Only Murders in the Building Season 4 goes Hollywood—until (what else?) a mystery sends the gang back to New York City.
After solving a murder mystery on Broadway, podcast hosts and amateur sleuths Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) are national sensations. When Hollywood comes calling in the form of peppy producer Bev Melon (Molly Shannon), the trio flies to Los Angeles to hear a pitch about a movie based on their lives and mystery-solving.
The team has misgivings about Hollywood—the assembled cast (Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria playing comically heightened versions of themselves) grates on their respective counterparts. Oliver worries his actress girlfriend Loretta’s (Meryl Streep) new stardom will ruin their relationship. Mabel’s been squatting at the Arconia, and fears discovery. And though Charles’ TV star days are over, he’s worried about a different part of show business…
Meanwhile, back in the Big Apple
Namely, the disappearance of his longtime stand-in and friend, Sazz (Jane Lynch). She’s supposedly in Los Angeles, too, but a clue to her disappearance leads the team back to where everything began. Charles becomes increasingly paranoid that the circumstances of her disappearance spell trouble for him.
The excellence of season 3 is a hard act to follow—has anyone gotten “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” out of their heads yet?—but season 4 is a worthy successor. There’s pressure for pop culture to present bigger stakes and more complicated lore as time goes on. Remember when Stranger Things hadn’t left Indiana? Remember when Marvel’s villains didn’t all threaten the fate of the universe? In contrast, Only Murders’ expansion to Hollywood feels like a logical next step without totally abandoning the trappings of its title. The titular “Building” still gets plenty of screentime.
Knowing what works
Only Murders’ strength has always laid in its quirky humor (a pair of characters are sisters surnamed Brothers.) Its star-studded ensemble avoids gimmick, but affirms the kooky lovability of New Yorkers. A set of mysterious neighbors includes the always-delightful Richard Kind, plus Kumail Nanjiani as a year-round Christmas influencer.
But the draw has always been its star power. The dynamic duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short, paired with Selena Gomez, has evolved into a trio with solid chemistry. You don’t need a detective to know they’re why we keep tuning in, week after week.
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 drops Tuesdays on Hulu. The first seven episodes of this season were screened for review.
REVIEW RATING
-
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 - 8/10
8/10
Claire was once asked in elementary school why her go-to question was always, “Watch anything good lately?” It’s still her go-to question, because she loves hearing what other people are passionate about. She often sacrifices sleep in the hopes that she will one day clear her to-watch and to-read lists (a futile effort so far).
No Comments