ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 4 Trailer 2 (2024) Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 4 Trailer 2 (2024) Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 4 Trailer 2 (2024) Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria, Meryl Streep, Melissa McCarthy, Steve Martin, Martin Short
© 2024 - Hulu
Only Murders goes far beyond the building this season as Charles, Mabel, and Oliver head to Hollywood. The trio’s true-crime podcast has caught the eyes of studio execs (those at Paramount Pictures especially), who are keen on turning the audio sensation into a film. So, the unlikely friends jet off to the West Coast for intimidating board room meetings, some In-N-Out, and a glitzy launch party where they mingle with stars, including those who have been cast in their movie. With this chapter set in Los Angeles, there are plenty of opportunities for celebrity cameos; previously reported ones include Eva Longoria, Kumail Nanjiani, Melissa McCarthy, and many more. Of course, OMitB is no stranger to famous guest stars. As the show’s popularity has grown through the years, Amy Schumer, Cara Delevingne, Paul Rudd, and even Meryl Streep have taken part in the series. (And remember when they had Sting?)

But let’s not forget, this is a murder mystery after all, so as star-studded as the ensemble might be, they could turn out to be suspects—or even potential future targets—this season. Right now, the victim is Charles’ body double Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), who was shot and killed in his apartment at the end of season 3. As the podcasters try to crack the case, here are some of the famous faces they encounter along the way.

Mabel Mora has always been something of a lone wolf. Played by Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building, the amateur sleuth tells Eva Longoria (playing a heightened version of herself) in Season 4, "Do you want to know about Mabel? Mabel works alone." Although Mabel may be referring to her signature approach to investigations, the line pretty much sums up her arc this season: Mabel Mora is working on herself, by herself.

SEE ALSO: 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 review: Murder at the movies
Yes, for the first time in the show's history, our young heroine finds herself with no love interest in sight. Not only is it a breath of fresh air, it's a quietly subversive move for a mainstream comedy.

Mabel's romantic history is decidedly underwhelming.
First, a glimpse back over Mabel's rather lukewarm romantic past. In the first season of the show, Mabel found herself reconnecting with Oscar Torres (Aaron Dominguez), an old friend and flame who was blamed for the death of their mutual "Hardy Boys" friend, Zoe (Olivia Reis). Oscar vanished from the show after just one season, with Mabel explaining his disappearance away, saying, "The trauma bond is strong but I think Oscar and I are just both waiting for the 'let's just be friends' text." Show creator John Hoffman later confirmed to Deadline: "We made a call that we didn’t want to see Mabel develop a relationship where the trauma bond is strong."

In the second season, Mabel explored a connection with artist and gallerist Alice Banks (Cara Delevingne). Despite Gomez and Delevingne being longtime friends, the on-screen chemistry between the two actors was lacking. Although she ultimately posed as the killer to help the show's core trio catch the real murderer, Alice was gone by the end of Season 2, with Mabel telling her she wouldn't be a part of her mural.

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Cara Delevingne and Selena Gomez in "Only Murders In the Building"
Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / Hulu
Then came documentary filmmaker Tobert (Jesse Williams) in Season 3. They connected during the investigation into the death of Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd), finding themselves stuck in a closet and discussing Tobert's love of filming the animal world. They went on a sexy, boozy date. Then, they had a rather bland farewell in the season finale as Tobert set off for Los Angeles and Mabel unconvincingly promised to visit. The news that Tobert's time was up came when Williams told People rather bluntly, "I'm not on that show anymore."

But Mabel needs a love interest…right?
Mabel has had her fair share of romances, all conveniently within the walls of The Arconia, but none have been particularly gripping. They have always felt inevitable. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a young single woman on TV must be in want of a love interest, right? In fact, aside perhaps from The Bear's ambitious sous-chef, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), it's hard to find a character fitting this description who isn't looking for love or caught in the middle of a long drawn out will-they-won't-they dance toward Happily Ever After. Abbott Elementary, Emily In Paris, Sex Education, Fleabag, Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, Friends, New Girl — the list goes on and on and on. For young female characters heading up TV shows, love has always been part and parcel of the gig, either because the show itself hinged around the characters' romantic lives, or simply because the character was single and therefore had to have a little romance to keep things interesting. But in Season 4 of Only Murders In the Building, the tired, uninspiring parade of Mabel's love interests seems to have come to a blissful end. So far, there is no sign of any romance for the show's heroine. Nor has she or anyone else even so much as mentioned the idea.

SEE ALSO: I haven't had a boyfriend for a decade. Here's what I've learned.
Steering her journey away from romance is a quietly bold move on the part of the show's writing team. For one thing, it reflects the reality of romance in her own generation. After all, many young people have chosen to embrace being single, focusing on self-love and single positivity. And the movement isn't new — it has a long history. In recent years, the number of young people having sex has begun to decline, with a quarter of Gen Z American women in 2021 claiming to have had no sex the previous year. A recent survey found that almost half (47.5 percent) of adolescents aged 13-24 think sex and sexual content isn't necessary for the plot of most TV shows and movies, while 44.3 percent believe romance is overused in media. Mabel's new story arc shows that TV is perhaps beginning to catch up to the single and powerful movement.

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Plus, with no love interest to flirt with or go on dates with, Mabel suddenly has screen time for in-depth character development — and so far, her journey in Season 4 has been wonderfully nuanced.

Mabel is taking a good, long look at herself — or rather, at her double.
The fourth season of Only Murders in the Building sees Mabel, Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) investigating the murder of Sazz (Jane Lynch), Charles' long-time friend and stunt double. Meanwhile, they are also working with a team of Hollywood filmmakers as their podcast is set to be turned into a film.

Themes of doubles and twins are found everywhere this season. There's Sazz and her life as a stunt double. Then, there's the Hollywood actors — Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis as Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, respectively — who are tasked with stepping into the shoes of the main trio for the adaptation. For our core three, these doppelgängers naturally lead to some self-reflection as their onscreen counterparts become walking, talking mirrors offering a new perspective of themselves. Charles is confronted with a neurotic worrier. Oliver finds in his double a needy narcissist. Funnily enough, Mabel is confronted with everything she is not. Her counterpart, Longoria, has decided to play Mabel a little differently, even changing her "old person name" to "Mabelle."

Selena Gomez and Eva Longoria in "Only Murders In the Building", both wearing a similar outfit.
Credit: Disney / Patrick Harbron
Longoria's "Mabelle" is "bold, she pops, she sells t-shirts." In other words, she knocks back wine at 10 a.m. and has no qualms about bursting into a suspect's home and accusing them of murder. And this is exactly what Longoria does.

Although the suspect in question was, in fact, not the murderer, Mabel is surprised to see how her own cautious, measured approach to detective work (and, we must presume, to life in general) sometimes leaves her a little stuck. "Maybe your Mabel's approach isn't that bad," she confesses.

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As Mabel tries to take a bolder, more committed approach to life, she starts making real, tangible career moves. In the past, she's always been something of a millennial drifter, unsure of what she really wants to do or how she'll get there, even when offered major opportunities in Season 2 in the form of Cinda Canning's podcast. Now, she's finally brave enough to tackle her imposter syndrome and give herself an actual job title: podcast producer. Watching Mabel recognize and own her worth is far more rewarding than yet another mediocre love story.

Selena Gomez in "Only Murders In the Building".
Credit: Disney / Patrick Harbron
Only Murders hasn't given up on love altogether.
Of course, this isn't to say that romantic love can't be an interesting theme. While Only Murders hasn't found a satisfying love interest for Mabel, or, for that matter, for Charles, who fell for Season 1's murderer, Jan (Amy Ryan), it has found a long-term romance worth focusing on in Oliver and Loretta (Meryl Streep). Loretta joined the narrative in Season 3 as an experienced actor who never had her big break. Cast in the production of Death Rattle/Death Rattle Dazzle!, Oliver recognised her talent while she recognised his. They fell in love while championing each other's work and it was utterly beautiful to watch.

Streep is back this season as Oliver and Loretta's love story continues. After Loretta leaves New York for a TV job in LA, Oliver finds himself struggling with jealousy and insecurity. Their entire love story has been treated with the sincerity and gravitas of a love story between younger characters, from their timid first attraction to each other's talent, to their painfully awkward, bumbling first date, to their communication issues this season. Now, theirs is the only main romance on the show — a bold reminder that TV shows can and should expand their criteria of what makes a good and worthwhile love story.

Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short in "Only Murders In the Building".
Credit: Disney / Patrick Harbron
This season, we have a young heroine who isn't even thinking of romance. Meanwhile, we have an older couple tackling the same relationship problems many couples face in their 20s. Only Murders in the Building is pushing the boundaries of what love on TV looks like — and it's high time someone did.
As Martin Short says in the Only Murders in the Building Season 4 teaser clip, “somewhere lay a sniper’s nest,” and the identity of that sniper will prove even more difficult to discover in the latest installment of Hulu’s murder mystery series, which has expanded its star-studded cast quite a bit.

The teaser trailer, plot summary and a new photo reveal the purpose behind the addition of some of the stars, because, in Oliver’s words they’re “goin to the movies.” The “starriest season yet” will arrive this summer on Hulu, bringing back the original trio of sleuths as well as other characters who have been a part of their Arconia drama since the beginning.

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A new poster teases the Hollywood plot of Season 4 and bills all the major characters in a great film reel design.

'Only Murders In the Building' Season 4 key art
‘Only Murders In the Building’ Season 4 key art
Disney+
For everything we know about Only Murders in the Building Season 4’s release date, cast, plot and more, read below:

When does Only Murders in the Building Season 4 come out?

The latest star-studded installment of the cozy mystery show will premiere on Hulu on August 27.

Is there a trailer for Only Murders in the Building?

The full trailer was released in August. The movie adaptation process becomes more detailed as the trio that will portray Mabel, Charles and Oliver — Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy and Zack Galifianakis — get to know them more closely. Melissa McCarthy‘s role was also revealed to be Charles-Hayden Savage’s sister. Richard Kind and Kumail Nanjiani seem suspicious as suspects under consideration in the clip.

Who is in Only Murders in the Building Season 4?

Alongside staple group Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Meryl Streep will return for Season 4 after her Season 3 debut as Loretta Durkin. Detective Donna Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) will also return for the latest mystery, which revolves around the death of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch).

RELATED: ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Hasn’t Written Off Jane Lynch Quite Yet

Instead of Season 3’s players — Ashley Park, Paul Rudd, Jesse Williams and more — Season 4 recruited Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zack Galifianakis, Richard Kind and Kumail Nanjiani before the trailer dropped to reveal Melissa McCarthy had also joined the fourth installment. Desmin Borges (You’re The Worst), Siena Werber (Brand New Cherry Flavor)and newcomer Lilian Rebelo (Our Dear Drug Lord) will appear in recurring roles, as well as Daphne Rubin-Vega, Catherine Cohen and Jin Ha.

Eva Longoria is Mabel (Selena Gomez), Eugene Levy is Charles (Steve Martin) and Zach Galifianakis is Oliver (Martin Short) in 'Only Murders in the Building'
Eva Longoria is Mabel (Selena Gomez), Eugene Levy is Charles (Steve Martin) and Zach Galifianakis is Oliver (Martin Short) in ‘Only Murders in the Building’
onlymurdershulu/Instagram
Longoria’s, Levy’s and Galifianakis’ roles have been revealed in a behind the scenes photo released by Hulu. Respectively, the actors (as themselves) will be portraying the original trio Mabel, Charles and Oliver in the movie based on their Only Murders in the Building podcast.

Is Paul Rudd back in Only Murders in the Building Season 4?

Yes! Paul Rudd has returned to Season 4 of the murder mystery series, but not to his character Ben Glenroy. Glenroy was Season 3’s murder victim, and viewers saw him in flashbacks throughout the last installment.

“The Stunt Man” episode of Only Murders in the Building: Paul Rudd as Glen Stubbins and Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage (Disney/Patrick Harbron
In Season 4, Rudd plays a character with the facial likeness to Ben — his stunt double: Glen Stubbins! Stubbins has an Irish accent and hallucinations of rats.

What is Only Murders in the Building Season 4 about?

Season 4 will investigate the mysterious murder of Sazz Pataki, Charles’ Brazzos stunt double, whose death made up Season 3’s ending cliffhanger. The Season 4 description complicates Sazz’s death when the trio questions whether Sazz or Charles was the intended victim.

As the trailer teases, the Arconia residents are “going to the movies” or as Oliver affectionately calls them, “the pictures” because a Hollywood studio wants to make a movie based on the Only Murders in the Building podcast. The bicoastal action only ramps up from there as the newly cast faces are introduced, drama ensues on set and the three original podcasters ride in a limo snacking on what looks like In ‘N’ Out as Charles tries to jog pedestrians’ memory about Brazzos. Shannon’s entertainment lawyer asks them for their life rights in a pink power suit at the end of the trailer.

Photo: Hulu
According to the season’s description, the amateur sleuths race back to New York to embark on an even more epic journey — traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia’s West Tower residents.

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Only Murders in the Building
In the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building, everyone’s favorite amateur detectives, played by Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin, take their investigative skills from New York City’s storied Upper West Side to Los Angeles. With the change in scenery comes a shift in style—most notably for Gomez’s sardonic true crime podcaster Mabel Mora.

“The theme of the season is Old Hollywood,” says the series’ Emmy-nominated costume designer Dana Covarrubias, “so all of [Mabel’s] inspirations were based on classic Hollywood films.” Here, Covarrubias breaks down how Mabel’s wardrobe speaks to her fish-out-of-water experience as a New Yorker navigating sunny, smiley Los Angeles.

Old Hollywood in Technicolor
While Mabel’s unlikely sleuth pals—the chronically name-dropping Oliver (Short) and TV cop Charles-Haden Savage (Martin) are used to schmoozing with Los Angeles bigwigs, a meeting with Paramount brass with the aim of turning their scrappy podcast into a big-time movie is new experience for her.

Martin Short and Selena Gomez

Disney/Eric McCandless
Martin Short and Selena Gomez
Mabel’s definitely not in Kansas—well, Manhattan—anymore, as she tentatively walks into a Hollywood Hills industry party in a glittering, sequin-covered teal green mini-dress by Rotate.

“That was a nod to The Wizard of Oz and the Emerald City,” says Covarrubias, also referencing the visual shift in the classic film when farmgirl Dorothy lands in Oz. “It’s almost like a black-and-white to color transition for her. Mabel’s going into a world that's all glam and money and bigger than anything she’s ever known.”

Sequin-Embellished Mini Dress$325
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Semi-Professional
Mabel, still reeling from the meeting with Paramount, is led by over-caffeinated studio exec Bev Mellon (Molly Shannon), who delivers bombastic pitches in a Barbie pink power suit by Alice + Olivia. Skeptical, the New Yorker armored up in her most professional “classic Mabel” version of a suit: a khaki Jacquemus cropped linen jacket and pleated Aritiza mini-skirt that speak to David Lean’s 1962 desert-set epic, Lawrence of Arabia, plus a black Helmut Lang turtleneck sweater and thick Wolford tights.

Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez

Disney/Eric McCandless
Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez
As Bev describes Mabel in a logline, she’s “traumatized, homeless, jobless, mumbling millennial charm, stuck between these two old dudes.”

“So we didn't want her to look too put together,” says Covarrubias.

Turtleneck$135
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Turtleneck

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To the trio’s surprise, their big-screen counterparts have already been cast with A-listers, including Eva Longoria (as a hilarious version of herself) playing an “aged up” Mabel—since a focus group found the trio’s boomer-millennial dynamic to be “creepy.” (Longoria, Eugene Levy and Zach Galifianakis roasting themselves to play Mabel, Charles and Oliver, respectively, supply the best running joke in the season’s Hollywood send-up.)

Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy

Disney/Eric McCandless
Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy

A dedicated professional, the OMITB’s version of Eva shadows an exasperated Mabel and goes method, sartorially speaking. “A lot of actors tell me—and I know from just being in a million fittings—that the clothes are really such a huge part of becoming a character,” says Covarrubias. “We took a bit to an extreme, of course.”

Corvelle Ginger Cropped Faux Fur Jacket$195
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Corvelle Ginger Cropped Faux Fur Jacket

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When the actor and subject first meet, Eva debuts her interpretation of Mabel’s trademark faux fur, Beats and yellow beanie look. But, the former Desperate Housewives star wears a power-shouldered and cropped marigold coat by House of CB, a skin-baring Nanushka vegan leather mini-dress and strappy Giuseppe Zanotti stilettos. “‘Eva’ would decide to wear stuff that was slightly sexier, a little more revealing and a little tighter than Mabel would ever wear,” says Covarrubias.

Eva Longoria

Disney/Eric McCandless
Eva Longoria

In episode three, Eva, Eugene, and an aggressively apathetic Zach drop into the trio’s Arconia building to study the detectives in their element. Mabel remains all-business at the murder board in a black-and-white buffalo plaid Akris miniskirt and buttoned-up and collared Wilfred jacket. Eva, sipping on 10 am wine, attempts to pay rapt attention, dressed like The Tethered version of Mabel: a sheer cropped 3.1 Phillip Lim top, with languid long-sleeves, and Area houndstooth pants—with slashes under each butt-cheek.

Selena Gomez and Eva Longoria

Disney/Eric McCandless
Selena Gomez and Eva Longoria
“Every time [Longoria and I] had a fitting, it was super fun to figure out, ‘Okay, how are we gonna ‘Eva’ this? What is this sillier, sexier version of Mabel?’” says Covarrubias. So obviously, Eva’s twist on Mabel’s outerwear involves faux leather dusters, like her tan one by Each Other and an army green coat by Alice + Olivia in episode seven.

New Noir
Speaking of outerwear, Mabel’s chic Sandro trench, with delicate pleating and statement epaulets, also pays homage to Old Hollywood. In a pivotal early scene in All About Eve, Bette Davis underestimates the title character as “the mousy one in the trench coat.” It’s a fitting tribute, as Mabel always defies the expectations of everyone, including herself.

Martin Short and Selena Gomez

Disney/Patrick Harbron
Martin Short and Selena Gomez
No spoilers, but Mabel’s finale costume circles back to her first night in Oz, aka Hollywood. “Oliver is wearing a Scarecrow-esque look, and Charles is the Tin Man, and she's Dorothy,” says Covarrubias, teasing the climactic moment when Mabel and her boomer sidekicks successfully unmask the killer of yet another murder in the building.
Mabel, Charles and Oliver are headed to Hollywood — and they’re bringing the homicide with them.

The trailer for season 4 of Only Murders in the Building dropped Tuesday (Aug. 13), previewing another big adventure for Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short as their characters head to Los Angeles to make a movie about their eventful times as murder-mystery podcasters, only to find that grisly business is still afoot in the City of Angels.

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The trailer opens with the golden trio heading to L.A. and meeting the famous actors who will be playing them in the fictional biopic: Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy and Zach Galifianakis, who portray themselves in Only Murders. The three stars proceed to do character studies of Mabel, Charles and Oliver, respectively.

“Are we attached to ‘Mabel’?” Longoria asks Gomez of her character’s name, to which the Rare Beauty founder deadpans in character: “I’d say so.”

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With the help of their doppelgängers, they try to solve the murder of Jane Lynch’s Sazz and encounter Meryl Streep’s character Loretta Durkin, whom she reprises from season 3, as well as new additions Molly Shannon, Kumail Nanjiani and Richard Kind. Plus, Melissa McCarthy makes her debut on the show as Charles’ sister who lives in Long Island, is obsessed with creepy dolls and seems to really, really like the sound of Oliver’s voice on his podcast.

The new season is set to premiere Aug. 27 on Hulu, just over a year after the third installment dropped on the streaming platform. Last year’s batch of episodes recently earned Only Murders a nod for outstanding comedy series at the upcoming 2024 Emmys, while Gomez, Short and Martin all scored nominations in the lead actress/actor in a comedy series categories.

Watch the trailer for season 4 of Only Murders in the Building above.
Hulu's comedy mystery series Only Murders in the Building has released a new trailer for Season 4, which premieres August 27. The series stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin as amateur detectives who, in Season 1, launch a podcast as they try to solve the murder of a neighbor in their Upper West Side apartment building, The Arconia.

Check out the trailer in the video above, featuring Gomez, Short, and Martin, as well as Meryl Streep, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Jane Lynch, and more.

The show has featured several cameos from Broadway stars in the first three seasons, and some more familiar faces are set to join Season 4. Tony nominees Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent) and Richard Kind (The Big Knife), as well as Jin Ha (Hamilton) and Catherine Cohen have signed on to appear in recurring roles, as previously reported. Additional new cast members include Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Desmin Borges, Siena Werber, and Lilian Rebelo.

Not much has been released about the contents of the upcoming season, but based on the cliffhanger ending of season three, the upcoming episodes will revolve around the murder of Sazz Pataki, played by Jane Lynch.

READ: The Broadway Faces and Places in Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building

The first season of Only Murders in the Building premiered on Hulu August 31, 2021, with 10 episodes releasing weekly. Steve Martin and John Hoffman are co-creators of the series, and executive produce with Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman, and Jess Rosenthal. According to reporting in Variety, the series is Hulu’s most-watched original comedy series to date.

Over the three seasons, several Broadway faces have jumped on board the small screen streamer, including Tony winners Jayne Houdyshell (Season 2's murder victim), Andrea Martin (as Steve Martin's love interest and Season 3 suspect), and Nathan Lane (a building resident and deli owner), and Main Stem favorite Jackie Hoffman (The Arconia's resident grouch). Season 3, where the murder happened in a Broadway theatre, added a who's who of theatrical guest stars: Ashley Park, Jason Veasey, Jesse Williams, Wesley Taylor, Linda Emond, Jeremy Shamos, and Meryl Streep.

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Charles, Oliver and Mabel head to Hollywood in the star-studded season 4 premiere of Only Murders in the Building!

In the season's first episode, Hulu’s nimble hit series follows true crime podcasters Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam and Mabel Mora (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) as they briefly leave their home base — Manhattan’s Arconia — to visit sunny, starry Hollywood. Once there, they sign on with a brassy producer (Molly Shannon) to have their story turned into a movie, in which they’ll be played by real-life stars Eugene Levy (as Charles), Zach Galifianakis (as Oliver) and Eva Longoria (as Mabel).

Mabel isn't sure she wants her life adapted for the big screen by two glib, shallow directors known as the Brothers sisters (Catherine Cohen and Siena Werber). The fame-loving Oliver, on the other hand, is thrilled.

Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, Martin Short and More Arrive at the Only Murders in the Building Premiere in L.A.
“You get one shot at a biopic,” he quips. “Maybe two, if you’re someone special, like Marilyn Monroe or Jeffrey Dahmer.”

There’s nothing wrong with having Murders become a kind of Love Boat docked on the Upper West Side, not when the cast list is this stacked. Melissa McCarthy turns up this season, too, as Charles’ sister out on Long Island, and Meryl Streep reprises her season 3 role as actress Loretta Durkin.

Shannon is wonderful as the producer, who is hilariously pushy and punctuates every gesture with a wildly electric energy. Additionally, McCarthy hasn’t lost her lovely gift for bringing out a role’s absurd humor, then giving it a light dusting of pathos. And Longoria, Galifianakis and Levy add a nice effervescence, just as you'd expect from the talented trio.
Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy play themselves.
From left: Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy in Only Murders in the Building. Hulu
But all the business about moviemaking never quite clicks — wouldn't it be more in tune with the show's meta leanings if the podcast were adapted into a series streaming on Hulu? It also feels whimsically precious at times.

How Did Only Murders in the Building Season 3 End? Here's Where We Left Mabel, Charles and Oliver
“A great movie moment can live in your head forever,” Charles says, using a clip from Once Upon a Time in the West to illustrate his point. This is irrelevant, and it ignores the fact that a bad movie can live in your head forever, too. (See Showgirls.)

(And, please, no more ghosts of recent murder victims weighing in with theories about how they met their demise. Anyone who lives in Manhattan is too busy and preoccupied to listen to spirits, even on matters of life and death.)

The show remains at its best when the core trio gets down to mapping out the mystery, which will remain under wraps here. It can be said, though, that the renters in what’s referred to as the Arconia’s West Tower are a suspicious batch of misfits. Among them are Vince (Richard Kind), a grump with chronic pink eye (although his eyepatch is constantly shifting), and Rudy (Kumail Nanjiani), who never takes down his Christmas decorations.
Melissa McCarthy—another A-list guest star.
Melissa McCarthy on Only Murders in the Building. Hulu
As to the performances of the central stars (all Emmy-nominated this year), Short, 74, is delightful and Martin, 79, is somewhat less so — you might describe his delivery as deadpan, but another word would be leaden. By consistently underplaying the show's hijinks, Gomez, 32, is more intriguing than either of them.

The show still doesn’t make enough use of Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Detective Williams, who has a thing for Galifianakis. With a slow, savoring smile, she refers to him as “that scrumptious, f---able baklava.”

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Only Murders in the Building season 4 is now streaming on Hulu.