Summary
Some characters feel neglected in Episode 4 of Season 4, but Charles’ grieving and guilt remain a strong core of the story.
Only Murders in the Building Season 4, Episode 4 opens with Charles dreaming about Sazz, who talks about “paradise,” which becomes important later on. However, my note is that Charles continues to struggle and come to terms with her death. The theme of “grieving” is heavy in the fourth season.
So, Charles makes a second murder board, specifically for Sazz to present to the podcast group (like we need any more boards). He writes “paradise” on the board, and he strongly points out that Sazz is a Ham Radio hobbyist after someone threatened them over the radio at the end of Episode 3.
The World of Stunt People
The next lead in the murder case in Episode 4 comes from Oliver’s unhealthy behavior. He spends his time stalking Loretta’s Instagram, obsessing over a male arm sneaking into one of their photos. By creating a fake account to stalk her, he realizes that Sazz followed Loretta, and there’s a post where she attended a bar called “Concussions” – a bar specifically for people in the stunt industry.
The trio heads to the bar, and they need answers, but as usual, and as is a common theme in Only Murders in the Building, the podcast group is terrible at getting answers immediately.
The barman does not want to talk to them, and the stunt people are hostile. The running joke is that they hate actors and call them “faces.” In their world, stunt people are the stars, too. Episode 4 is a salute to the stunt industry.
But then a familiar face turns up – Ben Glenroy. Well, it’s not exactly Ben, but his stunt double, Glenn. He comically gets frustrated at the trio, expressing how he has lost everything because Ben is dead.
Yes, people. It’s like Toy Story, but the ones left behind are stunt people instead of toys.
Sazz Was Struggling
Wanting to know the mysterious woman walking into the bar’s backroom, the podcast trio offers Glenn work in the OMITB movie. Glenn explains that the backroom was so that stunt professionals could visit Dr Maggie, who helps with pain resulting from dangerous stunts—essentially, a chiropractor. Sazz was always with the doctor because she was in a lot of pain.
Charles speaks to the doctor alone, and he learns that Sazz was excited about retiring and transitioning into a new career and had expressed a difficult relationship in her life.
Charles realizes here that Sazz was talking about him. The core of the story still revolves around Charles’ guilt following the death of his friend. It’s painful to see the character beat himself up over it.
The “Westies” from ‘Only Murders’ in the Building’ Season 4 (Credit – Hulu)
What The Westies Are Really Up To
The funniest part of Episode 4 of Season 4 is the revelation of what the Westies are really up to in their apartment blocks.
When Mabel returns to Dudenoff’s apartment (after learning Howard has abandoned it), she finds the Westies snooping around.
They reveal a file to Mabel showing they are participating in illegal subletting of the apartments for cheaper rent. They all rent, at an extremely cheap price of $200 a month, from Professor Dudenoff, who has retired and is living in Portugal. The woman threatening the podcast trio on Ham Radio was Rudy’s ex-girlfriend, who has anger issues.
Mabel’s opportunity is to live cheaply in New York City, as the Westies offer her the same deal. The character has had it rough of late, and the fourth episode offers her a solution.
What Was Sazz’s Paradise?
The biggest mystery in the fourth chapter, especially for Charles, is what Sazz’s paradise was and what it means.
The answer comes after Charles has an epiphany and returns to the stunt bar. He offers to be Sazz’s body so they can proceed with their traditional funeral.
Charles lays on the pool table as a body double of Sazz while each stunt person provides a eulogy of Sazz and then smashes a fake bottle of alcohol over Charles’ head.
Glenn accidentally uses an actual bottle on Charles, knocking him unconscious. Charles dreams about Sazz again and remembers when she told him she wanted to build her stunt Academy.
Afterward, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver visit the same location from his dream about Sazz. A sign on the land says, “Future Home of The Sazz Pataki Impact Academy.” Someone is inside a run-down building nearby. When they enter, Bev Melon from Paramount Studios is there, and she immediately threatens them by holding up a gun.
Season 4’s next lead is established.
Episode 4 hones in on Charles and his guilt again, as the leads over the murder of Sazz Pataki keep going from hot to cold. I liked the “Concussion” bar, which was fun, but I felt the other characters were neglected.
