‘Only Murders in the Building’ Drags ‘The Staircase’s Owl Theory with Parrot Theory Joke

Hulu‘s Only Murders in the Building is known for its fabulous Upper West Side setting, cozy approach to murder mysteries, and scathing satire of true crime as a genre. Case in point: Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Episode 6 “Performance Review” brings back Tina Fey‘s Cinda Canning to further poke holes in the mythos surrounding the titans of the true crime podcast genre. Ironically, though, the moment that made me flail in laughter the most wasn’t one of Fey’s ridiculous villain lines, but a throwaway joke from Michael Rapaport‘s Detective Kreps. While dressing down both podcast teams, Kreps complains that he’s getting calls to investigate a bird, citing the “Parrot Theory.” Only Murders in the Building totally came for The Staircase‘s “Owl Theory,” and I could not be happier for it.

Only Murders in the Building Season 2 centers on the mystery of: who killed Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell)? Because Mabel (Selena Gomez) was discovered with Bunny’s body, she has emerged as a prime suspect. While Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) are determined to help clear Mabel’s name, rival podcast superstar Cinda Canning is fixated on proving that Mabel is the killer. To Cinda, a young beauty snapping and stabbing an elderly woman with a knitting needle is simply a better story than the truth.

This all comes to a head in a tense standoff between Cinda, her long-suffering assistant Poppy (Adina Verson), the Only Murders gang, and Kreps. It’s a scene full of funny barbs, but for me, the “Parrot Theory” joke reigns supreme. It’s an obvious knock on the “Owl Theory,” which suggests that Michael Peterson, the subject of both the groundbreaking docuseries The Staircase and HBO’s recent dramatization of the case, is innocent of killing his wife. Instead, a rogue owl flew into the house and knocked Kathleen Peterson down a tight staircase, resulting in her death. Her husband, whose first wife died in similarly suspicious circumstances, is obviously innocent! The owl did it!

I personally loathe the “Owl Theory.” I think it reflects a bizarre phenomenon where some true crime fans would rather buy into an imaginative theory than accept the reality that murdered women are often slain by their husbands, boyfriends, and romantic partners. Everyone loves a wacky twist, as it makes for a more compelling story, but that doesn’t mean it’s the truth. (Ironically, the scene where Kreps jokes about a “Parrot Theory” is focused on how true crime podcast fans often prefer the more compelling story over the boring old truth.) The disdain with which Kreps refers to the “Parrot Theory” wasn’t just funny to me, it was cathartic. Finally, I could laugh at the “Owl Theory” and not feel wholly exasperated by it.

Only Murders in the Building is a unique show that both pays homage to the popularity of true crime, while also dragging the genre’s worst cliches. The “Parrot Theory” is this in a perfect, one line nutshell.