Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Is Off To A Glitzy, Glamorous, and Deadly Start
Everyone’s favorite deadly comedy is back! Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin return as Mabel, Charles, and Oliver fresh off the success of solving the season three murder mystery. Let’s break down the spectacular return of Only Murders in the Building season four.
The episode picks up just minutes after the shocking end of season three, where Charles’s longtime stunt double, Sazz, played by Jane Lynch, was shot and killed in his apartment. The suspense was deadly as Charles, Mabel, and Oliver arrive at the apartment, but don’t find a body. Shockingly, the spot in the kitchen where audiences saw Sazz take her last breath is now empty. Mabel notices fresh, peculiar red stains splattered across the kitchen, but brushes it off as wine that must have spilled. The group doesn’t worry about Sazz’s absence just yet, but soon enough, all the strange clues will start to align.
After receiving persistent emails from Hollywood producer Bev Melon, played by Molly Shannon, the trio flies to California to learn about Melon’s film adaptation of their podcast. Shannon plays a hilariously over-the-top Los Angeles producer who is hell-bent on getting the life rights of Mabel, Oliver, and Charles. While Oliver and Charles are in, Mabel isn’t completely on board. As Charles receives text messages from his old buddy Sazz, he can’t help but wonder why his suspicions are raised. The group goes on a classic Hollywood tour in a limo and audiences are treated to an adorable montage as the trio enjoys the glitz, glamour, and In-N-Out’s of Los Angeles. The fun dies quickly when the group tries to visit Sazz and her apartment is abandoned. Charles starts to worry if his friend is okay.
Three major Hollywood A-listers not enough for you? Don’t worry! Season four brings back Meryl Streep as Loretta, along with a ton of new Hollywood guest stars. Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy, and Eva Longoria join the cast as themselves playing the film versions of Oliver, Charles, and Mabel. Melon throws a glamorous party in honor of the upcoming Only Murders In The Building film and hopes to convince Mabel to sign her contract. At this party, our trio meets the film versions of themselves. Levy is a Charles fanatic, but all Charles can focus on is finding Sazz. Longoria will play Mabel, and she gives Mabel some advice to take the money from Melon and make something of her life. Hilariously, Oliver has no clue who Galifianakis is which leads to Galifianakis hating him. Meanwhile, Streep’s Loretta is now network television star. She and Oliver lovingly reunite, but the energy is off between the two. Will their romance be the next victim in season four?
As the party continues, Charles grows increasingly worried about Sazz, who, according to the texts she just sent him, is apparently filming with Scott Bakula. However, Bakula guest stars as himself and tells Charles he is also looking for Sazz, who never showed up to set. Right then, Charles gets an alarming phone call from the maintenance man at his apartment apologizing for not fixing the bullet hole sooner. Charles has no clue what he’s talking about, but he and Mabel start to piece together the terrible news. Mabel, Charles, and Oliver race back to New York City where they enlist their neighbor, Howard Morris (played by Michael Cyril Creighton) and his new dog which is appropriately named Grave-y, given that it’s a retired cadaver dog. Grave-y sniffs out a clue which leads our group to the building’s incinerator, where they find a metal shoulder joint that belonged to Sazz amongst a pile of ash. Right then, Sazz texts Charles, revealing that it was never Sazz texting him this entire episode. Who is on the other side of the phone? Only time will tell.
Since season one, this show has been a must-watch for true crime podcast fanatics, and season four might kick off the best mystery yet. The first episode subverts audience expectations when Sazz’s body goes missing, making the end of the episode pay off on an unsettling yet intriguing note. With Charles as the intended target of the crime, there’s a personal stake in the game that makes this season’s mystery even more crucial for the gang to unravel. Levy, Galifianakis, and Longoria make the perfect complement to Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. It seems that they will not only play an important role in the podcast film adaptation but perhaps also in the murder investigation.
Only Murders In The Building is back with new episodes on Hulu every Tuesday. Bookmark Pop Culture Planet to stay up to date with our weekly coverage of season four and chilling theories on this whodunnit.
