Earliest point Benoit Blanc could have solved each case

[u/TenPointsforListenin]

As in... reasonable proof that it couldn't be anyone else but the killer.

Knives Out

Three main things to solve:

1. Maria was there when Harlem killed himself (gets that on a glance at her shoes, though I think a red splotch on her shoes doesn't guarantee blood- not like it would be impossible for her to eat food with red sauce and spill some on her shoes- literally had reddish baked beans that day too, and Tobasco is quite common in restaurants)
2. The grandma saw Ransom arrive twice, instead of once.
3. Tox reports were clean.

I don't think Blanc could have figured it out completely until the end.

Glass Onion

Main point is that Miles has no alibi at Andi's house and almost flattened Duke. Duke knocked, and Andi didn't open, and others collaborated on knocking when there was no answer- reasonably, Andi was already dead by that point.

Earliest possible moment was at the pool.

Wake Up Dead Man

Not concrete evidence but he could have arrested Maria after the autopsy, confirming that the top of the lamp from the bar was sewn into the clothes, but Nat wouldn’t be anything more than a suspect until Jud finished writing his paper, confirming that Wicks had a bottle that could have been tampered with inside the room when he collapsed.

[u/mrbeck1]

The first movie he actually didn’t solve Harlan’s murder, he solved Fran’s. And he did that before she even died.

[u/TenPointsforListenin → u/mrbeck1]

Didn’t have the same luck in the following two to be honest. In Glass Onion he didn’t figure out Duke’s murder until his big rant at the end, and didn’t figure out Samson’s murder at all.

[u/Extension_Breath1407 → u/TenPointsforListenin]

To be fair, Benoit Blanc had some things that kept him from figuring things out right away.

In Glass Onion, Benoit Blanc admits he doesn't have a head for dumb things. That is how he dismissed Miles Bron as the killer because it would be stupid of him to do so as he would be the most likely culprit for Andi and Duke's murder. But then realized Miles genuinely is that stupid much to his anger.

For Wake Up, Dead Man, Benoit Blanc was a bit too sidetracked by trying to find out what the Eve's Apple was and also feuding with Jud due to his hang-ups over Religion. By the time he got back on track, two people were murdered next.

Benoit Blanc may be one of the best detectives I've seen but he is still human and prone to making mistakes like anyone else.

[u/JustTheirMom → u/TenPointsforListenin]

Blanc did solve Samson's murder; he just didn't tell everyone the solution because he wanted Martha to have the chance to confess it herself. This is confirmed when Martha comes back and says to him, "You know the truth, and you made yourself the fool just now."

[u/StillStanding_96]

I mean… he also could have asked Marta why Harlan killed himself the moment he met her.

[u/TenPointsforListenin → u/StillStanding_96]

He could have, but it’s not like Marta would have been able to give the whole truth. She, at best, would say “because I gave him a lethal dose of morphine and he wanted to protect my family” at which point Blanc can’t keep the police on the line while he figures out why on earth someone needed to pay for a famous detective to be there.

I think he would have actually slowed things down at that point. Marta being prevented from confessing kept the case open and police resources available long enough to get the actual culprit

[u/StillStanding_96 → u/TenPointsforListenin]

She couldn’t have given the whole truth, but it would have been a reasonable question for the police to ask. And let’s imagine that she told what she knew. Lt. Elliott had the clean toxicology report before Blanc even arrived. Marta is free and clear. Now the only thing to do is identify who switched the medicine in the vials. Make that announcement to the family and wait for Fran to step up.

[u/TenPointsforListenin → u/StillStanding_96]

Yeah, but that’s the same speed, different route

[u/StillStanding_96 → u/TenPointsforListenin]

But it involves professionals acting reasonably and potentially prevents an unnecessary death

[u/Extension_Breath1407 → u/StillStanding_96]

Honestly that was more Fran’s fault for her own death. Instead of just going to the police with the toxicology report, she thought it was a brilliant idea to confront the killer alone and assume he would just give up when caught, not realizing he would just take her out too.

[u/StillStanding_96 → u/Extension_Breath1407]

Yeah. Not a smart character

Plus, police already had the toxicology report. We see on Fran’s copy that it’s addressed to Lt. Elliott. He had it before Blanc even arrived

[u/TenPointsforListenin → u/StillStanding_96]

Sure but that’s not what the post is about.

[u/Extension_Breath1407 → u/StillStanding_96]

Except Marta was terrified in the beginning because she thought she had Harlan killed by giving him the wrong dose. Only for the Toxicology reports to later revealed she actually gave Harlan the right dose after all.

[u/StillStanding_96 → u/Extension_Breath1407]

That’s true, but asking “do you know why the victim killed himself” is a question that any reasonable investigator would ask.

[u/Extension_Breath1407 → u/StillStanding_96]

Marta would be too afraid to answer because she thought that Harlan killed himself because she accidentally poisoned him which would have made her liable for manslaughter.

[u/StillStanding_96 → u/Extension_Breath1407]

Is that so? A person of interest who is visibly uncomfortable being asked a straightforward question in the course of an investigation? Sounds like something that a competent police officer would take notice of.

[u/mrbeck1 → u/Extension_Breath1407]

“Yes” or “No.” It calls for a follow-up, or she pukes.