Only Murders in the Building wrapped up Season 3 with a stunning death and a new mystery! With Only Murders in the Building Season 4 planned, what can happen on the Hulu mystery comedy?
After a season of twists and turns, Oliver, Charles and Mabel finally solved the murder of Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) and saw their new musical become a hit. But, as always, the season ended on a cliffhanger that sets up a new mystery for Season 4. That has fans guessing on a lot of things that can happen before the new season comes around.
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for Only Murders in the Building Season 3 finale
10 questions for Only Murders in the Building Season 4
Is Sazz really dead?
The final scene of Season 3 showed what looked like Charles (Steve Martin) being shot. It was really Charles’s longtime body double Sazz (Jane Lynch). She appeared to be truly dead, twitching around, but is it possible she somehow survived?
It would be like Sazz to play dead to sucker whoever did this, just like Charles would, and be jarring for the show to kill a popular character like this. Then again, that may be the point, as Charles will be out to avenge his longtime friend.
What was Sazz writing?
Sazz had told Charles she had to talk to him about “something sensitive” and was whistling “Drunken Sailor” when she entered the room and got shot. The last shot of the season had Sazz trying to write something on the floor in her own blood.
Is it a clue to who shot her? A name, a date, a hint of the crime? Or is it just one of Sazz’s quirky bits? Either way, it’s likely to be the first clue for the gang to figure out who killed her.
Was Charles the target?
The logical idea is the killer was going after Charles and got Sazz by mistake, which leads to the question of who would want Charles dead. Could his ex-girlfriend Joy (who sent him a mysterious text) want payback for Charles breaking her heart taking back his proposal? Could it be Jan (Amy Ryan) finally seeking revenge for Charles putting her in jail? Or could it be anyone from his past Charles unwittingly rubbed the wrong way? That mystery is likely to drive Only Murders in the Building Season 4 on.
Is the gang heading to Hollywood?
The finale hinted that a trip to Los Angeles might be coming as Oliver would visit Loretta and Mabel her documentary boyfriend Tobert. Perhaps the search for Sazz’s killer takes them to Hollywood, and the idea of Oliver in the world of movie-making would be hilarious.
Sure, it takes them out of that building of theirs, but it’d be great seeing our trio bumbling their way through Tinseltown and opening the door to scores of cameos.
Will Meryl Streep return as Loretta?
The big name of Season 3 was Academy-Award-winning icon Meryl Streep as Loretta, who romanced Oliver. Having her back in Season 4 would be terrific, but it likely depends on Streep’s always-busy schedule and when production begins.
Maybe it’d be better storyline-wise for her to be off-screen except for calls as she moves on with her career. At the least, having her in a cameo would be good to show how she and Oliver are still together and Streep continues to spark the series.
Will Nathan Lane return as Teddy Dimas?
Oliver’s frenemy was a good presence in the show’s first two seasons, revealing his dark secret ties to the mob and how he was the real father of Oliver’s son, Theo. Nathan Lane is great in the role but had to bow out of Season 3 due to being on a Broadway show. Having him return for Season 4 would be good, as the gang might suspect him of being behind all this and Lane’s banter with Martin Short is always a joy to watch.
Will Tina Fey return as Cinda Canning?
Season 3 showed Tina Fey’s podcaster remaking herself as a lifestyle guru but still her old sneaky side. She offered Mabel a job with her show, but Mabel stuck to the guys. It’s probable Cinda shows up and, if the gang does go to Los Angeles, she is likely to follow and continue her rivalry, trying to break the story on what really happened.
Will Scott Bakula appear?
One of the odder bits in the finale was Joy’s text to Charles on “Scott Bakula says hi.” The idea that Charles somehow has a beef with the Quantum Leap/NCIS: New Orleans star would be funny and having Bakula play a jerk version of himself on screen would be hilarious. There’s also how it’s hinted Joy is now dating the actor to spark the rivalry more.
Speaking to Deadline, co-creator John Hoffman touched on the Bakula question with “I haven’t spoken to him about all this.” Here’s hoping this wasn’t just code and Bakula puts in a cameo.
Will Chevy Chase appear?
Almost since the series began, a question has hung about whether Chevy Chase might appear. It’s due to how Chase, Martin, and Short starred together in the 1987 comedy Three Amigos. Chase himself told Mark Marmon on a podcast he’d love to be on the show, but only if asked.
When asked by Deadline, Hoffman seemed open to the idea.
"“Well, that’s it… It’s been this amazing ride where if anyone’s talking about wanting to be in our show, I’m delighted beyond, especially someone of Chevy’s level and genius. So, I’m open to the world here as far as what we can go to next.”"
So having Chase pop up, maybe as some old friend of Charles in Los Angeles, would be a great way to boost Season 4 even more.
When is Only Murders in the Builiding Season 4 coming?
Maybe the biggest question of all is when Season 4 can arrive. With the WGA strike finally ended, the writers can get back to work crafting the year. However, they’d still have to wait for the SAG strike to be settled and the actors’ schedules to clear up.
That might complicate matters as some actors could have conflicts (much as Lane did with Season 3) and slow production a bit. Right now, Hulu seems to hope Season 4 arrives sometime in 2024 but it all depends on when the SAG strike ends. That’s one mystery even our intrepid trio would have a problem solving.
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Hulu.