- The podcast listening tool has resurfaced.
Murders in the swanky "Aconia" skyscraper on New York's Upper West Side just doesn't stop: "Only Murders in the Building" is back with season four. This blend of humor and crime series is a smash hit with streaming viewers (available in Germany on Disney+), and it continues to attract plenty of A-list celebs.
In the previous season, Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd joined the cast, and with the new season (since August 27), you can expect to see Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"), Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover"), and Eugene Levy ("Schitt’s Creek"). The three stars play themselves: As actors, they assume the roles of the three hosts in a Hollywood adaptation of the podcast that's key to the plot.
Who pulled the trigger on the stuntwoman?
For all you armchair detectives, here's a recap: "Only Murders in the Building" centers around ex-TV detective Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), perpetually unsuccessful Broadway director Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and aspiring artist Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez). They share the same luxury apartment building in NYC and believe that another resident has been murdered. They decide to launch a true-crime podcast to find the real culprit, but they soon become targets themselves.
The series is filled with surprises, turns, and razor-sharp jokes. The charming combo of crime plot and showbiz satire has always benefited from highly talented actors who genuinely like each other.
Season three ended with a fatality. This time, it was Sazz (Jane Lynch, "Glee"), who served as Charles' stunt double in the cozy crime series he starred in. In the final episode, viewers witnessed her get shot and scrawl something on the floor with her blood. It's uncertain if she was trying to send a message or if the killers were actually after Charles but instead took Sazz out.
Over the course of ten weekly episodes, answers to these questions will be explored. The show will also jet off from the East Coast to LA, as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel attend the filming of their podcast's adaptation.
"Only Murders in the Building" has consistently utilized such nested film-within-a-film devices, and this season is no exception. However, the success of season four is also due to the fact that the basic recipe has remained largely intact: The humor is sharp, snappy, and filled with references. For instance, when Putnam first meets Galifianakis, who's playing him in the podcast adaptation, he exclaims, "Are you the kid from 'Home Alone'? What happened to you?"
It's highly probable that with the new season, not only will the show's characters see their fame increase in Hollywood, but "Only Murders" will also continue to thrive in real life. The series has been lauded by critics for years and has already nabbed four Primetime Emmys. It's nominated for 21 awards at this year's ceremony on September 15.
The actors Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, and Eugene Levy will join the star-studded cast of "Only Murders in the Building," playing themselves as the hosts of a Hollywood adaptation of the podcast's podcast. The series, which is back for its fourth season, is set to film parts of it in Los Angeles.
Unlike previous seasons, the new season of "Only Murders in the Building" will see the trio of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel venturing to Hollywood for the filming of their podcast's adaptation, providing a change of scenery from the East Coast.
