WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first three episodes of Only Murders in the Building, now available on Hulu.
Hulu's Only Murders in the Building is set in different timelines in New York as it seems like two murder conspiracies are unraveling. The story opens up in the posh Arconia hotel where Selena Gomez's Mabel is hovering over a dead body, which jumps to the main arc two months before where she and her podcast-loving conspiracy theorists, Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin), think Tim Kono's suicide on the ninth floor is actually a homicide. As the first three episode detail them drumming up clues over what they think is a legit crime, one of the main suspects turns out to be none other than music legend Sting.
Sting's one of the world's most recognizable pop icons, especially for his work with The Police on songs like "Every Breath You Take" and "Roxanne." The multi-award winning British artist has also eked out a glamorous solo career through tracks like "Desert Rose," becoming a global institution that's remained as popular today as he was back in the '70s.
While it may seem like it's ridiculous and that Sting is a glorified cameo, it's actually not the case -- he's a player in what might well be a vendetta against Tim. It begins when Charles has his mood board up, detailing suspects. He jokingly has a selfie there with Sting, indicating he may seek an autograph on it, but while he moves it, hoping he can get it signed, the superstar will be remaining high-up on the board. And it's all to do with what transpires in the third episode, "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?" when an awkward Oliver encounters Sting in the elevator.
Sting's a sourpuss, not wanting Oliver's bulldog, Winnie, sniffing him. He hates all animals, whether it belongs to friends, family or strangers. Oliver even jokes for the dog not to stand so close to Sting, but he doesn't have time for wisecracks in a very rude exchange. Unperturbed, Oliver goes about sleuthing with his peers, unlocking serious clues regarding Tim's bad finances, an engagement that seems to have gone wrong, and that people in the hotel hated him.
The Sting kicker comes when Oliver goes back to his room and finds an ominous note. On the door, it reads "End the podcast or I'll end you." He then rushes inside to find Winnie seemingly poisoned, although it isn't revealed if the pooch dies. At this point, Oliver's wide-eyed panic suggests he's now marking Sting, with the final moment cutting to the musician on a stage Oliver worked at in his playwright career, which admittedly might be Oliver's overactive imagination playing tricks on him.
Nonetheless, Sting's singing an acoustic rendition of The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" -- their 1980 hit that Sting, a former English teacher, wrote about a teacher wanting students who lusted after him to keep their distance so a scandal wouldn't break out.
It might just be a funny cliffhanger steeped in misdirection, but previews for the fourth episode shows the leads confronting their resident celebrity who denies being involved. As for the song, it could hint that Tim was indeed in an illicit affair or romance gone bad. Only time will tell if Sting was involved in a possible crime of passion, but what's for sure is he's public enemy number one in this apparent murder mystery.
To see Sting's surprising role, the first three episodes of Only Murders in the Building are now on Hulu, with subsequent episodes available on Tuesdays.