Audiences Finally Get Answers In Only Murders In The Building Finale, But Not To Everything
Only Murders in the Building finally gave audiences answers to the latest case! Let’s break down the season finale of everyone’s favorite true-crime comedy.
After the bombshell reveal that the film's screenwriter, Marshall (Jin Ha) — who’s actually named Rex — murdered Sazz and stole her script for the podcast film adaptation, Oliver and Charles must race to save Mabel from him. Yes, the screenwriter plagued by imposter syndrome has been the killer all along.
Mabel is held hostage by Rex in Dudenoff’s apartment. He holds her at gunpoint, warning Charles and Oliver that he’ll kill her if they try anything. Too bad — love conquers all. Steve Martin and Martin Short’s comedic chemistry reaches new heights — literally — as the two walk (or dance) across a thin ledge to reach Selena Gomez’s Mabel. Now that the crew is reunited, it’s up to them to get answers from Rex.
Mabel discovered that Rex was once Sazz's protégé after she took him in and gave him a shot as a stunt double. Rex was a struggling writer, down on his luck, but Sazz believed he could be more. Unfortunately, Rex blew his chance after getting fired from Ron Howard’s movie. Still, Sazz didn’t turn her back on him. She offered to read his scripts and even let him read the only one she ever wrote — or ever would write: Only Murders in the Building: The Film.
Rex took advantage of Sazz’s writing talent, stealing her script, putting his fake name on it, and getting it greenlit by Bev Melon. When Sazz found out, she threatened to tell everyone: Charles, Mabel, Oliver, even Melon. Rex couldn’t let her take away his big break, so he took hers away. He shot Sazz from Dudenoff’s apartment, a place he knew about because of Sazz’s original script. Afterward, Rex climbed through Charles’s window, and disposed of her body in the incinerator.
With the walls closing in on Rex, he tries to kill the team — and almost succeeds. However, someone kills him first. As Rex plummets to the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest, the trio sees Jan standing in Charles’s apartment, elated and holding a rifle. She’s been hiding there this whole time? Trust me, the trio was just as shocked as we are. Amy Ryan’s chaotic return this season was entertaining, but her involvement in such a pivotal moment of the finale felt a bit too random.
With the case closed, Loretta and Oliver’s wedding can finally take place. The two tie the knot in the Arconia’s courtyard. Audiences then say goodbye to Loretta, who jets off to New Zealand for her next television show. Will Meryl Streep return for another season? It seems likely, now that her character is more connected to the team than ever.
Even though Rex has died, the film will live on. Charles ensures that the project continues with Melon and the actors still attached. He’s determined to honor Sazz’s memory through her final project. It’s a moving scene as audiences watch Charles say goodbye to his best friend. But Jane Lynch’s Sazz will live on —within the pages of her film and in the hearts of the team.
There’s only one problem with Rex being the killer: a load of unanswered questions. Who placed the hidden cameras in the team’s apartments? Who poisoned the dog in season one? Eugene Levy hinted that someone has been after the crew since the beginning, which clearly isn’t Rex. It’s disappointing that so many questions remain unanswered in this finale, but perhaps they’re being saved for season five. A strange encounter with a woman presents the gang with a new mystery — the disappearance of her husband Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio, Brooklyn’s dry-cleaning king. His disappearance seems tied to the mafia and his wife’s behavior is suspicious. The team initially turs down her proposal, given that this murder didn’t happen in the building, but it’s likely this mystery will be central to season five.
Speaking of a fifth season, it wouldn’t be an Only Murders in the Building finale without a new murder victim. Sweet, loyal doorman Lester is tragically found dead in the Arconia’s courtyard, bleeding out in the fountain. It’s even more heartbreaking when you remember that Lester once told Charles he was married right there in that courtyard, beside that very fountain. Lester has been a constant presence in every season, so his sudden murder is sure to leave the team determined to solve his case. We’ll just have to wait and see what the trio uncovers when Only Murders in the Building returns for season five.
Stream all four seasons of Only Murders In The Building on Hulu.
