Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Review: A More Personal Case Reminds Us Why We Love This Show

Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Reviews Are In - Does It Hold Up To Previous Seasons?

Summary

Murder mystery fans, rejoice! It’s just about time to return to the Arconia for another twisty season ofOnly Murders in the Building. After three seasons of podcast hijinks that, admittedly, began to feel increasingly routine, the hit Hulu comedy switches things up with an even more star-studded and personal season 4. I’m seven episodes into the latest case, and I’m happy to report that after a familiar (yet still enjoyable) season 3,Only Murders in the Buildinghas rediscovered its creative spark.

Cast

To recap:Only Murders in the Buildingseason 3 endedwith a two-punch twist. A person strongly resembling Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) entered the former television actor’s apartment and was shot by an unseen sniper. However, the victim was revealed to be Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles' longtime stunt double and friend. The stage is set for Charles, Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) to dive right into this new mystery, but from episode 1, the new season provides plenty of twists that make Sazz’s fate far more complicated.

Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Is Its Most Personal Mystery Yet

This gives the show a renewed sense of urgency

On top of the underlying mystery, the Arconia trio is dealing with something they’ve never faced before: Hollywood. Paramount wants to make the titular podcast into a movie, and they’ve already lined up actors to portray the three main characters. Playing fictional versions of themselves, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Zach Galifianakis shadow Charles, Mabel, and Oliver as they dig into what happened to Sazz, which just might have deeper ties to the Arconia and the trio than anyone could’ve guessed.

Lynch’s Sazz has been a recurring character throughout the show’s run, and it smartly keeps her around now. As Charles digs deeper into the mystery, he also has to dig into his friendship with Sazz, only to realize that it was perhaps more one-sided than he had realized.

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 poster

Initially, the movie plotline is more silly than substantial, butthe true strength of it comes through in the season’s character work. The actors become mirrors for the trio, and so Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are forced to confront their deepest insecurities. Charles pushes back against the assertion that he’s the least fun person in the group, while Mabel, currently homeless, is trying to work out her place in the world. For his part, Oliver is forced to get vulnerable in his personal life with now-long distance girlfriend Loretta (Meryl Streep).

These character-driven threads are only enhanced by the series' latest mystery, a murder that proves to be the most personal and emotional case yet. Lynch’s Sazz has been a recurring character throughout the show’s run, and it smartly keeps her around now. As Charles digs deeper into the mystery, he also has to dig into his friendship with Sazz, only to realize it was perhaps more one-sided than he had realized. In fleshing out that dynamic,Only Murders in the Buildingtakes on a heightened sense of urgency, purely because we also care about Sazz.

With season 3, it seemed likeOnly Murders in the Buildinghad falleninto a familiar formula wherein every episode ended with a new suspect who would be swiftly debunked the following week. Season 4 manages to mostly avoid this by opening up a wider mystery within the Arconia. The trio is led to the West Tower, where several eclectic residents are hiding plenty of secrets of their own. Perhaps the most refreshing part of this plotline is the waythe Arconia, a building we’ve come to love and know quite well, transforms into a more mysterious and unsettling place.

Only Murders Season 4 Is Stuffed With Major Actors

But the focus remains on the central trio

That concept — the Arconia no longer feeling quite so secure — might seem like a foregone conclusion since several murders have taken place there, butthe show still manages to up the suspense with a chilling sequence that caps off episode 6and spinsOnly Murdersinto its starriest installment yet. Season 4 is packed to the brim with big-name actors. Even beyond the ones already named, newcomers to the cast include Richard Kind, Kumail Nanjiani, Melissa McCarthy, and Molly Shannon. That’s not even getting to the names I’m not allowed to mention here.

Returning cast members also include Michael Cyril Creighton and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

As a result,Only Murders in the Buildingdoes run the risk of relying too much on cameos, giving the impression of a Marvel movie rather than a grounded murder mystery. Overall, though, the fun guest actors don’t overstay their welcome, playing roles that fit like puzzle pieces in the overarching narrative surrounding Oliver, Mabel, and Charles. The entire cast brings their A-game to the season, particularly when it comes to the performers playing themselves. Longoria is particularly funny, and Galifianakis proves to be a good sport, willing to poke fun at himself.

At the end of the day, though,Only Murders in the Buildingremains the story of three unlikely friends solving murders. I’ve said it in every other review I’ve written about this show, butthe chemistry between Short, Martin, and Gomez remains a highlight. Nothing is more entertaining than watching the three bounce off each other, and after four seasons, it’s clear the performers have really found their groove.

It’s hard to say howOnly Murders in the Buildingseason 4will end, but I feel encouraged by what I’ve seen so far. With a far more personal case in play, a wide-ranging cast of colorful personalities, and genuinely satisfying twists interspersed throughout, the Hulu show’s latest episodes are a return to form. Whether this will be its last remains to be seen, but the creative team have set themselves up for a thrilling conclusion either way. Here’s hoping it follows through.

Only Murders in the Buildingseason 4 premieres Tuesday, August 27 on Hulu with its first episode. Subsequent episodes are released weekly on Tuesdays.