“Only Murders in the Building” just revealed its season four killer – or did it?

Only murders in the building he just gave us one of his best episodes ever, with a near-perfect mix of humor, emotional reward, and murder mystery. We even learned the identity of the killer!

Or us?

Of course, there are spoilers.

Only murders in the building season four was great, and I’d argue it’s truly the best since season 1. In some ways it’s even better, if only because we benefit greatly in terms of character development and various satisfying interplay between the main cast. Nowhere is this more evident than in this week’s scenes between Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short).

Two old men and their guardian

He and Mabel (Selena Gomez) search for clues when they discover that the director of Project Ronkonkoma was none other than the legendary Ron Howard. Oliver, of course, claims to be friends with Howard and tells the story of their first meeting at a Chinese restaurant in 1988, where they shared noodles and laughed together. So the three of them go to the set of Howard’s latest film and bypass security by posing as supporting actors on the set. The assistant director actually recognizes Charles from his cop days as Brazzos. “You’re working in the background now?” – says the man, clearly disappointed. This is the perfect way for someone to finally recognize Charles as a star, because it’s the last way Charles would ever want to be recognized.

Mabel heads to the hospital to visit Stubbins when the nurse calls and tells them he’s awake, and Charles and Oliver put on their spandex loafers and go to film a scene. This works out quite well when Oliver goes off script and Charles loses his temper and delivers an exasperated monologue that’s among the best in the series. This gives them both a boost and they get into the game just as it’s announced that Ron Howard will personally thank all the extras for their hard work.

The pair go to a Chinese restaurant where photos of Oliver and Ron Howard decorate the wall of fame, although not quite side by side. It’s here that we have perhaps the single best scene of true affection between these two men. It’s both a sweet scene in the show and something a little deeper, a “meta” celebration of Steve Martin and Martin Short’s enduring friendship. Charles even moves Oliver’s photo so that he is directly next to Ron Howard.

At this moment the man himself appears. This is a great moment. Earlier, when the director throws them off the set, we never see his face, only hear his voice, and the audience thinks that this is the end of Ron Howard’s episode (and that Oliver’s fairy tale is just that and nothing more). However, this show loves fakes, and Howard not only shows up for Chinese food, but also remembers Oliver and their goofy time together. They ask him about the movie and what happened to Sazz’s stunt protégé (Jane Lynch). They’ve already learned that Glen Stubbins (Paul Rudd) only took over as the stunt double for this movie after the original stunt double was fired. Discovering who he took over for could be crucial to figuring out who the killer is – after all, they would have a motive to kill both Sazz and Stubbins.

Speaking of which, Stubbins is murdered in his hospital bed, although no one yet realizes that the murder took place in the hospital. The nurse claims he only called her and his emergency contact: Sazz Pataki. He reveals that the second line was answered by a man. Whoever has his phone is almost certainly a killer.

Mabel visits Marshall (Jin Ha), the film’s writer Only murders in the building movie at Arconia to discuss the script and the murders, and when she went to get a beer, I knew we were about to find out something big. When the trio tried to visit Stubbins at the beginning of the episode, Charles was carrying a case of beer and Oliver revealed that Sazz had left it in Arconia on the night of his death. This little curiosity was not accidental.

It turns out that the beer box contained a movie script – written by Sazz herself, not Marshall. At a Chinese restaurant, Howard shows Charles and Oliver a photo of the stuntman. Although he is clean-shaven and has blond hair, it is clear that it is Marshall himself. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the season’s killer was wearing a disguise that we knew about all along. Stubbins even noticed it earlier in the season when he saw Marshall and asked, “Did she grow a beard, girl?” which, at the time, sounded like a half-crazy stuntman had mistaken Marshall for Mabel. It makes much more sense that he just recognized Marshall from Project Ronkonkoma.

When Mabel finds the script, she acts rashly. Instead of hiding this discovery and waiting for her friends (or calling the police), she confronts Marshall, perhaps not yet realizing that he may be the killer and she may be his next victim.

Other murderers in the building

And this is where I press the brake and throw out a few other possibilities and observations. First of all, I don’t think Mabel is in any real danger because I don’t think Marshall is the killer.

• First, at this point we should all be well-trained detectives – not in solving murders, but in spotting red herrings. We had their real school this season. We were sent on various fun chases while watching the Westies, Dudenoff and Brothers sisters. Time and again we were shown compelling evidence that someone might be the killer, and then we realized it was all just misguided. Could the same thing be happening to Marshall now? Maybe he just stole the script, but he didn’t kill anyone.
• Second, even if Marshall is the killer, it seems pretty obvious that there must be an accomplice. Sure, it was Marshall who insisted that he didn’t have enough time to get from the west building all the way to Charles’ apartment, clean up, and dispose of the body within the agreed deadline, and it’s possible that he was just trying to throw us off the scent of our heroes, but logistically it seems extremely unlikely that Marshall could have worked alone and gotten away with it. So who is the second killer, if there is one?
• Finally, there is the issue of hidden cameras. We know they weren’t planted by the Brothers’ sisters, but we don’t know the killer planted them either. Could this be a completely separate mystery? Marshall may be the killer (with or without an accomplice), but whoever planted those cameras and sent those text messages is not involved in these murders. Alternatively, this could all simply be the killer’s attempt to trick our heroes into thinking that they are the real targets and not Sazz and Stubbins.
• I have one lingering problem with Marshall (aka Rex Bailey) as the killer: it’s clear he’s not very bright, and his imposter syndrome is justified. (I pass on Benoit Blanc from Glass onion Now). He didn’t write a script and every time he tries his hand at it, we see how bad he is at writing. His lyrics are repetitive. Mabel uses the word “brother,” and Molly Shannon’s producer, Bev Melon, is so upset about script problems that she trades information with Mabel for her help (which brings her to Marshall and this latest discovery). Marshall also completely forgets Sazz’s instructions not to get up immediately after the fire stunt, which leads him to catch fire again and burn off Ron Howard’s eyebrows (lol). Could he really have arranged these murders? Could he have planted cameras and sent ominous text messages? I’m sorry, but nothing about his character screams “criminal genius” to me – and I don’t think that’s part of his deception (i.e. playing dumb to hide his role in all of this). He seems really dense, which makes him an unlikely murderer. Let’s also recall that while we assume Marshall killed Stubbins at the hospital, we don’t know. The only convincing clue that he really was the killer is a piece of trinket they found in Dudenoff’s apartment that may have come from the tattered stunt vest Sazz gave him. Maybe Marshall has a twin brother, in keeping with the twins theme this season? Hmm.
• It’s also worth remembering who else was in the hospital: the bartender from the stunt bar, Concussion. He is the one who gives the trio information about Sazz’s protégé, although he claims he doesn’t know who he is and they can only get the information from Ron Howard, which sends them on a wild goose chase. However, earlier this season, the name Rex Bailey was thrown around a lot in the bar scene, and it seems almost impossible for the bartender not to know who he is. He was too at the scene of Stubbins’ murder. This can’t be a coincidence. There is a lot more to unravel with this character, including possible connections to the mafia. More on this in a moment.
• There’s also the matter of another Howard. Last week in the post I suggested that Howard might be the killer, but now I’m starting to wonder if it’s possible that he’s involved in “scaring” the main trio in some way (via notes, etc.) but has nothing to do with Sazz or Stubbins’ death. Or maybe I was just completely out of place. It certainly never sat well with me that dear, humble Howard might be a killer. Others have suggested that the killer is the doorman, but I find this completely ridiculous and would feel very disappointed if that was the case.

So many questions!

We are left with recurring questions: who planted the cameras and sent these text messages, and was it the same person as the killers? Is Marshall the killer and did he act alone or with an accomplice? Is there a second mystery related to the first season’s plot holes and hidden cameras, or are they related? Are there any clues to a larger conspiracy or mafia involvement? And finally, who will die in next week’s season finale?

This is an issue I would also like to raise. We need to consider two important things. First, a news program caught Mabel’s attention. In it, a reporter comments on the disappearance of Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio, the king of dry cleaning in Brooklyn. Why did this news seem to affect Mabel? Who is Nicki? I doubt he’ll have any big role to play this season, but it could be a clue to next season’s mystery and how these two are connected. Moreover, the van they show on the news says “Cleanup Crew” and in the criminal world, “cleaner” has a completely different meaning. Could the bartender be related to Nicky? Could they all have mafia ties and Sazz stumbled upon it during her stunt work?

The wedding is finally approaching, and we all know that weddings are dangerous in murder shows – especially when they take place in Arkonia. My bet is that Loretta (Meryl Streep) will be the next victim (sorry, Oliver!).

Forbes“Only Murders in the Building” just gave us the most creative episode everBy Erik Kain

I’ve been wandering around long enough. What do you think will happen in the season four finale? Any guesses as to who the killer is, do you think it’s Marshall/Rex at this point? Let me know next TwitterInstagram or Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.