[WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 4 of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.]
With one episode left to go — and an extremely likely murderer finally found in the case — it seems Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) will soon solve Sazz’s (Jane Lynch) murder. But as longtime Only Murders viewers know, when one case ends, another begins… and we’re guessing at least one beloved character won’t make it out of the Season 4 finale alive.
As we head into the Season 4 finale, here are our predictions for which character might be the next target, and the next case for the podcast trio to solve.
Disney/Patrick Harbron
Howard
Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) has had more screentime this season than in seasons past. While that’s certainly been welcome, it’s also perhaps a cause for concern. Could the show’s writers be taking extra steps to endear us to him before he meets a tragic end? It’s also worth noting that Howard recently adopted a cadaver dog; it would be just like Only Murders to have Howard’s pet lead them to his poor owner’s body. However, Howard’s been a beloved supporting character on the show for seasons now, and it’s also possible the show simply wanted to expand his role. We hope he sticks around and gets to launch his podcast about pets with jobs.
Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
Uma
As far as current residents of the building, Uma (Jackie Hoffman) could be another target. She hasn’t shown up much in Season 4, and when she has, she’s been complaining… but from Uma, we’d expect nothing less. Her murder would certainly fulfill the “in the building” aspect of the show’s title, and the trio investigating her death would add dimension to her beyond her funny one-liners. With that said, the setup for her murder investigation would closely resemble the late Bunny’s (Jayne Houdyshell), who was also fleshed out as Charles, Mabel, and Oliver worked to find her killer. Because of the similarities there, we’re not sure Only Murders would go that route again.
Disney/Patrick Harbron
Jan
She isn’t living in the Arconia, but that won’t necessarily take a target off of Jan’s (Amy Ryan) back. This season, the show has made sure to let viewers know in a few short scenes that Jan has escaped from prison, and as far as we know at this point, she’s still at large. The show has also pointed out that Jan received a note in Season 1 from a mysterious person who claimed to be watching her… and since then, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel have also received those notes. If this is a killer with ties all the way back to the show’s first season, it’s possible they might murder Jan in order to keep her silent — who knows what she knows? Plus, it could be darkly amusing for the trio to have to solve the murder of a murderer.
Patrick Harbron/Hulu
Loretta
This would likely be the most heartbreaking potential loss, and we’re hoping the show doesn’t go this route. With that said, when things get to be too happy for a character, often, a major upset is coming. Oliver and Loretta (Meryl Streep) have been very happy lately. They’re planning to get married, and Loretta’s seen success in her career. Everything’s going well for them — but in the world of TV, are they too happy? Loretta might be protected, though, by the show’s status as a cozy mystery; her loss might be too detrimental to Oliver for the show to also keep its upbeat tone. Loretta isn’t necessarily safe (on this show, few characters are), but we think that as long as Meryl Streep wants to stay on Only Murders, the show will probably keep her character around.
Patrick Harbron/Hulu
Detective Williams
It’d be an interesting twist for the trio to investigate the death of a member of law enforcement, and while we’d hate to see Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) go, we would be interested in learning more about her character during the inevitable murder investigation. In addition, if a mysterious killer is trying to cut off loose ends from the Season 1 investigation, Detective Williams could be a target. It’s possible she noticed details that didn’t add up, which could serve as plot lines that haven’t been resolved (such as the dog being poisoned, Jan’s note, etc.). It’s probably more likely that a killer would go after Jan considering she already received a threatening message in Season 1, but we can’t rule Detective Williams out, either.
Only Murders in the Building, Season 4 Finale, Tuesday, October 29, Hulu