Broadway Director's Foster Care Secrets Exposed in 'Only Murders' Twist

In the latest episode of 'Only Murders in the Building', Meryl Streep's character Loretta Durkin, the star of 'Grey's New Orleans: Family Burn Unit', returns from New Zealand to assess the damage after her apartment went up in flames. Everything she owned, 47 years' worth of belongings and memories, had been reduced to ash.

While in Brooklyn with Oliver Putnam, the show's flop-prone Broadway director, a surprising revelation comes to light. Oliver, who had always been portrayed as a larger-than-life "Bon Vivant", actually grew up in the foster care system. From ages 9 to 12, he lived with his second foster family in Flatbush, where he kept himself small, hoping he'd get to stay.

It was only when Oliver stumbled into the Mycyn Theatre and was cast in a play that he finally felt "at home". His foster parents didn't approve, but on opening night, he snuck out in costume to watch as another kid said his line. "In my whole life, I've only really felt like myself in two places," Oliver says, "being back here today, I finally understand why I'm so afraid to leave the Arconia."

This backstory, which wasn't entirely new, was the perfect time to deliver the reveal and challenge preconceived notions about Oliver's character, according to series co-creator John Hoffman. The specifics of Oliver's childhood were shaped by this season's central mystery, as well as Hoffman's own history growing up in Brooklyn.