'Only Murders in the Building' fans may have cracked the 'Tinsel' clue

A small clue ignored in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 could be the only missing part of the puzzle in Sazz Pataki's murder investigation
PUBLISHED OCT 12, 2024
The suspect list in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 is long, and fans will need more clues to solve the mystery (@hulu)
The suspect list in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 is long, and fans will need more clues to solve the mystery (@hulu)

Contains spoilers and speculations for 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Fans of 'Only Murders in the Building' are all worked up speculating Season 4's killer. The podcaster trio—Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short)—initially suspected the Westies but later shifted their focus to the production crew only to later find in Episode 7 that Westies have a connection with Dudenoff's (Griffin Dunne) death.

Amid all the chaos and confusion, fans on Reddit have recalled a small clue from one of the initial episodes of the ongoing season which the trio had sidelined as they had bigger leads to pursue. We’re referring to the 'tinsel' found in Dudenoff’s apartment, which shifted suspicion toward Rudy Thurber (Kumail Nanjiani), the Christmas enthusiast.

Reddit user explains a hidden clue in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4

A still from 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 (@hulu)
A still from 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 (@hulu)

A Reddit user came up with the most convincing theory that explains the clue found in Dudenoff's apartment. He argues that "It's not "tinsel", it's Splicing Tape for a reel to reel tape recorder-like the one in the just-released photos for future episodes!"

He further explains, "Remember in episode 1/season 4, Charles is recording his name on the next podcast episode when the lights suddenly go out? He finishes his last syllable as the lights come back on, and then he says to Mabel, “You can just splice them together" and she sarcastically says, "Yeah, I'll get out the splicer...". So, here we have it! Dudenoff used a splicer for his audio equipment ~ which was old technology! He might've used splicing tape for his Super-8 video camera as well! And since the Brothers Sisters own his old video cameras, they too must have had to use splicing tape to splice together pieces of film! So, that explains what was found on the floor of the Dudenoff apartment that looked like tinsel!"

This observation has led fans to speculate that The Brothers Sisters might have unknowingly documented Sazz's murder since they were present at Dudenoff's apartment on the night of the crime. Adding to the thread, a fan said, "I'm not sure if they know what they have on film yet. Maybe they'll realize later or maybe someone will find their film or audio and see it! Or maybe they're more involved in Sazz's death than we (or they) know and they documented it on film."

Another fan added, "Maybe they're (The Brother Sisters) not the killers but they caught the shooting on tape or video. They might not even know they have it." Meanwhile, a fan commenting on the splicing theory noted, "The voicemail from Sazz to Bev others have mentioned it sounded spliced together. It would be easier to use modern equipment but what if whoever used it had old tapes of Sazz they spliced."

The Reddit thread, which has gone viral among fans, appears to connect several loose ends, and it would be mind-boggling if these theories turn out to be true.

'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4's killer is still a mystery

Steve Martin and Eugene Levy in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 (@hulu)
Steve Martin and Eugene Levy in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 (@hulu)

After three seasons, the show has cemented itself as a fan favorite, largely due to its knack for keeping the mystery alive until the final moments. This latest season continues to deliver on that promise, maintaining a strong sense of intrigue while sparking fan theories that are simply too compelling to overlook.

On one hand, we have the Westies, who have been under suspicion since the beginning. They are some truly weird people, who also happen to be hiding about Dudenoff's death. Given that Dudenoff and Sazz Pataki's (Jane Lynch) remains were found in the same place, the Westies are the most obvious suspects. However, it seems unlikely that they are the killers, as they have been under scrutiny since the investigation began.

Then comes Bev Melon (Molly Shannon), the Hollywood producer who wants to make a film on the podcast. She has a career to save and she could do anything for it. Though she escaped the suspicion by sharing the audio note sent to her by Sazz before the murder, we highly doubt its authenticity.

Next is Eugene Levy (playing himself) who has been signed to play Charles in the movie. Since the beginning, he seems to be extremely obsessed with Charles that it often comes out as a little weird. He may have been desperate to portray Charles and may have killed Sazz, whom he possibly saw as a potential competition. The list of suspects is quite long and it would take a few more clues for fans and the protagonists to solve this season's mystery.

New episode of 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 arrives every Tuesday on Hulu and Disney+

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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