Only Murders in the Building season 3’s ending saw Sazz Pataki, Charles’ former stunt double and best friend, killed, setting the stage for season 4’s story.
In Only Murders in the Building season 4, the trio investigates the many mysterious elements of Sazz’s death. Amid Only Murders in the Building season 5.
Who Killed Sazz? Only Murders In The Building Season 4’s Killer Identity & Motives Explained
Sazz's Murderer Was In Plain Sight The Whole Time
The ending of Only Murders in the Building season 4 revealed who was responsible for the murder of Sazz. After many theorized suspects and multiple red herrings, the trio uncovered that it was the screenwriter of the in-universe movie adaptation of the show’s titular podcast who killed Sazz. It was revealed that the screenwriter in question, going under the alias Marshall P. Pope, was originally a stuntman named Rex Bailey who learned everything he knew from Sazz. However, Rex's true dream was to be a famous Hollywood writer.
Only Murders In The Building Season 4's Killer Reveal Explained By Showrunner
Only Murders in the Building showrunner John Hoffman explains season 4 killer reveal, shedding light on the killer’s origin story and their decisions.
A series of flashbacks revealed that Rex's dream was moving further out of reach, culminating in an incident involving him accidentally setting director Ron Howard on fire. After Sazz became inspired by Charles’ podcast and wrote a script adapting it into a movie, she showed it to Rex in confidence. Jealous of the innate writing talent Sazz possessed that he does not, Rex kept her script and sold it to various Hollywood studios under the aforementioned alias.
Rex then used his hunting background, stuntman skills, and elements from Sazz's script to orchestrate her murder...
Sazz found out about Rex's betrayal and threatened to expose him by telling Charles, and then Bev Melon of Paramount Pictures, everything. Rex then used his hunting background, stuntman skills, and elements from Sazz's script to orchestrate her murder. This boiled down to Rex shooting Sazz from the west building of the Arconia and incinerating her, leading directly into the investigation and Only Murders in the Building's guest star-filled story.
Jan’s Return In Only Murders In The Building Season 4 & What It Means For Future Seasons
The Trio Is Saved By An Unlikely Person
Only Murders in the Building season 4's ending sees Mabel, Charles, and Oliver either deducing or being told this story by Rex himself. However, the killer gains the upper hand on them and threatens to shoot them to cover his tracks. As the trio prepares for death, Rex is shot in the back from across the courtyard. Tracing the bullet back to Charles' apartment, they realize that Jan - season 1's killer - was hiding in the tunnels around the Arconia until Sazz's murder was figured out.
Rex is the first murderer in Only Murders in the Building to be killed after Jan, Becky, Donna, and Cliff were arrested in the three prior seasons.
Upon hearing of the showdown in the Dudenoff apartment and that Rex was the killer, Jan exited the tunnels and scoped out the point of interest. After seeing Rex holding the trio at gunpoint, Jan shoots him as a way of avenging Sazz's murder. This was set up earlier in Only Murders in the Building season 4, with Jan breaking out of prison to avenge Sazz as the two were in a relationship. Jan was then arrested, returning to prison and teeing her up for future Only Murders in the Building cameos should Charles need her aid once more.
How Sazz's Killer Conducted Their Crimes In Only 12 Minutes
The Timeline Of Sazz's Murder Explained
One of the bigger mysteries of Only Murders in the Building season 4 was how the killer conducted the murder in only 12 minutes. Charles deduced that the time between Sazz leaving for his apartment in Only Murders in the Building season 3 and the power surge caused by the incinerator that burned her body being turned on was only 12 minutes. As such, the trio began to wonder how the culprit could kill Sazz, get to Charles' apartment from the west tower of the Arconia, clean the crime scene, and burn Sazz's body in such a short time.
Given that Rex has a history as a well-trained stuntman, he used the ledge that runs around the inside of the Arconia to reach Charles' apartment from the west tower...
After their initial theory that two people were behind the murder reaches a dead-end, they learn from Rex's past how it was possible. Given that Rex has a history as a well-trained stuntman, he used the ledge that runs around the outside of the Arconia that surrounds the courtyard to reach Charles' apartment from the west tower in little to no time. This gave him a lot more time to clean Charles' kitchen and dispose of Sazz's body, revealing how the 12-minute timeline panned out.
The Importance Of Professor Dudenoff & The Westies To Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Explained
Who Were Only Murders' New Characters?
For the majority of Only Murders in the Building season 4, a new group of characters were positioned as the main suspects for Sazz's murder. Only Murders in the Building's Westies, dubbed as such due to their residence in the west tower of the titular building, were initially introduced as highly unusual people, eventually revealed as Alfonso, Inez, Ana, Vince Fish, and Rudy. As it turns out, the Westies were great additions to Only Murders in the Building's cast and turned out to be integral to Sazz's murder investigation for different reasons than first thought.
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It was eventually revealed that the Westies were friends of Professor Dudenoff, the man who owned the empty apartment from which Sazz was shot. The Westies were illegal tenants, renting apartments from Dudenoff at a much-reduced price due to their friendship with him. After some time, Dudenoff was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died by suicide, but not before fabricating a plan with the Westies that led others to think he was alive in Portugal. Although this plot was a red herring and not tied to Sazz's murder outside of Dudenoff's apartment, it led to the introduction of Helga.
The Westies hid Dudenoff's fate from Helga who had lost her father as a child, leading her to Only Murders in the Building's trio. Helga told Mabel, Charles, and Oliver that Sazz used the Westies' radio to talk to Helga about elements from her script that Rex eventually used to orchestrate her murder. Furthermore, Helga told the trio that Sazz told her about Rex, stating he was dangerous and would be the death of her. This information is what puts the trio on the path to figuring out Rex was the killer, highlighting the importance of Dudenoff and the Westies.
Why Loretta & Oliver’s Ending Could Mean Big Changes For Only Murders In The Building Season 5
Loretta's Future In The Show May Be In Doubt
Only Murders in the Building season 4 ended with Loretta and Oliver getting married, which alone could change the dynamic of future seasons. More so than this, though, Loretta revealed that her new show is filming in New Zealand and she and Oliver would have to start their marriage as a long-distance relationship. This could change Meryl Streep's future on Only Murders in the Building, potentially meaning that Loretta will not have as big a role going forward.
How Lester's Death Sets Up Only Murders In The Building Season 5
A New Mystery Looms Large
In the final scene of Only Murders in the Building season 4, the trio is sought out by a new character played by Téa Leoni: Sofia Caccimelio. Sofia reveals that her husband has gone missing and wants Mabel, Charles, and Oliver to find him. When they reveal that they only deal with cases confined to the Arconia, Sofia cryptically insinuates that her husband has more to do with the building than they know. After being politely rejected by Mabel and Charles, Sofia leaves.
Only Murders In The Building Season 5's Murder Victim Explained By Showrunner
Only Murders in the Building showrunner John Hoffman explains season 5's murder victim, as revealed during the final scene of the season 4 finale.
The next day, the building's doorman, Lester, is found dead in the Arconia's fountain. As Lester bleeds out in the water, the trio races to find help as the show cuts to black. This promises an all-new mystery for Only Murders in the Building season 5 as the central characters search for who killed the beloved Lester in a conspiracy that is likely tied to the disappearance of Sofia's husband.
Only Murders in the Building
- Release Date
- August 31, 2021
- Showrunner
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
- Directors
- Cherien Dabis
Cast
Michael Cyril Creighton
Aaron Dominguez
WHERE TO WATCH
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.
- Writers
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator(s)
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
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