REVIEW: ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 4 Tackles The Most Personal Mystery Yet

Season three ended with the bang that took Sazz Pataki’s (Jane Lynch, Space Force) life. But was the bullet meant for her or Charles (Steve Martin)? With the lookalike shot in his apartment, no one can be sure. A setup like that has Only Murders in the Building Season 4 primed for a new mystery that has the potential to pull Charles, Oliver (Martin Short, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) deeper into this new mystery than ever before. Based on the first seven episodes, long-time fans are unprepared for how far this latest mystery will go.

One of the biggest traps TV series fall into is the need to go bigger. Each season desperately tries to outdo the previous ones till the weight of narrative and concept brings the whole thing down. Only Murders in the Building Season 4 manages to expand on so much of what the series does while avoiding this classic pitfall. The way it brings in more characters, locations, and twists without losing sight of what made the first three seasons great is nothing short of storytelling genius.

While Sazz’s murder takes center stage for season four, a significant portion of the season revolves around a movie studio’s plans to adapt the Only Murders in the Building podcast into a movie. This introduces loads of new characters, some of whom quickly become suspects, and it is a convenient opportunity to have more stars show up as themselves. Cast as the movie versions of our beloved podcasters are Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, respectively.

Many of the season’s comedic highlights come from how the core trio interacts with their onscreen counterparts. Galifianakis clashes with Oliver’s “shallowness,” and Mabel struggles with Longoria as she insists on helping with the unfolding investigation. Levy and Charles also play off each other well, as they both bring a dryness to the show’s humor.

While the trio set to play our heroes on the silver screen would comprise an impressive set of guests for Only Murders in the Building Season 4, the big-name appearances don’t stop with them. While many are too fun to spoil, I will say that we get to see Meryl Streep (Don’t Look Up) reprise her role as Oliver’s love interest, Loretta Durkin. This season lets the acclaimed actress flex an even wider range of emotions as her relationship with Oliver lands her in some surprising circumstances.

But at the core of the cast is our leading trio. Short, Gomez, and Martin continue to be fabulous together. After how much time the stars spent on the outs with each other last season, it’s refreshing to see them in sync again. While all three deliver strong performances, this season truly belongs to Martin.

As one would expect, Sazz’s death hits Charles particularly hard. As evidence and new clues come to light about what Sazz was up to in the time leading up to her death, her demise only comes to weigh ever more heavily on Charles. Martin’s performance portrays these deeply painful emotions through a character that has always struggled with emotions skillfully. The actor allows the comedic elements of the series to blend in with the painful moments, allowing both to coexist within a moment while not ruining each other.

Now, let’s talk about the plot. Only Murders in the Building Season 4 does its best job yet of obfuscating the who, the what, the why, and the why now of its latest murder. The shifting suspicions of each individual or group keep the audience trying to look at every clue and hint they can in hopes of cracking the case themselves.

This season also creates more significant stakes by calling back to previous seasons’ events. Several moments from the series’ past are revisited and brought into a new context by this season’s events. This gives the mystery a greater sense of scale as it looks into the past to move its plot forward.

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 delivers the best seven episodes of the series to date. Thanks to the show’s ability to pack more of everything into its episodes without losing sight of its core, Only Murders in the Building Season 4 makes something that is not only bigger than what came before it but also better.

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 premieres on Hulu on August 27th, and new episodes air on Tuesdays.