Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building Continues To Be Must-Watch TV in Star-Studded, Heartfelt Fourth Season

In this day and age, it feels like nothing short of a miracle to get a new season of a show every single year. Somehow, Hulu has managed to do just that with two of their biggest hits: the unshakable The Bear (in collaboration with FX, of course), and the always-delightful Only Murders in the Building.

With The Bear’s latest season, everyone’s favorite anxiety-inducing series seemed to stumble, falling out of the pop culture conversation quickly after faltering in quality. However, Only Murders fans don’t have to worry about their favorite series following in its footsteps. It brings me great joy to report that the fourth season of Hulu’s quirky, hilarious, and heartfelt murder mystery is just as funny and thoughtful as previous seasons, delivering a story grounded in the personal as it takes its biggest swing for the stars. 

Picking up in the immediate aftermath of Season 3—quite literally, as Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) put the finishing touches on the third season of their podcast, wrapping up the murder of Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd)—Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building finds our favorite trio headed for Hollywood. Paramount (the Pictures!) is fast-tracking a movie based on the trio’s podcast, carting them out to L.A. to meet Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Zach Galifianakis (playing themselves), who are preparing to play Charles, Mabel, and Oliver, respectively. But while in L.A., Charles worries about Sazz (Jane Lynch), whom he hasn’t seen since she disappeared from the wrap party in the Season 3 finale. Despite receiving texts from his stunt double with various excuses, the trio quickly realize that there’s much more to this mystery than a simple disappearing act. As they band together once more to solve this deeply personal murder, they find themselves questioning their role in the larger story, and how the promise of even further notoriety will change their lives forever. 

With every season of this show that passes, many people take to social media to wonder just how much juice this concept has left in its tank. How many people can really die in this building before it gets old? Thankfully, we haven’t hit that limit yet (and if I had it my way, we never would. If Jessica Fletcher can go 12 seasons where someone dies everywhere she goes and no one bats an eye, we can let this show run for years on end, dammit!). In fact, Only Murders is still uncovering parts of the Arconia that we’ve never seen before, offering glimpses of the mysterious West Tower, the rent-controlled part of the building that was sealed off from the illustrious Eastside years ago. This unlocked aspect introduces a slew of new and interesting characters as well, including Kumail Nanjiani’s Rudy and Richard Kind’s Vince. These additions (to both the building and the cast) feel like natural expansions of a show still so filled with life, both at its center and around the edges, allowing the series to grow and change in exciting and successful ways. 

But despite being its most star-studded season yet, Only Murders never loses its heart. As Charles deals with the loss of his beloved stunt double, he reckons with the guilt and grief of this traumatic situation, all while he reevaluates their relationship in the process. This season dares to ask what grief looks like when it’s colored by an overabundance of regret; Charles believes he wasn’t as good of a friend to Sazz as she was to him, and it defines his journey throughout the season. And though Sazz is dead, Lynch is more present than ever this season, bringing a delightful levity and charm to all her scenes. The season grounds itself in the relationship between Sazz and Charles, and when Lynch and Martin are on screen together, they carry a sweet and electric energy that sparks so much life and joy into their shared moments—which, in turn, only makes Sazz’s demise all the more bitter.