Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for Only Murders In The Building Season 4 follow. In Season 4 of the hit Hulu series, Only Murders In The Building, Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) are back in action — this time with Hollywood knocking on their door. Paramount Studios dreams of turning the trio’s chaotic podcast into a feature film, sending our crew packing for L.A., visions of stardom dancing in their heads. But, of course, murder seems to be part of the package deal.
The season finale begins with a flashback to Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), who’s toying with a new chapter in her life by drafting a script for the Only Murders movie while on set. Fast forward to the present day, and two out of the three in our trio are deep in the mystery, where the killer’s identity is anything but obvious. Could it be an actor gunning for the part, a stuntman gone rogue, or even those quirky Brothers sisters? Is one of them really bold enough to make the final blow?
By the end of Episode 9, we learn Marshall (Jin Ha) has a dark side. Yep, the same quiet writer who wanted to make it big was really Sazz’s protégé this whole time. Mabel spots a script draft by Sazz, sparking suspicions, and everything swiftly comes together that Marshall is behind the killings. The quiet writer, desperate for fame, had hidden his violent ambitions, concealing his role as both Sazz’s student and killer.
As per usual, this OMITB season wraps up with jaw-dropping revelations and plenty of nostalgic callbacks, leaving die-hard fans buzzing with theories about what’s next for the Arconia sleuths. So, if you’re still piecing together what went down in the Only Murders In The Building Season 4 finale, we’ve got all the clues laid out right here.
Mabel and Marshall
Episode 9 leaves us on edge with Mabel and Marshall alone in Dudenoff’s apartment, working on the Only Murders script. Tension rises as viewers know Marshall read Charles’ warning text to Mabel. Meanwhile, at the start of Episode 10, Charles and Oliver panic, realizing each time they solve a mystery, another murder follows. With Oliver’s wedding approaching, he fears for Loretta’s safety — until Mabel sends Charles a chilling message: “Call the police or come near her door and I’ll kill her.” Charles rushes to the window, spotting Mabel with Marshall, who closes the blinds.
Just as Mabel is about to make her exit, Marshall drops a bombshell confession: he was the one who killed Glen, all to keep his twisted secret safe. And now, he tells Mabel she’s next on his list. But Mabel’s quick on her feet. Instead of panicking, she zeroes in on the script lying on the table, picking apart the mistakes with razor-sharp critique. She points out plot holes, weak lines, and messy scenes, throwing him off balance. Marshall, flustered and desperate for validation, agrees to delay his plan until they’ve finished “perfecting” the script together.
Realizing the ledge connecting the apartment windows explains the crime, Charles devises a plan: sneak into Dudenoff’s apartment from Vince’s window. As Charles makes his way across the ledge, he’s joined by Oliver for support. Despite Sazz being shot from Dudenoff’s apartment, the West Tower residents are still not guilty of what happened to Sazz. In fact, while Charles and Oliver make their way over, Vince and Rudy lend the pair a hand to distract Marshall. Using Eva Longoria’s multitool to disarm him, Charles and Oliver finally confront Marshall, demanding answers.
Why Kill Sazz?
Marshall, frustrated by his stalled writing career, came to Hollywood chasing big dreams. Sazz was the first person who truly believed in him and offered to read his screenplay after he got booted from a film project. When she showed him her own Only Murders movie script, Marshall was floored — it was better than anything he’d written. Out of envy, he lied, telling her it was no good.
Determined to succeed, Marshall took Sazz’s script, made a few tweaks, and sent it to Bev Melon, who quickly greenlit the project. Sazz soon found out and called Marshall to her place to confront him. Furious, she warned Marshall she’d tell Charles everything during her trip to see his Broadway debut, then kicked him out.
Panicking, Marshall saw no other way to protect his career than by silencing Sazz. He followed her to New York, broke into Dudenoff’s apartment, and used a sniper rifle to try to end it. When she didn’t die immediately, he relied on his stunt skills to climb around to Charles’ apartment, where he watched her take her final breath and threw her body into the building’s trash shoot, which closed up the incinerator trail.
Who’s next?
Following Marshall’s shocking confession, he corners the trio at gunpoint. But just when all hope seems lost, a single shot rings out through the window, taking him down. The shooter? None other than Jan, the original Season 1 killer, who’s been hiding in Charles’s apartment, seeking revenge for her friend. With Jan arrested and Sazz’s killer gone, the Only Murders team can finally head to their movie set to watch the real Sazz script play out.
After that full circle moment, Oliver and Loretta finally celebrate their wedding at the Arconia. As they share a private dance, Loretta reveals her plan to still move to New Zealand for her show. She can’t ask Oliver to leave his life and friends behind, just as he can’t ask her to stay.
After the wedding, Charles and Mabel are surprised by a mysterious visitor. She introduces herself as Sofia Caccimelio and asks for their help finding her missing husband, Nicky. Charles and Mabel decline, sticking to their rule: only murders in the building. But Sofia hints that Nicky’s fate is tied to the Arconia itself, leaving a business card behind in frustration.
The next day, Loretta says her goodbyes to Oliver, and Charles and Mabel wrap up their latest podcast. Just when they think they’ve had a murder-free day, they stumble upon a body in the Arconia fountain: Lester. Season 5 is supposedly set to kick off with the beloved Arconia doorman’s death, but who knows? Maybe Lester is more connected to the mystery revolving around Nicky Caccimelio than we think. Until (hopefully!) next time, deeper secrets in the Arconia await.