ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING – Season Four

The fourth season of Only Murders in the Building opens with a nostalgic montage of childhood home videos featuring the show’s leads. Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) are again producing their murder-mystery podcast out of Oliver’s chic apartment, but this time it’s getting the Hollywood treatment, as Paramount Pictures looks to adapt it into a feature film.

“The pictures!” Oliver bellows during the premiere, wearing an open bathrobe, his hair sticking out stark like he’s just been electrocuted. Later, the trio arrive at Paramount to meet the production team, led by Bev Melon (Molly Shannon), and the cast who’ll be playing them.

“I’m Eugene Levy!” Charles exclaims while meeting the actor set to portray him, the real-life Eugene Levy (American Pie) with his trademark caterpillar eyebrows. While Mabel seems intimidated but flattered to be played by the real-life Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Oliver is joyfully confused by the casting choice of Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) to play him. “Are you the little boy from Home Alone?” he asks, staring into Galifianakis’ heavily bearded, blue-eyed face in shock and wonder. “What did they do to you?!”

This playful exchange captures the humour and warmth which has come to define Only Murders, highlighting the clever self-referential puns that pepper the screenplay. Moments like these truly welcome viewers back to the Arconia.

However, picking up from the third season, this time the latest murder victim is Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles’ trusted stunt double and friend. Her ashes are discovered in an incinerator, and a bullet-sized hole has punctured the window of Charles’ apartment, presumably where the murder took place.

With Mabel and Oliver’s help, Charles must put on his Brazzos hat (the quirky character he played in the 1980s) to solve the case, reclaiming justice for his fallen friend. Was Sazz’s murder the result of a long-standing rivalry, a crime of passion, or was the murder intended for Charles? With no clear motives in sight, we’re left to ponder what could have driven anyone to commit such a crime. She could have been killed by anybody, and the suspects are likely just around the corner. This has been the main selling point of most murder mysteries, and those involving podcasts have been rapidly put into production these days following a similar layout.

However, the charm isn’t found in its tendency to flounder on predictable genre tropes, but it often parodies melodrama through sarcasm, tinged with comedic existentialism. This series stands out for its character development and the way it cleverly intertwines humour with mystery, but in this season it feels more personal. Regardless, the quirky situations Charles, Oliver, and Mabel find themselves in can genuinely make you laugh. And they still do… for the most part.

Meryl Streep (Manhattan) and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) return in memorable cameos, both of whom contributed so much to season 3. Streep’s performance as Loretta, an actress who had struggled for many years to find her place in theatre, now seems to have found herself basking in the Hollywood spotlight. Despite Streep’s limited appearance, some viewers may find Loretta transforming into a starlet a bit much, although she’s kept humble by her romance with Oliver.

Meanwhile, Rudd is reduced to an even smaller, though still funny, role than he had last time. And some may interpret this as a necessary evil when considering that both he and Streep were serious scene-stealers! This time around, the filmmakers may have realised how distracting an actor like Streep can be when given a little more than a bit part. Although, it’s humbling and exciting that she’s chosen to stick around. Other notable minor characters, such as Ruby Thurber (Kumail Nanjiani) and Vince Fish (Richard Kind), help to progress the plot, causing stirs here and there, while providing subtle moments of comedic relief with amusing one-liners.

In episode seven, Melissa McCarthy (The Little Mermaid) also appears as Charles’ sister Doreen, an unhappily married woman who’s got an unhealthy obsession with dolls. McCarthy delights in her brief role, delivering quips that showcase her excellent comedic timing. She even shares a playful catfight scene with Streep that’s bound to have viewers chuckling by the end of it, as Loretta and Doreen clash over Oliver, momentarily threatening his relationship.

Zach Galifianakis also has his moments as a supporting actor, injecting levity and wit in his well-timed, snappy comebacks. He’s never more entertaining than when sharing the screen with Short. But not all the side characters are delights. Longoria doesn’t add much to the story or the investigation, it must be said. Gomez as Mabel has always provided a unique perspective for the group, injecting a deadpan style that some have found necessary in harmonising alongside her eccentric septuagenarian co-podcasters. Longoria, on the other hand, provides only self-referential half-jokes, seemingly showing off celebrity narcissism to an exaggerated degree. These jokes often fall flat, making viewers glaze over rather than laugh out loud.

Out of the supporting cast, it’s Levy’s performance that comes across as wholesome, natural, and subtly funny, mirroring the balance that Mabel brings to our sleuths. Even with an impressive assembly of supporting actors, they’re limited in their contribution to the story, and some viewers may be content with their characters merely being decorative until the last few episodes. Others, though, may find it the perfect balance, as they still don’t get in the way of revealing the murderer, offering only a small contribution that’s entirely predictable near the finale. Nevertheless, gathering these talented actors elevates the series well above its competition, proving that Martin and Short need not be the only seasoned comedians bringing their best.

Additionally, in episode six, the director experiments with a found footage technique, presenting parts of the story as if they’re being pieced together from video recordings shot by the characters. While it may feel like this is merely a filmmaking indulgence, the technique is still pivotal to the season, providing a key red herring linked to Sazz’s murder. This episode also features actor-director Griffin Dunne, best known for his role as a gnarly murder-victim-slash-zombie in An American Werewolf in London (1981). His appearance here is memorable, although his role is limited.

A hallmark of the series has always been its ability to not take itself too seriously. This has its good and bad consequences. For example, a potentially major fault for some comes out of the resolution, after Sazz’s murderer is revealed, which smacks of deus ex machina. On the other hand, it’s fun to note certain details that enrich the series. The Arconia itself, where the series is set, for example, is a fictional prewar building on New York City’s Upper West Side. It’s interesting to note, and certainly not a coincidence, that one of the real-life inspirations for this fictional building was the Dakota building, where John Lennon was murdered in 1980. Where other comedies get muddled in such literary ventures and allusions, Only Murders in the Building has fun playing against itself, doing so without resorting to black comedy or slapstick. And season four offers nothing to the contrary. More of the same thing, however, may not be the worst thing in the world.

Ultimately, viewers will find the self-referential parody and metafictional adventures engaging and fun, as these techniques have proven foundational to its success. It’s still the same show it was from its first season, providing an old-school jazzy atmosphere with the aftertaste of a meet-cute, one nearly as absurdly funny and intellectually charming as a Woody Allen story set in New York City. The key word here is almost. (In fact, a comparable title from Allen’s oeuvre is his aptly titled 1993 film Manhattan Murder Mystery.) Regardless, we can still enjoy the self-referential humour, memorable performances, engaging parody, and the absurdity that keeps the series highly watchable. Hopefully, season five will offer more.

USA | 2021 | 10 EPISODES | 16:9 HD | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writers: John Hoffman, Joshua Allen Griffith, Kristin Newman, Ben Smith, Pete Swanson, Madeleine George, J.J Philbin, Ella Robinson Brooks, Rick Wiener, Kenny Schwartz, Matteo Borghese, Rob Turbovsky, Jake Schnesel & Alex Bigelow.
directors: John Hoffman, Chris Koch, Jessica Yu, Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini & Jamie Babbit
starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy & Eva Longoria.