Only Murders in the Building: Open and Shut

October 29, 2024 6:11 PM - Season 4, Episode 10

In the season finale, the trio races towards a resolution while their own lives are put in danger.
posted by Monday, stony Monday (21 comments total)

CHEKHOV'S EVA LONGORIA'S 19 IN ONE MULTITOOL
posted by phooky at 9:00 PM on October 29 [19 favorites]

Man, I love Sazz so much. This was a good final episode, but I'm weirdly very sad about her being dead. I know she's fictional, but still!

I was happy to see the Westies again this episode, since I found them to be more satisfying celeb guest stars than the starring-as-themselves celebs (I guess playing a reluctant Christmas fitness influencer who is part of a fraudster found family is much richer ground than the typical celeb narcissist bit).
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:01 PM on October 29 [8 favorites]

At first glance you might think Richard Kind's mirror was brutually cut out of this episode -- and after making such a star turn a couple weeks back!

But wait: Charles and Oliver went out the window furthest from their target, risking their lives on a whole extra livingroom's length of ledge, and, yes, some might naively assume this was just so we could see them cha cha through the other window as they danced their way past it, its only purpose to extend the gag, but as dedicated #onlymirrors fans we know the true reason: when they're standing on the initial ledge length, when they decide they have to dangerously pivot back-to-front (like a reflection does, we should add, even though commonly misunderstood as swapping left and right), they are standing -- literally and directly -- on the other side of Richard Kind's mirror.

It must have taken such restraint not to make that clear in the subsequent interior shot. Very admirable. Now it won't be too obvious when it plays a major role in next season's mystery.
posted by nobody at 9:54 PM on October 29 [10 favorites]

I didn't find this episode added much in the way of interesting emotional beats or insights about Marshall, except that he killed the one person who liked his writing. He killed her because he wanted to steal her script and was a terrible person, the end.

I guess the question of who set up the hidden cameras in the apartments is one that got punted to the next season? It didn't seem like there was any explanation for how or why Marshall would have done that, given that his original plan was 1) to kill Sazz on the street, which morphed to 2) kill Sazz in Charles' apartment (and the reason he entered Charles' apartment was that he hadn't killed Sazz with the first shot.)

I'm not really complaining, because there was a lot of attention on the main cast, and I'd rather have that than an interesting villain or an airtight murder plot.

I'm terribly afraid of heights, so the ledge scene was giving me vicarious terror. I did like the moment where Charles is reaching for Sazz's ghost on the ledge, and got Oliver instead, especially when they'd just had the conversation about their friendship in the last episode.

And oh, Lester. I was thinking "I don't want it to be Loretta, and I don't want it to be Howard, and I don't want it to be Uma, and I don't want it to be anybody's relatives." I got all of that and they still managed to hit me where it hurt.

Bits I liked:

+ The episode title being "My Best Friend's Wedding"

+ Will and Dickie walking Loretta down the aisle.

+ Vince and Rudy doing a terribly unconvincing ruse to distract Marshall from the podcasters, and Marshall being equally terrible at pretending everything is normal:

Vince: We wanna borrow some sugar! Uh, you know, like friendly neighbors do.

Marshall: Uh, M-Mabel's not... Mabel's not here right now! M-Maybe y'all wanna come back later?

Vince: We're making sugar chicken! And it's... We've never done it before, and we're trying to figure out anything that might work!

Rudy: Do you have any corn on the cob? Or off the cob?

I know most new characters are only around for one season, but I would love to see Vince and Rudy and the other Westies again, if the story allows for it.

+ Howard's animals with jobs podcast showing up on the screen at the end.
posted by creepygirl at 10:48 PM on October 29 [9 favorites]

A satisfying season ending!
posted by brainwane at 5:26 AM on October 30

+ Vince and Rudy doing a terribly unconvincing ruse to distract Marshall from the podcasters, and Marshall being equally terrible at pretending everything is normal:

This was great. It was made even worse (in a good way) when Marshall started randomly throwing different accents into his response.

This was a satisfying conclusion, but I think more wrapped up in part because we got a lot more Sazz. I was going to throw my phone, though, if Loretta suddenly backed out of the wedding. We have enough ding dong soap opera stuff going on! I also concur, having the two sons escort her down the aisle was a very thoughtful touch.

Lester as the next victim was a solid choice, in that it's a character we know, care about, but has also played a relatively minor role on the edge of everything else going on. Clearly connected to Teá Leone's guest appearance and, given Lester's death, likely something in the past of the Arconia.

I guess the question of who set up the hidden cameras in the apartments is one that got punted to the next season? It didn't seem like there was any explanation for how or why Marshall would have done that, given that his original plan was 1) to kill Sazz on the street, which morphed to 2) kill Sazz in Charles' apartment (and the reason he entered Charles' apartment was that he hadn't killed Sazz with the first shot.)

This this this. They raised this big What If and left it hanging out there. Marshall was clearly not responsible for the Season 1 hijinks that purportedly Sazz had picked up on and was investigating.

There also remained the question, why was Sazz focused on Dudenhoff? So far, nothing in this most recent season gave us any indication that the Westies had anything to do with the events prior to Sazz's shooting (or even actually, anything. this season that happened other than serving as a false trail for our trio to follow!). So why Dudenhoff? How did Sazz figure out the code to the room? It feels like that was entirely injected to provide a means for Marshall to have his sniper's nest.

BTW, Janice returning the favor and saluting Charles was golden. Her multi-week existence surviving inside the walls/ceilings of the Arconia feels like a lead in to her serving some role in the next season - she saw something, she heard something.

Another hanging thread, which felt intentional, was Bev Melon's last scene involving her taking what seemed like a phone call that had important ramifications for the movie or something. I will not be amiss if Molly Shannon returns for the next season. I appreciated her energy and willingness to throw whatever into a smoothie.
posted by Atreides at 7:37 AM on October 30 [3 favorites]

I liked this episode, and on the whole I like this season. I suspect, though, that they knew from early on that there was a fifth season, so decided to sprinkle in things that will pay off in the following season (e.g. I suspect it turns out that Lester was the one to install the spy cameras, given that he has keys to every apartment, and that he was killed because he’d captured something to do with the disappearance of Caccimalio). That’s a bit of a risky narrative strategy, because if they blow things in the next season, it’s going to retroactively bring down this one. Though if it works, it’ll make this season better.

I don’t have very big thoughts after watching this season, and I had much stronger reactions to the previous three, even though I’d say this is probably my third favorite, ahead of the slightly flat second season. This is good television though, with someone absolutely amazing moments, and it delivered both emotionally as well as in terms of comedy. I think the first one will always be the most poignant, though I wouldn’t rule out the creative team writing a season that’s even funnier than the third. I’m really happy there’s a fifth season coming up.
posted by Kattullus at 8:53 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]

It didn't strike me until now: I'm not so sure a murder in the courtyard counts as a murder in the building (I mean, it's not Only Murders On The Property). So we probably still have at least one more ahead of us (and/or in the far past -- period-piece flashbacks would be a fun move).
posted by nobody at 9:47 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]

"Someone moved the body to the fountain from the building!"

There ya go.

I agree, I think they wove elements into this season that will be foundational for what happens next season.
posted by Atreides at 11:57 AM on October 30

I was grumping for the entire first half of the season because there were too many guest stars and too many plot points and too much misdirection in such a condensed timeline. And yet I loved how (almost) all of the plot points and people intertwined and made for a solid ending. I'm a sucker for love and found family.

Man, I love Sazz so much. This was a good final episode, but I'm weirdly very sad about her being dead. I know she's fictional, but still!

I wholeheartedly cried when ghost Sazz sat in the writer's chair. Now that I know so much more about her I'll miss her even more. It was the same with Bunny.
posted by kimberussell at 2:54 PM on October 30 [8 favorites]

Where did Janice get the rifle?
posted by pasici at 5:24 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]

I was nonplussed by this season for the reasons stated above by kimberussell. Too many moving parts and very little narrative tension. Nothing made me sit up and care about what was happening. Sazz was the best character, so I hated seeing her get killed off and none of the new characters were even remotely as interesting, except for Charles' sister. The concept of doubles was an entertaining theme, but it felt not hashed out enough. I was kinda hoping that Marshall himself had a double, a twin or something.

This season felt like one of Marshall's drafts. Just losing the plot and needing desperately to be punched up.

So anyway, now Lester is dead, and there hasn't been any resolution offered up for the various dangling plot lines, like who put in all the cameras? Who did poison Oliver's dog?
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:30 PM on October 30 [1 favorite]

I also felt quite sad about Sazz being dead. Mr. Blah is a longtime Hollywood prop man and he hated when she did that high fall and then went over to sit on the apple box, instead of a chair. So yeah, we loved that moment at the end when she sat in the chair.

Still very here for the dangling plot points from season one. I remember the note on Jan's door, Oliver's dog being poisoned... Plus whoever put the cameras in their apartments this season (the ones that didn't belong to the directors). I feel like there's more than that but I can't remember.

I also feel like we don't know what deal Mabel made with the producer in exchange for signing the contract?
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:30 PM on October 30 [6 favorites]

Oh wow, I thought I was alone about my feelings for this season (I usually comment after every episode or even make a post myself!), so it's nice to see I'm not actually alone. I just was not feeling it for a long while, and I do not like Molly Shannon, she has a weird energy that I find uncomfortable, so that kind of added to my dissatisfaction. I've usually disliked stories about Hollywood by Hollywood, played for sardonic laughs. So wanky. Plus I really loved Sazz, and was having a tough time accepting her being gone.

It bothered me that Charles was not allowed to just sit with his grief, that people were making fun of him and he was presented as being ridiculous, especially since the found family dynamic is the most important thing about the show for me. I mean, yes, he's a goofball and everything, but he and Sazz were each other's Number One, and he should be allowed to grieve whatever way Charles would do it. This finale finally gave him that chance and a little understanding from Oliver and Mabel, and that was a lovely note to let him have that last conversation with Sazz in his mind. Damn, I'm going to miss her. And now they've killed off Lester, who I also really liked!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 9:31 PM on October 30 [4 favorites]

“ding-dong.”
“Look, I tried to become a writer. I did what you’re supposed to do. Took my childhood trauma and tried to monetize it by turning it into a screenplay.”
posted by Pronoiac at 9:45 PM on October 30 [3 favorites]

And Jan doesn't seem like she's gone forever, does she? She told Charles they were end game!
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:08 PM on October 30

Where did Janice get the rifle?

A) She stole it when she found out how Sazz was killed so she could kill the killer with their weapon of choice,

or

B) She just had it tucked away somewhere in the Arconia already because Jan really is a psycho killer type of person.
posted by Atreides at 8:34 AM on October 31 [4 favorites]

I liked the suble reveal in the last scene at the fountain where only a spout with red water is the only thing amiss until the camera moves out and swings around to show Lester. That’s some great camera work.
posted by dr_dank at 10:39 AM on October 31 [3 favorites]

In general, I feel as though each subsequent season of this show has been less great than the first, which isn't unusual or anything. It's fine. But ironically, this season absorbing the plot holes from the earlier seasons, and ... not solving them and sort of re-awakening them, made me realize that maybe I liked the first few seasons too much.
posted by destructive cactus at 12:38 PM on October 31 [1 favorite]

I rewatched Season Three earlier this year and thought it held up. The theater is really explored, so you get to know it like the Arconia. So many musical references. Plus lots of Meryl Streep!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:29 PM on October 31 [2 favorites]

A) She stole it when she found out how Sazz was killed so she could kill the killer with their weapon of choice,

I like this one, because I've been thinking about the symmetry of Jan firing a shot from Charles' apartment that killed Marshall in Dudenoff's apartment. This mirrored Marshall firing a shot from Dudenoff's apartment that killed Sazz in Charles' apartment.

Maybe Jan was Marshall's double, in a spiritual sense? They're both killers with broken moral compasses, and they both learned some stuntman skills from Sazz.
posted by creepygirl at 7:55 PM on October 31 [1 favorite]