Despite the fact that helene could've just claimed a random whatever key instead of that one VERY SPECIFIC ONE that the entire plan hinged on her suggesting

Yeah, except (1) she had to suggest that specific key since it was the only other key that had the proper apartment number engraved on it (although that was a detail added after the initial release), but even in the original version they were still 'special keys' so it had to be some key from the apartment complex, and (2) even if she didn't have to suggest that specific key for the true solution for Oberon's murder, she had to suggest that specific key when she goes "hey look a 3rd key, what if it was used for Oberon's murder?" when they start discussing Regina's murder.

Yeah but since she'd figured out that Henry was the killer at that point couldn't she have suggested he made a duplicate at some point? He was plant sitting after all...

Then again my memory of this particular section has become a bit wonky so iunno

Again, even if Helene didn't (or didn't need to) mention that specific key after solving the crime, she still mentions it near the beginning of the solve-Regina's-murder segment.

Once she mentions it there, the trap has sprung; what happens in the rest of the trial doesn't matter. (Well, once she solves Regina's murder, at least.)

But what if she'd figured out the possible solution before the question of motive even arose?

(Just to be clear i'm kind of fuckin' around here, i still love the case and I'm pretty sure I'm wasting time but y'know)

(im being salty okay)

(you findin my many many plotholes and shit)

Then she gets away.

The case is premised on "heads I win, tails you lose"... but there's still that slim chance of the coin landing on its side

(I'm not just making this up on the spot, that actually is how we referred to this possibility during planning)


In reality, if Helene figured it out before the motive came up at all, Henry would've asked her where the third key came from, since it couldn't have simply been forged. Helene would've had no choice but to present the key from Regina's murder--but that doesn't go anywhere unless Regina's murder had been solved. So at that point, Henry would've tried to pin Regina's murder on Helene or something, and get her to solve it, which would get things to still work out as they did. But Helene could just as easily go "I was on trial for Oberon's murder, and I proved myself not guilty. Cya," in which case she gets away.