Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Sana is exasperated with pushy Asian mothers like Vera and her own. She is determined to set boundaries, starting with Vera. However, Vera pushes her next to Riki, whom she introduces as her “other suspect.” She cheerfully explains to both guests that they are suspects in Marshall’s murder. She comments on the paint on Sana’s hands, and Sana lies, saying she was painting her room; in reality, she was unable to paint. Vera asks for Sana’s horoscope and announces that she would not be compatible with Tilly, but she and Riki would be a good match—assuming neither of them killed Marshall. She drags both guests upstairs to help her collect food from her refrigerator. She has been cooking since 4:00 a.m., as she wanted all of them to deliver food to her fourth suspect (the unidentified woman). Oliver, the third suspect, arrives as they are leaving.

Vera is delighted with the progress of her investigation. Tilly also sent a text demanding information about the flash drive. She found the text pushy but is glad nevertheless and replied that there is no flash drive. Vera introduces Oliver to Riki and Sana and then instructs them to load all her food into Oliver’s car. Under Oliver’s front seat, she finds a draft for a novel he has been working on. She directs him to Marshall’s address, where she expects to find the unidentified woman.

Julia is unprepared for company when Vera and the others arrive with food, and Vera takes over her kitchen. Vera introduces herself to young Emma as “Grandma Vera” and invites her to help in the kitchen. Julia is astonished when her shy child goes with her. Riki and Sana introduce themselves and then carry the food into the kitchen. Julia is ashamed to see her brother-in-law, Oliver, due to having changed since their inseparable childhood. She imagines his judgment, but he expresses sympathy for Marshall’s death. They bond over their mutual loss.

As a teenager, Oliver was attracted to Julia but never pursued romance. He was distraught over Marshall and Julia’s relationship because he knew how destructive Marshall was. He tried to warn her, but she accused him of jealousy, and their relationship never recovered. Oliver watched his niece, Emma, grow up on Facebook, and Julia’s Facebook convinced him that she was happy with Marshall.

Vera announces that lunch is ready. She places Emma next to her and directs everyone else to their chairs. She doles out food according to diagnoses at a glance: Vera believes Riki is constipated (which he denies), Julia anemic, Sana “chilly,” and Oliver in need of comfort food. She gives Emma children’s chopsticks and tells her to eat like a big girl because she is her assistant. Julia is pleased to see Emma eat without being coaxed.

After lunch, Vera asks who killed Marshall. The suspects are shocked by her bluntness, but Oliver realizes that this approach is part of traditional Chinese culture. He feels conflicted, having been raised on both traditions and American expectations. None of the suspects answers Vera until Julia says that on the day before the crime, Marshall walked out on her and Emma. Oliver is heartbroken.

A delighted Vera can practically see all four suspects’ guilt. Nevertheless, she likes and feels protective of them. Suddenly, Officer Gray arrives at Julia’s house to tell her that Marshall died from an allergic reaction to bird dander. Vera is disappointed and wonders about Marshall’s marked face and flash drive. She is certain that the police are wrong.

Riki is relieved to learn that Marshall died of a natural cause. He leaves Julia’s house with Sana, and as they talk, they realize they live relatively close to each other. She says her rent is paid by her mother, Priya Singh, a famous, wealthy writer. She talks about the difficulty of being raised by a successful person, as Priya tells her to “get over” her inability to run her podcast. As they talk, Riki begins to doubt that Sana is a podcaster and thinks she is hiding something about her relationship with Marshall. The pair receive texts from Vera saying that while Marshall died to an allergy to ducks, they should come by for tea anyway.

Sana stares at the blank canvas in front of her, unable to paint again. Priya has always bragged about how creative Sana is to come off as open and supportive. However, Sana dropped out of art school and can no longer create. Priya calls and asks how her art is going, reminding her that there is no such thing as a creative block. Sana meekly agrees but knows her mother is wrong: She is blocked by Marshall. Upon hanging up, she realizes she needs closure for what he stole from her. To do so, Sana needs to return to Julia’s house.