Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 1 recap: heading to Hollywood

The Only Murders in the Building trio is back for another case, but at the start of Only Murders in the Building season 4 they don't know another person has been killed in the Arconia. Nor do they realize the victim is Charles’ (Steve Martin) long-running stunt double and close friend Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch). Instead, Charles thinks Sazz left the party early without saying goodbye.

While Oliver's (Martin Short) musical Death Rattle Dazzle has already closed on Broadway (due to the producers having to pull their finances to pay for their legal fees), there is another opportunity on the horizon as Hollywood is calling. Oliver, Charles and Mabel (Selena Gomez) fly to Tinseltown for a meeting about a movie version of the podcast, but Mabel has doubts regarding this big-screen adaptation.

While in Los Angeles, they find clues regarding Sazz's whereabouts, beginning another investigation. But was Sazz the intended target?

Where's Sazz?

Picking up where OMITB season 3 left off, the podcast trio makes sure to record their wrapup episode with the facts still fresh. During Charles’ closing comments, a brief power surge interrupts the recording. Oliver observes this has happened frequently since they banned the old Arconia incinerator.

The trio decides to have a nightcap at Charles' place, though Charles can't help but wonder why Sazz never returned to the party after she went to his apartment to get a bottle of wine.

We know though that Sazz was shot through Charles's window, drawing her last breath on Charles' kitchen floor in blood. But the trio doesn't find her body and someone has cleaned up the scene. However, they haven't gotten rid of all the evidence, as there is blood spatter on the oven and a bullet hole in the window. How long before they realize that Sazz is dead?

Hollywood calling

The morning after, Mabel is listless as she is staying at Oliver's apartment as she still hasn't gotten a place of her own and Oliver is downtrodden following the news about this play. Howard (Michael Cyril Ceighton) stops by with his new dog, Gravey, to pitche Mabel a podcast about animals with jobs (Gravey is a former service animal). Mabel is unenthusiastic about this suggestion. While Howard doesn't know Gravey's previous job, the dog barks loudly at where Sazz died. Meanwhile, Charles gest a text message from someone pretending to be Sazz says she had to "jet off last minute" for a job with Scott Bakula.

Oliver's mood brightens when he finds out that Paramount wants to make a movie version of their podcast ("F*** the theatre!"), and they will be flown out to Los Angeles to discuss the details.

In L.A., the meeting with Bev Melon (Molly Shannon) is overwhelming as the studio is ready to move forward with the movie. All the trio needs to do is sign off on their life rights. Oliver and Charles are keen, but Mabel is worried how they will portray her. To help persuade them , Bev invites the trio to a big splashy party.

But first, they stop at Sazz's apartment. A stack of packages outside her door suggests she hasn’t been home yet. Oliver reasons that maybe the Bakula project is on location.

Meeting the cast of the Only Murders in the Building movie

At the party, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy and Zach Galifianakis (all playing versions of themselves) are unveiled as the actors playing Mabel, Charles and Oliver. Oliver immediately offends Zach because he doesn't know who he is; Mabel is flattered but still reticent; while Charles is distracted by the Sazz of it all.

Eva is impressed Mabel is holding out as the script makes her sound like a "sad sack," but Mabel can't hide how uncertain she is about everything. Eva advises Mabel on how to deal with this crossroads she is at: "Ask them for a s***-ton of money and then build something with it." Oh, by the way, they aged Mabel up for the movie because a focus group found the age gap between her and the older guys too creepy.

Also at the party is Loretta (Meryl Streep). who Oliver is thrilled see after five days apart. Loretta has been busy with her new job and hasn't been as responsive on text, and Oliver’s insecurities are showing. The pair have a nice private fireside moment where Loretta asks if he would consider moving to L.A. "I'm so in love with you," Loretta tells him.  It seems like Oliver might ask her to marry him, but he gets cold feet, though he does tell her he loves her too.

Much to Oliver's delight, Mabel had a productive conversation with Bev and signs the deal, but this joy is short-lived. Charles ran into Scott Bakula (playing himself), who said Sazz didn't show up on set to double him, which is incredibly unlike her.

Finding Sazz

The trio breaks into Sazz's apartment, where they find a lot of concerning notes that appear to be clues regarding something she was investigating to do with Charles. Mabel is curious about the X-rays Sazz has decorated her apartment with, which Charles explains are all her injuries that led to joint replacements (the best of which come from Bulgaria).

Mabel gets a text from Howard, who says Gravey is ready to record an Animal Jobs episode. Mabel assumes Howard has misspelled the name. Instead, this is wordplay because "Grave-y" was a cadaver dog. Charles gets a call from doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca) about the note Charles left about replacing his glass window, but Charles didn't make the request. Suddenly, all the pieces drop into place.

The trio rush back to New York, where they find the bullet hole and blood on the oven. Gravey barks at the spot where Sazz died and follows the scent to the basement incinerator, where they discover ashes and Bulgarian metal joints. Charles texts Sazz's phone to say he knows this person is not Sazz and asks who they are. "Not your f***ing friend," is their chilling response. But who is it?

New episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 4 arrives Tuesdays on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.