As Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building reaches its midpoint, the series starts revealing more intricate twists. Episode 3 served as a bit of a filler, bringing in various Hollywood characters and subplots that didn’t advance the main mystery.
However, Episode 4, titled “The Stunt Man,” shifts back to the core mystery. Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) uncover new leads in the murder of Sazz (Jane Lynch). Mabel also learns more about the peculiar residents of the West Tower, which puts the trio back to the start of their investigation.
In Season 3, Oliver developed feelings for Loretta (Meryl Streep) while she was starring in his musical Death Rattle Dazzle. Their flirtation throughout the season culminated in them officially becoming a couple by the end of the season. Despite Loretta’s move to Los Angeles, their relationship appeared strong, and Oliver even considered proposing.
Recently, however, Loretta has been abruptly ending their phone calls, and a recent Instagram photo showing a man’s arm around her has raised red flags for Oliver. Instead of directly confronting Loretta, he creates a fake online account to keep an eye on her, pretending to be a fan named Ronnie.
Mabel confronts Oliver about his spying behavior, urging him to speak to Loretta directly about the photo. Oliver is afraid that asking her directly might ruin their relationship, especially given his past failed relationships. While Mabel understands his fears, she warns him that if Loretta finds out about his deceit, she will be even more upset.
Ultimately, Oliver decides to end his spying as “Ronnie,” with Mabel assisting him in deleting the fake account. He prepares himself for a potentially difficult and emotional conversation with Loretta.
In the previous episode, Mabel decided to stay in Dudenoff’s apartment, expecting him to come and confront her. This would give Charles, Oliver, and Mabel a chance to question him directly. The trio also tuned into a ham radio frequency and received a warning to stop asking questions about Sazz’s disappearance. This added to their suspicion about Dudenoff and the residents of the West Tower.
Mabel eventually discovers that the West Tower tenants are not part of a cult, as she briefly suspected. Instead, they are involved in an illegal scheme where they sublet rent-controlled apartments. Dudenoff, who is a real person, rents out every apartment on their floor.
He has met each tenant and, seeing that they were all “eccentric,” decided to help them by allowing them to live in the apartments at a very low rent of two hundred dollars a month. Although Dudenoff retired to Portugal, he continues to support them.
Mabel is taken aback by this revelation and is offered a chance to join them, provided she keeps their secrets off her podcast. She also inquires about the ham radio, which turns out to be linked to Rudy’s ex-girlfriend Helga’s issues, and not a significant part of their plot.
Season 4 focuses heavily on Charles and his connection to Sazz. Episode 4 begins with Charles dreaming about Sazz and her inviting him to join her in paradise. Charles later invites Mabel and Oliver to his apartment, where he shows them his new murder board dedicated solely to Sazz. They find a photo on Instagram showing Sazz on the day she died, which leads them to investigate a stuntman bar called Concussions.
When they arrive at the bar, they feel immediately unwelcome. The bartender refuses to answer their questions about Sazz, and the other patrons express their disdain for actors, who they feel get all the glory while stunt doubles do the hard work. The trio is stunned to see a man tumble out of a room, only to realize it is Ben Glenroy’s stunt double, Glen Stubbins. Glen initially pretends to be Ben, which leads to a humorous realization that he is, in fact, Glen.
Glen explains that he spent 15 years performing dangerous stunts for Ben Glenroy, only to have Ben murdered, thus taking away everything Glen worked for. Glen wants a role in their movie and performs a series of stunts to prove himself.
Mabel agrees to consider him for a role if he can get them into the back room of the bar. Glen reveals that Dr. Maggie, a chiropractor who works there, is connected to Sazz. Sazz reportedly spent a lot of time with Dr. Maggie, which saddens Charles as he realizes Sazz was in pain.
Dr. Maggie is more open than the bartender and other patrons. She tells Charles that Sazz was planning to retire from stunt work and transition into a new career. Sazz also had a troubled relationship, which Charles fears might be connected to him. During a chiropractic session, Charles has a vision of Sazz again, walking through the woods, asking him to join her in paradise. This vision helps Charles find some peace and resolve about his feelings of guilt.
Charles decides to organize a stuntman’s funeral for Sazz, using his own body as a stand-in. The ceremony involves smashing a fake bottle on Charles’s head, a tradition among stuntmen. Despite the humor and surprise of the event, this act helps Charles in his grief, even though he is startled when one of the bottles does not break, and he ends up unconscious.
In his unconscious state, Charles dreams of a memory with Sazz on the set of Brazzos. They discuss her dream of opening a trampoline park for kids, a place where they can learn to fly and fall safely. This memory provides Charles with some comfort and answers the question of what Sazz’s idea of paradise might be.
After the stuntman’s funeral, Charles takes Mabel and Oliver to what appears to be an abandoned park. The sign reveals it as the future home of the Sazz Pataki Impact Academy, a tribute to her memory and her dreams. However, their moment of reflection is cut short when they hear mysterious noises coming from a nearby shed.
When they investigate, they find Bev Melon (Molly Shannon) inside, holding a gun and threatening them with a chilling “Don’t move, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.” This dramatic cliffhanger leaves the trio—and the audience—on edge, wondering what will happen next.
The episode’s ends deepens the intrigue, blending personal struggles with the overarching mystery. The stakes are higher than ever as the trio faces new challenges and threats. Each revelation brings them closer to finding the truth about Sazz’s murder and the secrets hidden in the West Tower. With suspenseful twists and emotional moments, the series keeps viewers eagerly anticipating the next chapter.
The episode culminates in a dramatic and emotionally charged finale, bringing together various threads of the storyline. Charles’s attempt to honor Sazz through a stuntman’s funeral, despite its unconventional nature, represents a poignant moment of closure for him. The ceremony, though filled with humor, underscores his deep sense of responsibility and loss.
The discovery of the Sazz Pataki Impact Academy stands as a testament to her legacy and unfulfilled dreams, offering a glimmer of hope and continuity amidst the grief. However, the tension escalates when Bev Melon, armed and threatening, appears at the end, introducing a new layer of suspense. This unexpected cliffhanger propels the narrative forward, leaving viewers in suspense about the upcoming developments.
As the trio faces mounting challenges and dangers, the stakes have never been higher. With personal stakes intertwined with the central mystery, the episode not only deepens the intrigue but also sets the stage for intense future confrontations. The intricate blend of personal emotion and suspense keeps the audience on edge, eagerly anticipating how the mysteries will open and how the characters will move the escalating tensions.
