Only Murders In The Building ends season 4 on a delightfully mushy note
“My Best Friend’s Wedding” is this round’s finest outing.
Is it weird that Only Murders In The Building season four’s finest outing is its finale? (Fine, the Long Island episode was comedy gold, too.) It’s not entirely a surprise, but it sure is a delight to see how sweetly everything comes together in “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” And that’s despite learning the killer’s depressing motive and another dead body dropping in the Arconia. It’s just nice—and in tune with the rest of season four—that the Hulu series focuses on character moments and relationships to close out the year.
This episode is a neat reminder of why pragmatism isn’t as necessary for a TV show of this nature. We’re not here for common sense sleuth stories, something OMITB is losing grasp of anyway. (Why doesn’t anyone call the dependable Detective Williams when Marshall reveals he’s trapped Mabel in her apartment?) But it’s okay. We get treated to Oliver and Charles absurdly rescuing their friend from an armed psycho. They “step and drag” on the 14th-floor ledge from Vince’s home to Mabel’s while conquering their fear of heights. It’s visually spectacular and wacky—the OMITB we know and love. This episode also focuses on the show’s many well-developed friendships and, best of all, Oliver and Loretta’s beautiful nuptials. And this is the mushiest the writers have gone to date.
Most PopularOf course, to get to all this, the finale has to wrap up the season’s central suspense. I was almost impatient for them to get it over with because, predictably, the whole thing was flimsy. No offense to Sazz, played adorably by Jane Lynch during this episode, but I was ready for the mystery to end because it was the least interesting part of “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” But here’s how it all goes down: The two men successfully break into Mabel’s window, and Charles then flashes his Chekhov’s Gun Eva Longoria’s 19-in-1 tool, wielding it to get Marshall to confess.
In flashbacks, it’s revealed that Sazz continued to mentor Marshall even after the accident on Ron Howard’s set. She was so inspired by his dedication to his craft that she pursued her dream of making a movie, wanting to use the money to make that trampoline park in New Jersey. Step one was to find the right hero for a script. Inspiration struck on the Brazzos revival set in the form of her best friend. Sazz realized Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s podcast was excellent film material and a way to honor her No. 1 pal. Her only mistake was handing her only copy of OMITB: The Movie to Marshall for advice.
Related ContentSadly, we all know what went down next. Instead of supporting Sazz, Marshall stole the script, shopped it around until Bev Melon at Paramount picked it up, changed his name and appearance, and didn’t feel bad about it even after Sazz confronted him. He also didn’t seem too shaken up about following her to New York City and shooting her before she revealed the truth. Oh, and he also murdered Glen Stubbins before the Irish stuntman could recognize him. Marshall only expresses genuine remorse for accidentally injuring Zach Galifianakis. (“He was so funny in The Hangover.”)
In light of how glossy and glamorous season four has been, this reveal feels tepid. Couldn’t Marshall have chosen a less inconspicuous spot instead of the literal building where the podcasters expertly solve murders? Let’s not think too hard about it, just like we won’t question how Jan has just been hiding in the Arconia’s secret passageways for three weeks, waiting to exact revenge for Sazz’s death. She pops out just in time to save the trio and kill Marshall before getting sent back to prison. (It’s nice to briefly see you, unhinged Amy Ryan. I hope you return soon).
With all this wrapped up, OMITB moves on to the fun, utterly aww-inducing stuff: It’s time for Oliver and Loretta to marry in the Arconia’s courtyard, which is adorned with a chuppah and more flowers than the eyes can perceive. I was grinning like a fool watching Charles and Mabel walk Oliver down the aisle, looking proudly at their goofy little friend. (Side note: Steve Martin emotionally glancing at Martin Short throughout was extraordinary.) Loretta struts down the aisle in the arms of her son, Dicky, and Oliver’s son, Will. I’m glad OMITB included the adult kiddos in the ceremony. We don’t hear the happy couple’s vows in full, but we don’t need to. Their unbelievably joyous looks do the job.That said, Loretta Durkin-Putnam’s “Be my man, be my lover, be my friend, be my lover” did wreck me.
There’s dancing, tears, drinks, and a lot of laughs throughout the last 10 minutes or so of the episode. It’s almost easy to forget there was even a murder, although Charles reveals his plus one to the wedding is Sazz’s ashes. (Is this nice or creepy?) And all this is after Charles repeatedly notes that usually when they solve a murder, another one occurs right after. I love that OMITB is getting so self-referential because obviously there’s another murder. This time, it’s the Arconia’s doorman, Lester.
Lester’s death might seemingly tie into another mystery OMITB sets up for season five. Charles and Mabel are approached by a chic Sofia (Téa Leoni), who wants to hire the podcasters to investigate the disappearance of her husband. He’s the man we saw a news report about in last week’s episode. They decline the offer, but Sofia—who belongs to the mafia, by the way—insists his vanishing act ties into the building. It has to be connected to Lester, right? That man has worked at the Arconia for years, so OMITB has a lot of lore to mine from.
I was nervous when OMITB got renewed because I didn’t want the show to lose its spark. But if anything, the finale has reaffirmed my faith in the writers and performers, and I hope this new angle of them becoming PIs allows the show to experiment creatively and stretch itself in fun directions. We’ll find out in 2025.
Stray observations
- • There are cool Easter eggs in the opening credits, like the nod to the flower decorations in the Arconia and Howard walking with Sazz’s Olde Belgium six-pack.
- • Oliver, inquiring where Mabel is: “Where is the young one? We need a pliable brain on this.”
- • Loretta zips off to New Zealand the morning after the wedding because her Grey’s Anatomy spin-off has relocated there. Oliver was supposed to go with her, but she tells him she can’t take him away from his friends. Hey, they’ve had an unconventional courtship, so why not an unconventional marriage? This better not mean Meryl Streep’s exit from OMITB though.
- • Marshall performing stunts to keep Mabel in check in her apartment was very funny. And it only got funnier because he’s so much shorter than her through the window.
- • The only part of Marshall’s confession that got me was when he yelled “Hollywood is broken!!” That’s just a simple truth.
- • Charles’ final goodbye to Sazz (via his subconscious) on the OMITB movie set was one of my favorite scenes of the episode.
- • Do we think any of the Westies will make appearances in the future?
- • Let the fan casting for the mafia family begin. Who would you like to see alongside Leoni as notorious gangsters? I think Danny DeVito is a perfect fit for OMITB. And Michael Imperioli would be super fun for obvious reasons.
- • Thanks for following along with the recaps. While this wasn’t my favorite season, I had plenty of fun digging into the show. See you next time!
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