Major Clues: Detailed Breakdown

This article contains spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1, “Once Upon a Time in the West.”

Who killed Sazz? This question drives the newest episode of Only Murders in the Building, as Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) head to Los Angeles. Their Hollywood adventure begins when producer Bev Melon (Molly Shannon) options the rights to their podcast, yet their real concern remains back in New York.

At the close of season 3, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), the stunt double and friend of Charles, was shot in his apartment. It appears someone mistook Sazz for Charles, who is both an actor and a singer.

The episode introduces a twist. The trio, unaware of Sazz’s tragic fate, returns to Charles’ apartment. Instead of finding Sazz, they discover her body is missing. The letter she began to write in blood is gone, and initial evidence of the murder is largely unnoticed.

It’s only after Howard’s new cadaver dog, “Gravey,” picks up a scent that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel piece together what happened. They find that Sazz was shot in Charles’ apartment, the murder scene was covered up, and her body was disposed of in the supposedly out-of-order incinerator at the Arconia.

Sifting through the incinerator’s ashes, Charles discovers the metal joints that Sazz had replaced in her career as a stuntwoman, confirming his worst fears. Someone else, pretending to be Sazz, had sent the misleading text messages. When Charles confronts “Sazz” through text, the killer replies chillingly: “Not your f–ing friend.”

The cover-up includes a note to Arconia’s doorman, Lester, to replace the bullet-damaged kitchen window. The noise from the window had been bothering Charles, a subtle clue indicating all wasn’t right.

More clues emerge from Sazz’s apartment, potentially linking back to earlier seasons. A mutual funds envelope marked “Looking at Charles” hints that the killer might be addressing loose ends from past crimes. Another clue, a slip of paper from La Cienega Heights marked “Sick Pup,” suggests an unresolved subplot: who poisoned Winnie’s bulldog in season one.

Further evidence on Sazz’s desk includes references to the Arconia’s West Tower, a note reminding her to cancel a doctor’s appointment, and other small but potentially significant items, pointing in various directions.

One lead points to the Brothers sisters, the directors of the Only Murders in the Building movie, whom the trio meets in LA. They also encounter figures casting for the movie: Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Zach Galifianakis, portraying Charles, Mabel, and Oliver, respectively. This adds layers to the theme of doppelgängers, as reflections and mistaken identities play major roles in the unfolding mystery.

Showrunner John Hoffman discussed the season’s new arc, laden with themes of reflection and doppelgängers, in an interview with Vanity Fair. He explored how seeing oneself reflected in different forms—be it on film or via impersonation—builds upon the narrative structure in intriguing ways.

Hoffman mentions a deliberate effort to explore unexamined parts of the Arconia, questioning: “Where did that shot come from, and what part of that building have we not explored?” This leads the story to the west side of the Arconia, home to new characters to be played by Richard Kind, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Kumail Nanjiani.

New episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 4 premiere on Tuesdays on Hulu.

Source: ComicBook.com