Only Murders in the Building: Once Upon a Time in the West
August 28, 2024 1:22 AM - Season 4, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Charles-Haden Savage, Mabel Mora and Oliver Putnam are back for a new season of Only Murders in the Building. The first episode starts off on the same night that the last season ended, before the gang are whisked off to Hollywood.
Forbes recap by Erik Kain.
Vulture recap by Tom Smyth.
Collider recap by Samantha Graves.
The Guardian review by Rachel Aroesti (very mild spoilers for future episodes)
Forbes recap by Erik Kain.
Vulture recap by Tom Smyth.
Collider recap by Samantha Graves.
The Guardian review by Rachel Aroesti (very mild spoilers for future episodes)
Should include the tagline “This time it’s personal.” Poor Sazz.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:46 AM on August 28 [3 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:46 AM on August 28 [3 favorites]
I was really surprised that they don't discover Sazz's body in the opener. Was the body moved before they got in there? It was so dark I couldn't tell. Then someone's texting "from beyond the grave" and what was the ending? Sazz's body was...where, in the basement or something? They're gone for a few days and don't see anything (albeit a blackout would do it)? Kinda weird? That said, it'll be sad when they find out the truth.
Dear lord, Zach and Eugene. I did have respect for Eva Longoria telling Mabel to get that money, though. And yes, they did move ridiculous fast on this movie, but they at least explained it.
I agree with whoever said online that four seasons of Mabel trying to find herself...come on, girl, you're an investigator.
They actually showed them doing a bit of the podcast! That almost never happens! I read some comment somewhere where someone said the show clearly isn't interested in actual podcasts, which...yeah?
"You spelled gravy wrong" is what I would have wanted to say, too. I loved Howard's granny square sweater. Btw, I really loved this article on the guy who plays Howard (NYT) and how he finally got "discovered" after all those years.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:47 AM on August 28 [6 favorites]
Dear lord, Zach and Eugene. I did have respect for Eva Longoria telling Mabel to get that money, though. And yes, they did move ridiculous fast on this movie, but they at least explained it.
I agree with whoever said online that four seasons of Mabel trying to find herself...come on, girl, you're an investigator.
They actually showed them doing a bit of the podcast! That almost never happens! I read some comment somewhere where someone said the show clearly isn't interested in actual podcasts, which...yeah?
"You spelled gravy wrong" is what I would have wanted to say, too. I loved Howard's granny square sweater. Btw, I really loved this article on the guy who plays Howard (NYT) and how he finally got "discovered" after all those years.
“When I was in college, they always said, ‘You’re a character actor; you won’t work till you’re in your 40s.’ And I was like, I am not waiting until my 40s. Are you kidding me?”I'd say I hope this happens to me too, but so far no dice...
And yes, success took more or less until his 40s, but it has been worth the wait. And he finally feels he deserves it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:47 AM on August 28 [6 favorites]
They found Sazz’s body in the incinerator. The murderer turned it on, causing the brief blackout in the cold open, and cremating her (Christ, I hope if the bullet didn’t kill her the fall did).
We know it was Sazz’s body because Charles pulls the titanium implant out and it says, “Bulgaria,” which they had mentioned Sazz thought made the best bone replacements when they were in her apartment.
posted by thecaddy at 10:16 AM on August 28 [4 favorites]
We know it was Sazz’s body because Charles pulls the titanium implant out and it says, “Bulgaria,” which they had mentioned Sazz thought made the best bone replacements when they were in her apartment.
posted by thecaddy at 10:16 AM on August 28 [4 favorites]
"We know it was Sazz’s body because Charles pulls the titanium implant out and it says, 'Bulgaria.'”
That seems easy enough to have perhaps been misdirection?
posted by Violet Blue at 3:25 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
That seems easy enough to have perhaps been misdirection?
posted by Violet Blue at 3:25 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
As they say “no body, no crime”.
But on the other hand, Sazz definitely got shot and hit the floor at the end of last season.
posted by dr_dank at 4:49 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
But on the other hand, Sazz definitely got shot and hit the floor at the end of last season.
posted by dr_dank at 4:49 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]
I theorize that Sazz dragged herself to the incinerator chute, slid down it, and faked her own incineration. In order to sell it, she dropped the spare implants she carries in her pocket for when she wants to show off what her hardware looks like.
posted by Pryde at 7:43 PM on August 28 [11 favorites]
posted by Pryde at 7:43 PM on August 28 [11 favorites]
Bits I liked:
Hollywood's version of Nu Yawk for the Godzilla movie.
The fact that the movie studio picked an actor to play Oliver who is only five years older than the actress they picked to play Mabel.
Scott Bakula showing up . . . and he has a photo of Joy he can't show Charles.
On a more serious note, I was going, "oof, Charles, you probably don't want to be running your hands through the incinerator ashes" even before they found the implant.
posted by creepygirl at 11:18 PM on August 28 [8 favorites]
Hollywood's version of Nu Yawk for the Godzilla movie.
The fact that the movie studio picked an actor to play Oliver who is only five years older than the actress they picked to play Mabel.
Scott Bakula showing up . . . and he has a photo of Joy he can't show Charles.
On a more serious note, I was going, "oof, Charles, you probably don't want to be running your hands through the incinerator ashes" even before they found the implant.
posted by creepygirl at 11:18 PM on August 28 [8 favorites]
the scene where Charles is passing the note across the table had me and my wife laughing so much that our son who was home sick from school roused from his ill semi-slumber to come see what the heck was going on
posted by Kattullus at 11:58 PM on August 28 [9 favorites]
posted by Kattullus at 11:58 PM on August 28 [9 favorites]
It was a good number I don't see what the confusion was about
posted by Acari at 7:01 AM on August 29 [9 favorites]
posted by Acari at 7:01 AM on August 29 [9 favorites]
4 what?!?!
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:48 AM on August 29 [5 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:48 AM on August 29 [5 favorites]
I love how Steve Martin's characters can usually be classified as the un-fun uncle with a grouchy turtle face or THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
posted by bq at 9:46 AM on August 29
posted by bq at 9:46 AM on August 29
So, initial suspects! Note that I don't really expect any of these to pan out, but I've gotta start somewhere.
Loretta:
Motive: Unbind Oliver from Charles, ending both the podcast and "Death Rattle Dazzle", freeing up Oliver to follow Loretta to L.A.
Pro: Was at the Arconia that night. Need to rewatch the S3 finale to see if the timing at the party supports or rebuts this.
Con: Would be a spur-of-the-moment choice, Loretta wouldn't have a sniper-rifle ready to go, and doesn't really fit the notes in Sazz's apartment.
Howard:
Motive: Free up a spot in the podcast while guaranteeing another murder to "solve" so a new season would happen.
Pro: Howard has been trying to get into the podcast for a while now, and in this scenario would have adopted Gravey specifically for this purpose. He let himself right into Charles' apartment, which was weird (and shown to be weird in that Oliver and Mabel didn't just let themselves in a minute earlier.)
Con: It's Howard. Also, he could have just as likely adopted Gravey as an in to the podcast without trying to murder Charles.
Bev Melon:
Motive: Provide a strong real-life ending for the movie, without having to secure the life rights to the member of the trio she may have perceived as the cagiest.
Pro: She'd already been emailing Mabel (the unemployed one she probably thought would be easiest to sway), and I believe Charles didn't get his own email from her until the next morning (which would have set up an alibi if Bev didn't recognize that Sazz wasn't Charles even when disposing of the body, or else she did realize she got the wrong person and needed to include Charles after the fact.) Did the fake text from Sazz come only after they'd responded to Bev?
Con: They kinda went down this road already in Season 2.
Eva Longoria as "basically Mabel's age" was the comedic highlight for me. And somehow it'd never hit for me that, while I would never mistake Steve Martin for Scott Bakula, Jane Lynch could double for either of them and it totally works. That was hilarious.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:21 AM on August 29 [6 favorites]
Loretta:
Motive: Unbind Oliver from Charles, ending both the podcast and "Death Rattle Dazzle", freeing up Oliver to follow Loretta to L.A.
Pro: Was at the Arconia that night. Need to rewatch the S3 finale to see if the timing at the party supports or rebuts this.
Con: Would be a spur-of-the-moment choice, Loretta wouldn't have a sniper-rifle ready to go, and doesn't really fit the notes in Sazz's apartment.
Howard:
Motive: Free up a spot in the podcast while guaranteeing another murder to "solve" so a new season would happen.
Pro: Howard has been trying to get into the podcast for a while now, and in this scenario would have adopted Gravey specifically for this purpose. He let himself right into Charles' apartment, which was weird (and shown to be weird in that Oliver and Mabel didn't just let themselves in a minute earlier.)
Con: It's Howard. Also, he could have just as likely adopted Gravey as an in to the podcast without trying to murder Charles.
Bev Melon:
Motive: Provide a strong real-life ending for the movie, without having to secure the life rights to the member of the trio she may have perceived as the cagiest.
Pro: She'd already been emailing Mabel (the unemployed one she probably thought would be easiest to sway), and I believe Charles didn't get his own email from her until the next morning (which would have set up an alibi if Bev didn't recognize that Sazz wasn't Charles even when disposing of the body, or else she did realize she got the wrong person and needed to include Charles after the fact.) Did the fake text from Sazz come only after they'd responded to Bev?
Con: They kinda went down this road already in Season 2.
Eva Longoria as "basically Mabel's age" was the comedic highlight for me. And somehow it'd never hit for me that, while I would never mistake Steve Martin for Scott Bakula, Jane Lynch could double for either of them and it totally works. That was hilarious.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:21 AM on August 29 [6 favorites]
A gossipy related mystery — which would be charming as all get out if it were true — is whether Martin Short and Merle Streep are dating in real life. Though both have denied it several times, but they've also been seen holding hands and out and about at a couple of date-like events!
posted by Violet Blue at 4:25 PM on August 29 [2 favorites]
posted by Violet Blue at 4:25 PM on August 29 [2 favorites]
Why isn't the movie spinoff made by Hulu or Disney? Maybe the story will be about an evil studio, and we can't have that for Disney?
posted by applesurf at 5:18 PM on August 30 [1 favorite]
posted by applesurf at 5:18 PM on August 30 [1 favorite]
And somehow it'd never hit for me that, while I would never mistake Steve Martin for Scott Bakula, Jane Lynch could double for either of them and it totally works. That was hilarious.
Yes!
Just got Hulu again and am catching up!
- I've been chuckling nonstop about naming a cadaver dog Gravey.
- That In & Out was totally product placement. Have they done that before?
- The Sunset Swan is a lot like the Arconia: A historic building, a fountained courtyard, with residents that include both stars and quirky people who have lived there for decades.
- Eva, Zach, and Eugene were wearing colors that were jarringly off from the usual Arconia blue, red, green, and yellow. Perfect.
- Eva Longoria is absolutely wonderful in this. She looks like she's having the best time.
- The costume designer can just mail me Selena's green sequin dress because I cannot get enough of it. Same with Howard's granny square sweater, which is completely delightful.
- How did famously tidy and meticulous Charles not notice the blood spatter earlier? And surely there'll be something later on that will pick up the traces of whatever Sazz wrote in blood, right?
- I can't remember: Does Charles's kitchen window overlook the courtyard or the street?
I desperately want Sazz's death to be a red herring, so maybe there's a convoluted explanation. But maybe the writers know we know they know we want a convoluted explanation, so they are just messing with us.
Sazz mentioned she had something sensitive she wanted to talk to Charles about, which makes it sound like she might be some kind of trouble. But I wonder, too, if with her Hollywood connections she knew about the podcast movie because Bev Melon had reached out to her. Was Sazz trying to tell them about it? Was she maybe even being considered for the role of Charles? There was a note on her desk: "Looking at Charles." Does that mean looking at the role of Charles?
But think, too, that Charles was probably the intended victim, as they were dressed identically. Who would possibly have it in for Charles?
posted by mochapickle at 12:02 PM on September 7 [2 favorites]
Yes!
Just got Hulu again and am catching up!
- I've been chuckling nonstop about naming a cadaver dog Gravey.
- That In & Out was totally product placement. Have they done that before?
- The Sunset Swan is a lot like the Arconia: A historic building, a fountained courtyard, with residents that include both stars and quirky people who have lived there for decades.
- Eva, Zach, and Eugene were wearing colors that were jarringly off from the usual Arconia blue, red, green, and yellow. Perfect.
- Eva Longoria is absolutely wonderful in this. She looks like she's having the best time.
- The costume designer can just mail me Selena's green sequin dress because I cannot get enough of it. Same with Howard's granny square sweater, which is completely delightful.
- How did famously tidy and meticulous Charles not notice the blood spatter earlier? And surely there'll be something later on that will pick up the traces of whatever Sazz wrote in blood, right?
- I can't remember: Does Charles's kitchen window overlook the courtyard or the street?
I desperately want Sazz's death to be a red herring, so maybe there's a convoluted explanation. But maybe the writers know we know they know we want a convoluted explanation, so they are just messing with us.
Sazz mentioned she had something sensitive she wanted to talk to Charles about, which makes it sound like she might be some kind of trouble. But I wonder, too, if with her Hollywood connections she knew about the podcast movie because Bev Melon had reached out to her. Was Sazz trying to tell them about it? Was she maybe even being considered for the role of Charles? There was a note on her desk: "Looking at Charles." Does that mean looking at the role of Charles?
But think, too, that Charles was probably the intended victim, as they were dressed identically. Who would possibly have it in for Charles?
posted by mochapickle at 12:02 PM on September 7 [2 favorites]
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posted by dr_dank at 3:24 AM on August 28