The following contains spoilers for Only Murders in the Building season 4 finale, "My Best Friend's Wedding."Only Murders in the Building's missing character may be integral to season 5. By the time theOnly Murders in the Building season 4 finale came around, screenwriter Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha) was revealed to be the person who murdered Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), in part because his own insecurities drove him. However, as is the case with the hit Hulu show, another mystery was unveiled related to Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio and his disappearance.
In an interview with TVLine, showrunner and co-creator John Hoffman previewed what could be in store for the already-confirmed season 5. He was particularly asked about Téa Leoni's character, Sofia, what connection she may have to the story, and whether this would lean into mob elements.
There is a real opportunity, I think, for Season 5 to take us back into the land of New York today, in many ways… and maybe even headlines about New York City today, in the real world, might influence some of the stories in a way that we haven’t done yet.
While avoiding any spoilers, the showrunner also reassured that the mystery in season 5 will have relevance, whether it be Nicky's potential ties to the Arconia and the history of the building.
Do you have a little microphone in the writers’ room? These are questions we asked, for sure, and have relevance to the stories we may be looking at for Season 5.
Hoffman, who created the series with co-lead Steve Martin, also touched on the shocking death of Lester (Teddy Coluca) and who might be responsible for it. He was particularly asked about Uma (Jackie Hoffman), who was the last to see Sofia, and a theory of her having a secret life as a queenpin of the New York underworld. Read his response below:
Well, now you’re going too deep! There are a few elements within the story that we’re telling for Season 5 that, certainly, I hope make people happy. But it’s both a further delving into the dynamics within the building and its people — tenants we have grown to love that we may have missed a little bit here and there, but also some new faces as well that are in the building that we haven’t yet discovered… and some ripe opportunities for lovely guest star hits, too. This feels like a season that is going to sit in the lane that I love, which is the great character actors, and actors in New York City, will be hopefully employed and in good stead.
What Only Murders' New Mystery Means For The Show
Could The Two Stories Be Connected?
Sofia appears near the end of the finale to set up Only Murders in the Building season 5. She introduces herself to Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Charles (Steve Martin) and asks them to look into Nicky's disappearance. They reply that disappearances are not their area of expertise. More to the point, they only investigate murders that occur within the walls of Arconia. The response displeases Sofia. But as Charles walks away, he reveals his attraction to Sofia.
Only Murders in the Building has some of the best guest stars on television, but there are plenty of other actors who would be perfect for the show.
A short while later, after the wedding of Oliver (Martin Short) and Loretta (Meryl Streep), the central podcasting trio finds Lester dead and in a pool of his own blood. On the surface, the two stories may be separate. But without knowing what happened to Lester, it's possible that Sofia was involved or at least that she may know something about what happened. It already sets up a key tension for the upcoming episodes, playing on whether Sofia can be at all trusted.
Season 5 Could Play On Charles' Biggest Misfortune
Charles Hasn't Had Much Luck With Relationships
These questions are made more complicated because Charles has been unlucky in love. He shares that in common with Mabel, though to an even more significant degree. The fourth installment has a lot of fun with Charles' connection to the murderous Jan (Amy Ryan), who pops up again to save the day in the finale. But to a less extreme degree, Charles' bumpy relationship with Joy (Andrea Martin) also fizzed.
Martin addressed Joy's absence in an interview with
Screen Rant
, saying in part: “
Stories take different directions, it’s really hard to honor every single character
.”
Leoni is confirmed to be a part of the Only Murders cast for the upcoming installment, which means that the Hulu Original is gaining another familiar face and that Charles' unlucky romance streak could continue if that becomes part of the story. The actor is known for her leading role in the CBS series Madam Secretary,where she played Elizabeth McCord for all the show's six seasons. On the big screen, Leoni appeared in Bad Boys, Deep Impact, and Jurassic Park III. Notably, Leoni's appearance as Sofia marks her first major role since Madam Secretary wrapped in 2019.
Our Take On Only Murders' New Mystery
A Return To The Arconia Is Welcomed
Image via Hulu
After a focus on Broadway to mixed results in season 3 and a spotlight on movies, with arguably too many special guests, in season 4, a return to The Arconia and the loss of the building's trusty doorman could help the Hulu show move its attention back to the relatively simpler elements that turned itinto a roaring success. A tendency to go bigger and indulge in distracting celebrity cameos is a recurring TV problem, impacting The Bear and Abbott Elementary, and it's an aftereffect of the sort of success that attracts attention.
Only Murders in the Building is still plenty enjoyable. But between Lester's death and a veteran guest star that is more than just a fun cameo, season 5 has the opportunity to scale back and refocus on the relative simplicity of the first few seasons. It also depends on the casting of Nicky, which has yet to be announced, and whichever other elements that the Hulu hit brings in. It makes the casting announcements even more crucial to keep track of, once they start to roll in.
Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers, each with a shared interest in true crime, who team up to investigate a death in their apartment building, unraveling secrets and uncovering unexpected twists.
Image via Hulu 
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