Yahoo Lifestyle Only Murders in the Building’s ‘Long Game’ Is Coming Into Focus — Who’s Been After Our Trio Since Season 1?
As Only Murders in the Building’s central trio inches closer to solving their fourth murder mystery, the Hulu series is also inching closer to its end game. Or so it seems.
Season 4, Episode 7 of the comedic whodunnit saw “doppelgängers” Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis and Eva Longoria reach a conclusion that Charles, Oliver and Mabel had not. “Whoever is cashing Dudenoff’s checks is after you,” Galifianakis explained. “But, looking back, we believe that this mystery did not start with Sazz’s murder,” which took place at the end of Season 3.
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“It all goes back to Season 1,” Levy pointed out.
With the help of their own personal murder board wall, Levy, Galifianakis and Longoria deduced that all of the Arconia’s unsolved mysteries — such as who poisoned Winnie, and who left those menacing notes on Oliver and Jan’s doors — can be traced back to the same, left-handed individual. That means that the person who killed Sazz has been after our trio since Season 1.
Also of note: Whoever is responsible for Sazz and Dudenoff’s murders had an accomplice — someone who helped drag Sazz’s body out of Charles’ apartment and into the Arconia’s incinerator.
With all of that in mind, we hopped on Zoom with series co-creator John Hoffman — who, following the Season 2 finale, first told TVLine that there was a “long game” in play. Two years later, that long game is beginning to unravel, so what better time to check in with the Only Murders mastermind?
“We’ve been playing somewhat of a long game and… as the show continues, there’s more of a thread to that,” the EP maintains. He then suggests that, while no “final” answers are coming in Season 4, there is “a lot of intrigue around all of the things that are brought up at the end of Episode 7” — things, he says, “that feel very right to bring up now.
“There are so many answers yet to come, so hang on tight, but the answers themselves will have certain shadings of….” Hoffman pauses, then adds: “There is some ambiguity around certain things coming up, but then there are solid answers on other things. That feeling of ‘Wait a minute!’ might still linger into the next season, but certain things will be answered.”
Meanwhile, after reviewing the doppelgängers’ murder wall with a fine tooth comb, we couldn’t help but notice that one of Only Murders’ unsolved mysteries did not resurface up at the end of Episode 7 — that which involves the identity of the Sixth Avenue Slasher. In Season 2, we were told by mold removal specialist (and podcast superfan) Marv that the elusive, early-aughts serial killer was still at large. Is it possible that the Sixth Avenue Slasher has been after our trio this entire time?
“I love that theory,” Hoffman says with a grin. “I would say that… it’s not a theory that sits alone in theories, and maybe some new theories enter in Season 4, as well.”
Before we let Hoffman off the hook, we had one more suspicion to raise — this one involving “Big Mike.” Doreen’s husband is first introduced at the end of Episode 7 when he comes aboard the Master Boater with a box of donuts… a box he is carrying with — wait for it — his left hand.
“Man, you’re so good,” the EP says, before we have a chance to deliver our question. We then ask: Should Big Mike be on every fan’s murder board now?
“I think everybody should be on everybody’s lists,” Hoffman hedges. “The idea of discounting a suspect,” in any given episode, “feels fruitless, truthfully.”
Fair enough! So, who’s on your suspect list heading into Episode 8? Review the doppelgängers’ murder wall for yourselves — click the images above to enlarge — then hit the comments with your best guesses.
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