Only Murders In The Building Recap: Recap: 10 Things To Remember Before Season 4

Only Murders in the Building season 4 will undoubtedly carry on several of season 3's storylines, making a recap of its predecessor vital. The ending of Only Murders in the Building season 3 wrapped up another murder mystery arc nicely. However, as is usually the case with the comedy show, another person fell victim to a murder in the titular New York building, with Only Murders in the Building's season 4 trailer teasing what is to come.

Interestingly, Only Murders in the Building season 4's setting change takes the show to Los Angeles as opposed to New York, offering a nice change of pace for the fourth outing. Regarding what else will take place in Only Murders in the Building season 4's story, however, a lot of it will stem from the previous season. With that in mind, it is worth recapping season 3, from where the characters were left off and what could await them in the future to the mysterious case of a brand-new murder before Only Murders in the Building season 4.

10 Oliver, Charles, & Mabel Continued Their Podcast While Making A Successful Broadway Musical

The Showbiz Life Continues For Only Murders' Trio

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

As alluded to, Only Murders in the Building season 4 takes place in Los Angeles. While this may seem a drastic change, it is in line with the stories of Oliver, Charles, and Mabel from season 3. The trio continued their titular podcast while also dipping their feet into Broadway. The play "Death Rattle Dazzle" took up most of their story in Only Murders in the Building season 3, adding to the already-showbiz lives of Charles and Oliver.

In Only Murders in the Building season 4, the trio will be whisked to LA as someone wants to adapt their podcast into a musical. This makes the fact that the podcast is still going strong a vital thing to remember, alongside the acting history of Charles and Oliver. This time, the trio will be introduced to an entirely different world of showbiz, stemming from their explorations with musicals and podcasts in Only Murders in the Building season 3.

9 Donna & Cliff Killed Paul Rudd’s Ben

The Murderers Were Revealed In Season 3's Finale

The central murder of Only Murders in the Building season 3 was against Paul Rudd's Ben. The character was initially thought to be dead after being poisoned onstage during Oliver's musical, before returning later. However, Ben was then pushed down the elevator shaft in the trio's building, leading to a lengthy investigation into who killed the leading man and why.

By the time of season 3's ending, it was revealed that Donna and Cliff killed Ben. Donna and Cliff were the mother-son duo who produced Oliver's play. Donna originally tried to poison Ben as the actor had received a bad review for his performance in "Death Rattle Dazzle." Donna did not want her son's first producer credit to be negatively reviewed, thus attempting to remove Ben from the equation. However, Ben survived, before Cliff finished the job by pushing Ben down the elevator shaft after a brief argument.

8 Oliver & Loretta Began A Relationship

Oliver Finally Took His Chance With Loretta

One of the other new characters introduced in Only Murders in the Building season 3 was Loretta. Loretta was played by Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep in Only Murders in the Building, with the character starring as the female lead of Oliver's play. Throughout the show, Loretta's character received a fair amount of development, from being positioned as the murderer of Ben to exploring her own career.

One of the bigger developments of Loretta's character involved her burgeoning relationship with Oliver. The two were shown to get along well from their first meeting, with their connection growing slightly flirty as Only Murders in the Building season 3 went on. By the time of the season's ending, Oliver told Loretta how he felt and the two committed to one another, ending their relationship off on a positive note going into Only Murders in the Building season 4.

7 Mabel & Tobert Had A Brief Relationship

Mabel's Relationship Trend Continued In Season 3

Another new character to the cast of Only Murders in the Building season 3 was Tobert, played by Jesse Williams. Tobert was the man hired to make a documentary about Ben's life, thus ensuring he crossed paths with Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. The latter character spent a lot more time with Tobert than the former two, with another relationship blossoming in Only Murders in the Building season 3.

Tobert and Mabel's close connection grew into more of a relationship as the show went on. By the time of season 3's ending, Tobert asked Mabel to make their relationship more official by moving together to the West Coast. However, Mabel declined Tobert's offer, explaining that she still needs to figure out her life in New York and continuing one of Only Murders in the Building's most frustrating trends regarding her character.

6 Dickie Was Revealed As Loretta's Son

Loretta Has A Connection To Another Only Murders Character

Atop her relationship with Oliver, Loretta had another big storyline in Only Murders in the Building season 3. This involved Dickie, the younger brother of Ben, who also served as the actor's assistant. Early in the season, Loretta and Dickie were shown to be growing closer, bonding over their dislike for Ben and his mistreatment of the latter. This positioned the two as suspects in Ben's murder before Loretta's true connection to Dickie was revealed.

Loretta is actually Dickie's birth mother, proving why she took such an interest in his life. Also, Loretta auditioned for "Death Rattle Dazzle" in order to get closer to Dickie. Loretta eventually built up the courage to tell Dickie of their connection, bringing them closer together in Only Murders in the Building's season 3 ending.

5 Cinda Offered Mabel A Job

Mabel Had A Big Decision To Make In Season 3

A recurring character in Only Murders in the Building is Tina Fey's Cinda. Cinda is somewhat of a rival to Charles, Mabel, and Oliver, given that she is a competitor in the business of true-crime podcasts. Cinda took a brief hiatus from her job after Only Murders in the Building season 2, in which it was revealed that Cinda's assistant was a murderer.

However, O nly Murders in the Building season 3 saw Cinda return. Cinda asked to speak to Mabel midway through the season, going as far as to offer her a job with greater financial benefits. Mabel declined the offer, yet Cinda insisted it remained on the table should she change her mind. This plot point could easily tie into Only Murders in the Building season 4 if Mabel begins to doubt her place among the trio of her, Charles, and Oliver.

4 Loretta, Dickie & Tobert Traveled To LA

Three Important Characters Could Return In Season 4

As it turns out, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are not the only characters who will be traveling to the West Coast in Only Murders in the Building season 4. At the end of season 3, Dickie - who had become Loretta's manager - alerted his mother that she received offers for multiple acting gigs in Los Angeles. The duo then departs for LA, explaining why Streep is confirmed to return in Only Murders in the Building season 4, and hinting that Dickie could too.

Another character who left for LA was Tobert. The aforementioned offer Tobert made to Mabel was for her to move to LA with him. However, Mabel declined. Regardless, Tobert is now living in LA, which could lead to a storyline for Mabel, who will be in the city in O nly Murders in the Building season 4. Although Jesse Williams has confirmed he will not return for the upcoming season, Tobert's offer could still hang over Mabel without his physical appearance in the show.

3 Oliver Has Heart Problems

Oliver Could Have A Health Journey In Season 4

One of the more surprising storylines of Only Murders in the Building season 3 centered around Oliver. Naturally, organizing a Broadway play in the midst of murders and podcasts caused a lot of stress. However, this stress combined with Oliver's poor lifestyle choices caused a heart attack. Throughout Only Murders in the Building season 3, Oliver had two different heart attacks, though managed to live through both of them.

In Only Murders in the Building season 4, Oliver could be portrayed slightly differently as a result. It could be the case that Oliver is more careful about certain things, such as searching LA for murderers or putting himself in dangerous, stressful situations. It could even be the case that Only Murders in the Building season 4 uses Oliver's heart attack predicament for comedy, given the more light-hearted tone of the story.

2 Jane Lynch’s Sazz Returned To Talk With Charles About Something “Sensitive”

Sazz Teased The Unfolding Mystery Of Only Murders In The Building Season 4

A recurring character throughout the first three seasons of Only Murders in the Building was Sazz Pataki, played by Jane Lynch. Sazz is Charles' former stunt double who worked with him on the TV show "Brazzos," meaning the two have a close friendship. For the most part, Sazz has been utilized as a side character who appears occasionally to catch up and help with certain things in Charles' life. In Only Murders in the Building season 3, she returned for a similar role before becoming the centerpiece of season 4.

Sazz returned to celebrate with Charles, Mabel, and Oliver for the latter's show being a success and another murder being solved. However, before they can celebrate, Sazz tells Charles that she needs to talk to him. She mentions that the subject matter is sensitive, which is uncharacteristic for Sazz who tends to wear her heart on her sleeve. This leads to another major plot point to remember from the show's third season which will undoubtedly be the fulcrum of Only Murders in the Building season 4.

1 Sazz Was Murdered, But The Target May Have Been Charles

Sazz's Sensitive Topic Could Explain Her Murder, & Charles' Involvement

Only Murders in the Building season 4 will center around Sazz's murder, which occurs shortly after she tells Charles about her sensitive topic. Interestingly though, Charles was likely the intended victim of the murder. In the final episode of Only Murders in the Building season 3, Sazz and Charles were dressed identically, as they tend to be often. Charles loudly states that he will go up to his apartment to fetch a drink for the four to celebrate with, though Sazz goes in his place.

This is where Sazz is shot through the window of Charles' apartment. As such, it is likely that whoever killed Sazz intended to kill Charles. Furthermore, Sazz's sensitive topic could tie into the murder of Charles, setting up the intriguing mystery that will be told in Only Murders in the Building season 4.