't getting along with his costar Charles.

Keeping the pair's issues in mind, Oliver suggested that Ben "use it" and "let the tension seep in" to the night's performance. Ben then asked, "Okay, so, like, then I can kill him? Because I just might, Oliver. I'm warning you."

A crew member walking by then told Ben to "break a leg," leading him to tell Oliver, "That's a pretty good option too."

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Before the play began, Ben had a coughing fit. The actor is then approached by Charles, who wished him "good luck." But Charles noted that saying "good luck" is "a curse in the theater," resulting in Ben calling him a "piece of s---."

"Hey, hey. We've got two and a half hours to get through. If I can do it, you can too," said Charles as Ben responded, "I'm the pro here. You don't have to worry about me."

Charles then mysteriously warned Ben, "Be smart. Stay away from her."

"Why? What are you going to do?" Ben asked.

"Ben, I know what you did," Charles responded before walking off.

Ben briefly had a look of concern on his face before the curtain rose. As he began to utter his opening lines, Ben appeared to be struggling to perform. He then abruptly collapsed in front of the packed audience.

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As several people rushed to his aid, Ben had blood spilling out of his mouth. He was then pronounced dead.

"You've got to be f---ing kidding me," Mabel said before the scene faded to black, concluding season 2 in dramatic fashion.

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Series co-creator and executive producer John Hoffman exclusively revealed how they managed to pull the major killer reveal.

"This finale is one of my favorite episodes we've done — as everyone was all in on every aspect, just brilliantly," Hoffman says. "And it feels, like our show, like a quintessential 'classic meets modern' bit of madness that hopefully puts a fresh spin on, and affectionate nod to, a proper Agatha Christie-type ending to a mystery."

As for the decision to recruit Rudd, 53, for the surprising role, Hoffman tells PEOPLE the actor "was a true bit of dream casting for us."

He teases, "As those who know our show know well, many twists await regarding the story of 'Ben Glenroy' in our season 3."

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Only Murders in the Building premiered on Hulu in August 2021 to much acclaim. Amid its second season run this summer, the streaming service renewed the series in July for a third season.

The first two seasons of Only Murders in the Building are now streaming on Hulu.