Théo Dimas is one of Only murders in the buildingone of the best characters, but when certain unpleasant details from his past come to light, many wonder why he’s not in prison. Introduced in the show’s inaugural season, Theo is a resident of Arconia and has lived there his entire life with his father, Teddy (Nathan Lane). Only murders in the building The first season revolves around the murder of Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), another Arconia resident, and Theo is the main suspect.
Although most Only murders in the building is centered on the main podcasting trio of Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), one specific episode is centered on Theo. Theo is deaf and Only murders in the building Season 1 Episode 7, “The Boy from 6B”, is portrayed almost entirely from his perspective, with no audible dialogue spoken except three words. The episode was universally praised for its artistry and authentic depiction of disability. However, after the first season, Theo Dimas’ role diminished greatly.
Why is Theo only free in building murders?
He was released to await trial for grave robbing
Before the events of the series, Tim Kono witnessed Theo accidentally push Zoe Cassidy (Olivia Reis) to her death, and Teddy threatened Tim to keep his mouth shut. When this came to light, the Only murders in the building podcast implicated the Dimases in Tim’s murder, and they were arrested.
Although they were innocent of the murder, with the culprit being Tim’s ex-lover Jan Bellows (Amy Ryan), Teddy and Theo were still guilty of committing a crime: grave robbing. Teddy ran a side business called Angel Inc., in which he sold jewelry stolen from corpses, with Theo’s help. After being cleared of murder charges, Teddy and Theo were released to await trial for the grave robbing, with Teddy being placed under house arrest.
Dimases’ trial is never shown, and from a narrative standpoint this makes sense since the grave robbing was a plot twist in the first season that everyone moved on from. And although he is flawed, Theo is ultimately a likable character who should be free, especially since he does every Just Murders plot of which he is the best part. Theo’s being out of prison means he’ll be able to confront his father for involving him in his shady dealings and threatening his future. Embracing his independence, Theo still helps Mabel in seasons 2 and 3, further proving his value to the series.
Where is Theo in Only Murders In The Building season 4?
Mabel moved out of Teddy’s apartment and actor James Caverly may have moved on
Although his role diminished after Only murders in the building In season 1, Theo reappears in seasons 2 and 3, so it’s curious that he’s not in season 4, especially since in his last appearance, Mabel was sleeping in his apartment. However, at the beginning of season 4, Mabel decides to start squatting in Dudenoff’s empty apartment on the west end of Arconia. Theo is never mentioned in season 4, suggesting that he and Mabel are no longer in contact.
All Only murders in the building Episode in which Theo appears |
|
---|---|
Season 1, Episode 2 |
“Who is Tim Kono” |
Season 1, Episode 3 |
“How well do you know your neighbors?” |
Season 1, Episode 7 |
“The boy from 6B” |
Season 1, Episode 8 |
“Fanfiction” |
Season 2, Episode 4 |
“Here’s looking at you” |
Season 2, Episode 7 |
“Reversing the pieces” |
Season 3, Episode 7 |
“CoBro” |
This is unfortunate, because their connection was one of the most compelling Just Murders stories. Season 4 also suffered from a large excess of celebrity cameos, which cheapened the overall story. The best thing about the season was Howard’s actor Michael Cyril Creighton being promoted to series regular in the Only murders in the building cast. Moving forward, the series would do well to lean more on these beloved one-off characters, be it Howard or Theo, and less on famous faces.
However, Theo’s absence from season 4 could be because actor James Caverly has changed. Caverly spoke to Business Insider about wanting to take on more roles where a character’s hearing loss isn’t at the center of their story. He said this: “true inclusion would mean more people with disabilities in the newsroom, behind the camera and on the production team” and that he wants to eradicate the “tired portrayal of disabled characters on TV.“
Caverly certainly got a lot of attention with “The Boy from 6B,” so perhaps he’s now looking for a starring role in his own series. Given his talent, he would certainly deliver an incredible performance worth watching – even if it comes at the cost of no longer having Theo in the cast. Only murders in the building.
Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers, each with a common interest in true crime, who team up to investigate a death in their building, uncovering secrets and uncovering unexpected twists.
- Release date
-
August 31, 2021
- Seasons
-
4