The mystery comedy-drama series “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu was created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman and centres on three fans of true crime podcasts who investigate murders in their apartment building. When Ben Glenroy, the star actor in Oliver’s play, is slain on opening night in the third season of the show, Oliver’s play is in danger. The passing of Gideon Goosebury, another actor who passed away while performing a play on stage, is a significant story point in the sixth episode. Here is all the information you need to know about Gideon Goosebury’s death and whether the curse that was started by it is real or not! Spoilers follow!
How Did Gideon Goosebury Die?
Only Murders in the Building’s sixth episode makes the first mention of Gideon Goosebury. During the opening montage of the episode, he makes a brief appearance in a flashback scene. In the montage, Howard Morris, Oliver’s assistant in the Broadway production of “Death Rattle,” lists the various haunting calamities that beset the theatre industry. Gideon had a fantasy of becoming the lead in a significant Broadway production, according to Howard. He was, however, assassinated in 1990 while performing in a leading part at the world premiere of Gideon’s debut play. According to Howard’s narration, the actor passed away after a sandbag fell on his head as he was doing a monologue on stage.
After Gideon Goosebury passed away, there was a myth among theatre fans that his soul plagued the theatre and the productions that were staged there. Ben Glenroy, who likewise appeared to pass away on stage on the opening night of his first Broadway show, died in a manner similar to that of Gideon. Ben, unlike Gideon, managed to survive, but later that evening he died after sliding down an abandoned lift shaft. The sixth episode is about Gideon’s sad demise, and it serves as a huge source of inspiration for Charles, Mabel, Oliver, and even Howard as they look for answers regarding Ben Glenroy’s death.
Is Gideon Goosebury’s Curse Real?
The legend of Gideon Goosebury’s curse was born after the actor passed away while performing. Gideon Goosebury, however, doesn’t seem to be based on a genuine performer. It is safe to say that both the actor and the curse associated with his passing are made-up. The solution is dual in the storyline of the show, though. In the episode, Howard describes how the Goosebury Theatre is cursed by Gideon Goosebury. Howard was aware of the curse and performed a spell that appeared to stop Gideon’s ghost from harming Oliver’s play participants or causing disasters. Howard reveals that he prevented the curse from happening by daily sweeping the floor three steps in each direction.
The stage manager at the Goosebury Theatre, Kitty, eventually clarifies that sweeping does not remove the curse. Kitty says that in order to break the curse, they must include Gideon in their performance. As a result, Kitty requests that Howard deliver a monologue that is similar to the one that Gideon was delivering when he passed away. The monologue is intended to placate the ghost of the actor who passed away. The episode’s conclusion ultimately shows that the man Howard initially believed to be Gideon’s spirit was actually Oliver’s homeless friend, Gerry Blau. The series implies that the curse is untrue in this way. But after delivering the monologue, Howard and Kitty are struck by a gust of wind that knocks the papers out of his grasp and raises the possibility of a ghost. The episode merely makes the matter more intriguing by presenting both sides of the coin; it does not, however, rule out the possibility that the curse is real.
