Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0
5
Now that’s what I’m talking about, Arconiacs! Less fluff, more Mabel, Charles, and Oliver.
Our favorite murder-solving trio returned to their roots on Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 1, both figuratively and literally. And it was a blast!
Believe me, I was expecting the worst.
But I was pleasantly surprised that the feel of the Season 4 premiere recalled Only Murders in the Building Season 1.
In Season 1, camaraderie and murder-solving were the priorities for our three sleuths before all the fluff in subsequent seasons got in the way.
Oh, there were plenty of guest stars in this episode, including Meryl Streep, but they took a backseat to the main course, which is exactly where they belong.
Back to Their Roots
Whether intentional or not, the tone was set right from the start when we were treated to home movies of Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short as kids, giving us a glimpse into their roots.
While it might have seemed like a reset for the show, Mabel, Charles, and Oliver showed how far their characters had grown since they first came together as a team.
But they also realized they’re quite comfortable in their own skin.
Maybe the movie meeting in Los Angeles with Bev Melon (Molly Shannon) spurred the trio to reevaluate themselves, but it all seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek, which there was a lot of this episode.
Her individual character descriptions of the trio reminded me of Robert Downey‘s acceptance speech at this year’s Critics Choice Awards, in which he read select nasty comments critics made about him over the course of the year.
Mabel and Charles were bothered by how Bev described them. Oliver, of course, sloughed it off.
Her descriptions of Oliver weren’t as nasty as the ones for the other two, though, with Mabel’s, of course, being the worst of all.
But he did get a taste of how it felt after Zach Galifianakis told him at the party later how he planned on playing Oliver:
Zach : I kind of have a risky take on how to play your character.
I was thinking about playing him talented, successful, completely aware that it’s the year 2024.
It knocked Oliver’s ego down a notch or two, which he totally deserved.
And then Loretta showed up.
Ride Off Into the Sunset
Oliver surprised me when he wouldn’t commit to Loretta.
She asked him to move to Los Angeles to be with her now that his Death Rattle Dazzle musical was dead in the water. And other than the movie and the podcast, he really had nothing going for him.
Even before he knew another murder was waiting to be solved or that Mabel would commit to the movie, he hesitated. Not because he isn’t madly in love with Loretta. He is.
But he’s not ready to give up Mabel and Charles, podcast or not, even if he didn’t say so. He actually put them and their feelings ahead of his own. I’m impressed.
This isn’t to say that in the back of his mind, he’s not keeping open the prospect of living happily ever after with Loretta.
But considering how the rest of the episode turned out, it seems that the romance between Loretta and Oliver might ride off into the sunset. I can’t say I’m sad about it.
Of course, there’s the possibility that he didn’t commit because he didn’t want to live with a woman who was more successful than him, which would be exactly how the old Oliver would think.
But I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one because my initial assessment of the situation feels more on point.
Mabel Shows Who’s Boss on Only Murders in the Building
Words sting. And Bev’s description of Mabel hit hard.
She left the meeting before a deal was made to reflect on what Bev said.
Bev: And Mabel, with your traumatized, homeless, jobless, mumbling millennium charm, stuck between these two old dudes…
Mabel didn’t want to be that person and didn’t want that version of Mabel to be forever sealed on celluloid by signing away her “life rights” to the film.
But do we really need to change who we are at our core or question the choices we make in our lives to please other people, become a trending sensation, or the most popular kid on the block?
It’s a question Mabel will need to consider as she works to figure out how to get “unstuck.”
It was even worse after she learned Eva Longoria would play her in the film.
Of course, Longoria is the complete opposite of Mabel — a mirror reflection of who she could be if she wanted to be what other people think she should be.
Mabel questioned why they “aged her up” for the film and was taken aback when Longoria told her that a focus group found the age gap between Mabel, Oliver, and Charles “creepy.”
Once again, it goes back to people questioning Mabel’s choices.
Later, when Longoria tells Mabel the script made her look “like a sad sack,” it added more fuel to the fire.
Mabel was holding out, resisting Oliver’s pressure to sign the deal, but after her conversation with Eva, she finally showed everyone who’s boss.
Eva suggested “milking” the studio for all she could get to live out her dreams. And it appears that Mabel did exactly that.
Bev was caught off guard when Mabel handed her that little slip of paper. She didn’t expect Mabel to have the balls to ask for whatever figure she asked for that prompted the screenwriter to respond with an “Oh, f**k.”
Good for her.
Not that money is the key to happiness, which hopefully she’ll learn later, but Mabel definitely knows her life is worth something more than superstars and Hollywood.
The Unfun Uncle
We already knew that the team would somehow discover that Sazz might no longer be a part of this world, but it was a deliciously slow tease before they found out the truth.
Charles couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
But Oliver was making him feel exactly like the “unfun uncle” Bev described earlier because he was obsessed and worried about Sazz instead of focused on their Hollywood breakthrough.
Eugene Levy, who would play Charles in the movie, didn’t help dissipate the “unfun uncle” label, either.
Levy: Well, at our age, no one is really totally fun, are we? You know what everyone’s got now? Sepsis.
I chuckled at that because isn’t that how the conversation always ends up with our older friends and family members?
Charles didn’t like that reflection of himself, but we are who we are. This goes back to the theme of whether we should have to change who we are to make other people happy.
It also proves the point that Mabel is the best part of Only Murders in the Building.
As the much younger member of the team, she isn’t embarrassed that she has something in common with two older gentlemen. She isn’t embarrassed about their friendship.
And she isn’t embarrassed about the respect she shows both of them, despite their quirks.
There’s a Murder to Solve!
The fun of Hollywood didn’t last long for Mabel, Charles, and Oliver.
It was fitting that it was Charles who spoiled it just as they were about to celebrate their movie deal.
But by coming together once again as a team, they showed how much they value their friendship and their shared goal of solving mysteries (and murder), even if it only involves a friend they have in common.
That trumps a Hollywood movie any day.
The team didn’t hesitate to jump right in to solve the mystery of Sazz’s disappearance. And after Lester called, they promptly flew back to New York to investigate.
The way the show set us up for the murder of the season with the intercutting of the film Once Upon A Time in the West and our trio (and Howard, too!) discovering the truth about Sazz was perfectly executed.
It was quite intense, with nothing but music and visuals. I don’t know about you guys, but that entire scene gave me goosebumps.
It was a chilling, several-minute thrill ride that makes me wish Only Murders Season 4 Episode 2 would drop tomorrow. I can’t wait!
Who Doesn’t Love Grave-y?
One final point about this episode is how much Howard adds to the fun of Only Murders in the Building. I absolutely love him.
His banter and quirkiness fit perfectly with the team, and with the addition of Grave-y, the cadaver dog, there’s no reason he can’t be a permanent part of the Only Murders in the Building podcast.
Howard: Sevelyn loves her. They sleep in bed, right on top of each other.
Mabel: So, Sevelyn’s covered in Grave-y?
Howard: Yes, and I eat them both up!
Forget Animal Jobs, though that would be interesting; just give us more Howard!
Who Killed Sazz?
I thought it would be fun for us TV Fanatics to try to solve the mystery with our favorite mystery-solving trio as we progress through this season.
For clues to Sazz’s murder, we have to start at Only Murders in the Building, Season 3, Episode 10.
So, let’s break them down.
- Sazz said she had copies of all of Charles’ keys.
- Charles got a text from Joy saying, “Scott Bakula says hello,” before Sazz went upstairs to get the Malbec.
- Everyone thought Charles was getting the Malbec and was surprised when he popped back in without the wine. We know that he didn’t disappear to discuss the “sensitive” information Sazz wanted to talk to him about. So, where was he?
- Sazz was shot from the outside. So there had to be another person involved in the shooting, one to monitor Charles’ movements and one to take the shot. And the person who was monitoring his movements had to be at the party, right?
Clues from this episode include the papers and notes on Sazz’s desk, the incinerator full of Sazz’s ashes, and texts from the fake Sazz, which means the killer has her phone. Am I missing any?
It’s your turn, Arconiacs.
Who has it out for Charles?
Is the pile of ash in the incinerator really Sazz, or is the Bulgarian joint just a red herring?
Who’s at the top of your suspect list and why?
Put your sleuthing skills to work in the comments section below! And be sure to let us know if Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 1 met your expectations.
