If you watched Season Three of Only Murders in the Building, you know it ended with, well, another murder in the building. But if there’s one thing fans can count on, it’s that Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) will be sure to follow the case closely.
The series’ season three premiere marked the highest-rated Hulu episode of 2023, and the show nabbed nearly a dozen Emmy nominations, making expectations for the next season even higher. And while some themes will remain tried and true (like the group working together to hunt down the latest murderer all while recording their podcast and Oliver’s love of dips), a few changes and additions to the show have already been announced.
Craig Erwich, Disney Television Group President, teased that in the fourth season, the self-imposed sleuths will relocate from The Arconia apartment building in New York City to sunny Los Angeles.
“Well, I’m very excited to see Steve, Martin, and Selena take a little break from the apartment building and come to Los Angeles,” Erwich told Deadline. “So in the same way that John Hoffman [showrunner] used the canvas of Broadway to tell what I think was one of the most unique seasons you’ve ever seen, the same unique Only Murders take will be applied to Los Angeles, which I’m really excited about.”
Here’s the rundown on everything we know we can expect from Season Four of Only Murders in the Building.
Where did we leave off?
In the final moments of the Season Three finale, Sazz (Jane Lynch) swung by Charles’ apartment to celebrate the success of the Broadway show Death Razzle Dazzle’s opening night. But before the stunt double could get too comfortable, a bullet flew in from the window and struck her in the chest. Before the credits rolled, Sazz appeared to write a message on the floor with her own blood. Some have speculated that Season Four’s killer will come for Charles next.
It was also revealed that Paul Rudd’s Ben Glenroy was slain by Death Rattle Dazzle producer Cliff (Wesley Taylor) after his mother and producer Donna (Linda Emond) failed to successfully poison Ben before opening night. Jonathan (Jason Veasey) stepped in for the Death Razzle Dazzle lead role but got too high to perform, leaving director Oliver to take his place.
“It’s a well-constructed, intertwined explanation of a whodunit,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall of the final episode.
Do we know when the new season will premiere?
Not yet. On Oct. 3, the day the season finale aired, Hulu announced that the murder mystery series would be renewed for another installment. And less than a week later, Only Murders in the Building writers went back to work following the Writers Guild ratification of a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios and streamers on Oct. 9.
Who is confirmed in the cast?
Other People’s Molly Shannon will join Only Murders in the Building as a high-level L.A. businesswoman who gravitates toward murder investigations in New York, Deadline reported. Podcast heroes Martin, Short, and Gomez will continue to lead the series.
While it’s unclear which other reoccurring characters will travel to L.A., previous seasons have included Michael Cyril Creighton’s Howard, Jackie Hoffman’s Uma, Teddy Coluca’s Lester, Ryan Broussard’s Will, Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Detective Donna Williams, and James Caverly’s Theo. Tina Fey’s return as Cinda also remains a mystery: she only had a single episode appearance during Season Three.
Meryl Streep, Jesse Williams, and Ashley Park also played a part in the latest season, with Streep having a standout performance of the original ballad “Look for the Light,” which was released to streaming services in August. John Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in October that he hoped to bring Streep and Williams to the next installment.
“There is no greater hope for me,” Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter. “I love them both, Jesse and Meryl, everyone. I mean, for God’s sakes, I would bring Paul back if we can. Listen, I would bring everyone back, and that might happen. Victims, killers, they’re all able to play in the landscape within this sort of certain narrative ways we can tell our stories.”
