'Only Murders in the Building' is falling into a familiar trap and it's time for a change
Contains major spoilers for 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 1 to 4
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Hulu's murder mystery series, 'Only Murders in the Building', has been going strong for four seasons, serving up one gripping whodunit plot after another. Season 4, premiered in August 2024, revolves around the murder investigation of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), who worked as Charles's body double for years.
In the eight episodes released so far, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) have looked into several suspects including The Brother Sisters, the Westies, Dudenoff, and Marshall. However, there has been no evidence or confession that could incriminate them as killers. While heading towards the finale, 'OMITB' Season 4's Episode 8 introduced a brand new suspect- Glen Stubbins (Paul Rudd). Whether he's really the killer is a twist for another episode, but the show seems to be stuck in a pattern that's starting to wear thin.
Decoding one common pattern in every season of 'Only Murders in the Building'
Those who have followed all the seasons of the Hulu series can easily spot the one recurring pattern throughout--- The real killer is never considered until the final episode. Pick Season 1, for example. Jan was never considered or interrogated by the podcaster trio. Season 2 followed the same theme where Poppy aka Becky Butler was never on the suspect list. You can't even blame the trio. She, similar to Season 1's Jan, behaved completely unsuspicious and was only revealed in the finale. Then again in Season 3, Donna and Cliff were never considered by the trio.
Season 4 seems to be falling into the same pattern. Ever since the investigation began, they suspected the Westies as killers. The suspicion grew when it was found out that Dudenoff was dead and the Westies were cashing his cheques and lying about him living in Portugal.
Following the pattern as usual, Episode 8 of 'OMITB' Season 4 revealed that the Westies are innocent while introducing Glen as the new suspect. Now, Glen could have the motive for murder. He may have wanted to kill Charles for some old vendetta that has some connection with Ben. Or probably, he did actually want to target Sazz, for some workplace rivalry. But he is a weak suspect since someone shot at him during the photoshoot.
With Glen's role in the crime still unclear and the Westies ruled out, the trio now has to shift their focus to the community of stuntmen or the production crew. Chances are pretty high that this season's killer hasn't been considered yet.
'Only Murders in the Building' needs to alter its predictable pattern
Yes, we agree that the killer in murder mysteries is generally the one we least suspect. And 'Only Murders in the Building' aces when it comes to retaining the thrill till the very end. But the problem is the pattern. In none of the seasons, the actual killer is ever considered or questioned for once.
This makes Season 4 a bit predictable. Since the beginning, fans could predict that the Westies were innocent. Even Marshall (Jin Ha), the screenwriter, also appears to be innocent, although he is the weirdest character. When the trio questioned him, he opened up about his stand-up show. Though the trio no longer suspect him, his weirdness is just meant to confuse the audience.
Now this pattern has led viewers to look at the characters that the trio isn't even suspecting. Glen has been one of them ever since he smashed a bottle on Charles's head and acted innocent. Then there's Bev Melon (Molly Shannon) and Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton), two other characters that have been all over this season's plot but not on the trio's radar. And of course, we also have three Hollywood actors who are playing Charles, Oliver and Mabel in the movie. If Season 4 repeats the pattern, it would be truly annoying for someone who religiously follows the show.
Eight episodes of 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+