Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 recap: Once Upon a Time in the West

As a seasoned crime enthusiast and armchair detective, I must say that the premiere of “Only Murders in the Building” has certainly piqued my interest. The mystery surrounding Sazz’s death seems to be the central focus, and as someone who’s spent countless hours watching true-crime documentaries, I can tell you this: it’s never just about one person.

The long-awaited new season of our beloved Hulu comedy series, “Only Murders in the Building,” has finally premiered! This time around, it seems as though the show will be brimming with humor based on meta elements, as the characters find themselves venturing into Tinseltown.

This upcoming season sees our beloved podcast crew traveling from New York City to the bustling streets of Hollywood for another round of thrilling escapades. The premiere episode has them unexpectedly transported to LA for talks about turning their podcast into a movie, but it’s the mysterious vanishing act of Charles’ longtime friend and stunt double Sazz Pataki that takes center stage in this episode and appears to be the central theme of this season’s murder mystery. After all, a season of “Only Murders” wouldn’t be complete without at least one murder!

WARNING: Major spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 are below.

Tying up Loose Ends

At the start, the group is wrapping up their most recent season of their “Only Murders in the Building” podcast, with Charles doing the concluding narration. A sudden spike in electricity causes a brief interruption and Charles and Oliver joke about how the building hasn’t experienced such a power outage since the incinerator was operational.

Following the podcast recording, the team unexpectedly finds Charles’s apartment deserted, with no trace of Sazz – a character viewers may remember was apparently killed at the end of season three. There are blood stains on the oven handle and a bullet hole in the window, yet the group seems oblivious to the unsettling clues that suggest an unusual event has taken place.

The next morning, Charles awakens to discover that Sazz hasn’t replied to any of his messages, and he continues to hear a mysterious whistling coming from inside his apartment. However, before he can look into it, Oliver and Mabel unexpectedly arrive. Oliver is in turmoil because Donna and Cliff withdrew funding for Death Rattle, and Loretta hastily departs New York to accept a position in Hollywood.

While Charles is in the middle of sharing his experience with the whistling sound, Howard enters with a recently adopted dog named Gravey. Gravey used to work, though Howard isn’t aware of her specific duties. He proposes a podcast idea about working dogs to Mabel, but has to hurry away when Gravey starts barking uncontrollably, as if reacting to something that startled her.

Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 recap: Once Upon a Time in the West

Hollywood comes calling

With Oliver’s Broadway show abruptly ending, news emerges that a woman from Paramount Pictures has contacted Charles and Mabel, proposing to convert their podcast into a movie. Initially hesitant due to his inability to contact Sazz and his belief that recurring whistling noises signify something amiss since Sazz was known for whistling, Oliver quickly seizes the opportunity to travel to the studio once he receives a text from Sazz, explaining she had to rush off to LA for a job assignment featuring Scott Bakula. This serves as an effective argument for Oliver to persuade the group to make the trip.

Upon reaching Paramount Pictures, Charles and Oliver suggest to Mabel that they should spearhead the proceedings since they’re familiar with the industry. They subsequently settle down for a meeting with studio executive Bev Melon, portrayed brilliantly by Molly Shannon, along with the team responsible for the movie’s creativity.

Bev informed the team that the film could be a huge hit at the box office if it’s released by Christmas. Contrary to their expectations, this gathering wasn’t only about discussing the movie; the studio has been actively working on it and they already have a cast ready. Filming is scheduled to start in a few weeks, but they need to obtain life rights from the actors for which they’ve arranged a meeting in Hollywood.

After Charles used some inappropriate negotiating methods, Mabel felt uncomfortable and politely left the group. Concerned about her, the guys promptly followed her. Mabel expressed her concerns to them, explaining that she was feeling a bit swamped but primarily worried about how they portrayed her as a homeless, jobless, mumbling woman. Oliver, ever supportive, encouraged her to take time for herself while also emphasizing the significance of her image in their project, which was crucial to him.

Before leaving for the party where the studio would unveil the movie’s cast, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel made their way to her apartment, hoping to find her there. However, upon arrival, they discovered an empty apartment and several packages stacked outside her door. Despite his concerns, Charles decided not to let his anxious nature hinder their attendance at the party.

Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 recap: Once Upon a Time in the West

Charles, Oliver, and Mabel meet Charles, Oliver and Mabel

On their journey to the party, the three-person group encounters enthusiastic shouts that, it turns out, aren’t aimed at them, but rather the actors portraying them in the movie: Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Zach Galifianakis.

The party offers the three-person group an opportunity to meet the actors portraying them in the movie, creating some amusing instances that make the program exceptionally self-referential. One of our favorite self-referential scenes occurs when Eva cracks a joke about the studio opting to older the character of Mabel due to test viewers finding the age difference between her, Charles, and Oliver awkward.

Zack teases Oliver by hinting that he plans to portray the character as both gifted and prosperous, while Eugene looks forward to learning from Charles about the role. Regrettably, Charles seems preoccupied with someone named Sazz and swiftly changes the subject.

Following some small talk, Oliver inquires about Mabel’s choice to postpone her response to the studio, but their discussion is suddenly halted when Loretta shows up straight from the set of Grey’s Anatomy: New Orleans – Burn Unit. (Paraphrased)

As Mabel departs stealthily, Oliver finds Loretta and discloses the halt in production for Death Rattle. With no reason left to stay in New York, he proposes the idea of relocating to Los Angeles. Initially hesitant, he seems anxious about losing her. Loretta expresses her love for him, and when he says, “Will you,” it’s evident she hoped for a proposal like “will you marry me.” Instead, what follows is a request for time to mull over the move to LA.

Following her chat with Oliver, Mabel accidentally runs into Eva who shares that she’s heard rumors about Mabel facing difficulties at the studio. Mabel expresses regret and confides in Eva about her creative struggles, which prompts Eva to share an extensive tale about a past situation where she too was at a crossroads. Essentially, Eva advises Mabel to demand substantial compensation and then create something meaningful.

Following the conversation, Mabel goes to meet with Bev it appears the two strike a deal.

As events transpire, Charles continues to hear whistling instead of hearing back from Sazz. Believing he sees her in the crowd, he pursues her, only to realize it was Bakula all along. He queries Bakula about Sazz’s whereabouts and learns that she was supposed to stand-in for him on a pilot project last week but didn’t appear.

As Mabel is about to share with Oliver that she’s given consent for her life story to be used in the film, Charles suddenly appears and informs them of some less-than-pleasant news instead.

Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 recap: Once Upon a Time in the West

Is Sazz really dead?

Charles, Oliver, and Mabel secretly make their way to Sazz’s flat. Charles manages to unlock the door since Sazz isn’t around. They hear a noise suggesting she might be there but find nothing. Instead, they discover papers related to Charles, which makes him more suspicious.

While surveying the apartment, Lester mentions a note he found from Charles asking for the apartment window to be fixed. However, it turns out that no such note was left by Charles. Lester explains that the note referred to the kitchen window needing replacement because of a broken glass pane, at which point Charles inquires if it’s a small hole like a bullet wound. He then advises Lester not to try repairing the window himself.

Meanwhile, Howard messages Mabel and informs her that Gravey was a corpse-sniffing dog. This reminder brings back memories of the dog’s barking in the apartment, causing Mabel to ponder if there might be some cause for concern.

The team returns to New York to examine Charles’s apartment, where they spot a broken window and blood on the stove handle. Howard lifts Gravey up, and she sniffs around the room before leading them through the building towards an old incinerator — recalling Charles’s earlier mention that there hadn’t been a power surge since they last used it.

When Charles peeks into the incinerator, he discovers a heap of newly formed ash and some of Sazz’s metal plates inside, which sadly validates the group’s darkest suspicions – Sazz was killed.

At the close of the episode, Charles receives another text from Sazz’s number. The sender clarifies that they are not an ally but an enemy, bluntly stating to Charles, “I am not your friend.”

And so, the episode concludes! As we had anticipated, it appears that Sazz’s demise is set to be the main murder mystery this season and will unfold throughout the coming episodes. Could the enigmatic texter be the culprit? Was Sazz deliberately targeted or was someone after Charles? How will the movie plot intertwine with the broader narrative of the season?

Without a doubt, the first episode raised many intriguing questions that we eagerly anticipate getting answers to as more episodes unfold!

Don’t miss new episodes of Only Murders in the Building Tuesdays streaming on Hulu.

2024-08-27 10:28

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