Only Murders in the Building Season Four Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 7 episodes of Only Murders in the Building Season 4. The first episode premieres tomorrow on Disney+ in Canada and Hulu in the US

The murderous adventures of our trio of podcasters have captivated viewers for three seasons, offering plenty of tension and laughs as the unlikely team solve murders that always seem to fall in their laps. Bonding over their love of murder mystery podcasts, the dynamic of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel has been an absolute blast to watch (thanks to the unbelievable chemistry of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez). However, as the series has moved away from the murder mysteries and dived more into the characters themselves, it has gone to an even higher level. While solving murders and recording podcasts may be fun, there is more to life, but for Charles and Oliver, it’s what they had. Defined by the podcast for so long, maybe that was it. Though as Oliver had Loretta, and Mabel’s time at the Arconia was coming to an end, our group looked to be going their separate ways. In the end, what better than another murder to bring them back together for another murder mystery and another season of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s podcast? Now in its fourth season, there are still mysteries within the Arconia and with Hollywood calling, their investigation would only get more complicated.

The season three finale foreshadowed the next murder victim as Sazz Patacki, dressed in Brazos garb, found herself taken out by a sniper bullet that was presumably meant for Charles, but was it? Picking up things up from the night of the Death Rattle post opening night party, it was like virtually nothing had happened. As Charles worried about his best friend and Mabel, with no place to live, begrudgingly living with Oliver, they were sent a letter from a Hollywood studio looking to option their podcast into a movie. A contentious issue, at least between Oliver and Mabel, the film was the latest venture for him to latch on to in his constant pursuit of fame and notoriety while she wasn’t so sure about putting her life out there for everyone to see. Flying to LA and taking a meeting with the studio, the trio learned that the film was much different, portraying them in a different light, and further along than they had anticipated. Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria had already been cast as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel respectively. The last hurdle was for them to sign over their life rights. Meanwhile, their trip garnered new evidence on Sazz’s whereabouts, leading to a grim discovery back home at the Arconia.

Consumed by guilt and a bit of anxiety, Charles took a step back as the investigation as he had his own demons to contend with. This left the others to investigate the mysterious Arconia West Tower. The contrast between the East Tower, where the series has taken plus thus far, and the West Tower couldn’t be more evident. Not affording its residents the same amenities as the East Tower, it makes sense that there would be some resentment there. Whether that was truly the case was not clear, as the residents within eyeshot of Charles’ apartment window were certainly not letting that on. It was a different world at the West Tower and seeing that other side made for a compelling watch as it was clear there was more to that story. The key was to put all those pieces together before it was too late. Adding to that complication was Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s Hollywood counterparts showing up to shadow them to help them get into their characters for the movie. Offering yet another fun contrast, playing the actors off of their inspirations resulted in some fun moments as their interpretations didn’t necessarily match who they were playing which in and of itself created some fun moments.

As the trio’s investigation continued, the story continued to create doubt as the answer to who was really the target became less clear. Throwing in the kind of twists and turns that the series is known for, it became far less simple as the suspect list grew. Approaching Sazz’s murder from multiple fronts, while being open to the chance that she was not the target, one thing for sure was that everything was connected, and not just the events of this season. However, the full extent of that connection remains to be seen. Making Levy, Galifianakis, and Longoria more than just glorified cameos, and having them involved in the investigation, created an interesting dynamic alongside Charles, Oliver, and Mabel as the actors brought a different perspective to the table, proving to be assets rather than obstacles. Making some real headway through seven episodes, there is still plenty left to reveal as all the moving pieces are on the precipice of coming together. That being said, there are still a few questions that still need to be answered and those mostly revolve around what is going on (and who is) at the top. Also, will the movie even be made?

As always, the writing continues to be on point. Finding a way to respect the ‘in the building’ part of the title while taking some side trips to Hollywood, the season strikes the right balance as it goes beyond the standard murder mystery that defined the previous three seasons. Moving at a decent pace, bouncing between all of its moving pieces, some viewers may find it a bit much and in there being a lot, perhaps not everything gets the attention that some may have wanted. All that aside, delivering a season full of tension and bouts of strong humor, it works because of the tested dynamic of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. The series has become more about the three characters than the season’s murder mystery and is all the better because of it. The three are a blast to watch as they keep developing their characters. The writing goes a long way in making that happen.

The dialog hits but that’s because of the actors who deliver it. Martin, Short, and Gomez are beyond reproach, while Levy, Galifianakis, and Longoria are hilarious as exaggerated versions of themselves. Part commentary on the movie industry as a whole, their chemistry with our three leads also made them a blast to watch and the point the season was trying to make through their contrasting dynamic work. The head of the movie industry commentary was a scene-stealing Molly Shannon as a studio executive. Also, the returning Meryl Streep keeps shining as Loretta, whose blossoming career in Hollywood put her relationship with Oliver to the test. When it comes to guest stars, there are much more where that came from though without giving anything away, they were nice surprises that fit in seamlessly.

At the end of the day, the latest season of Only Murders in the Building takes the series to new heights, taking a detour in Hollywood as it comes full circle.

still courtesy of Hulu

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.