Spoilers for all seasons of Only Murders in the Building

When “Only Murders in The Building” premiered in August of 2021, it gave viewers something to look forward to in a bleak time. One by one, episodes of the first season were released to Hulu on a weekly basis. My family, along with millions of others, watched eagerly as the three main characters, Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) unspooled the murder of their neighbor, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi). After watching the finale, which dropped in mid-October of 2021, I was left wanting more. Season one was stellar, and I couldn’t wait to see what Mabel, Oliver, and Charles would do next.

I never expected that three years later, I’d still be as hooked on the show as I was when it first aired.

Season four revolves around the murder of former actor Charles’ long-time friend and body double, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch). But it’s also about the movie adaptation of the gang’s hit podcast, the inhabitants of the West Tower of the Arconia and their relationship with a missing film professor and Oliver’s continuing romance with season three favorite, Loretta Durkin (Meryl Streep).

At times, it felt like a lot was going on, and the mystery got so convoluted at points that it was hard to remember who’s dead and who’s alive. Yet, for fans of the show like myself, season four delivers everything we’ve come to expect. It’s highly enjoyable, laugh-out-loud funny (episode nine alone was maybe one of the funniest of the entire series), gripping and emotional. Oliver, Mabel and Charles are perfectly themselves, and all of the most moving scenes come from the times in which their relationship takes center stage. This season has a distinctly wackier tone than the previous ones but in a good way.

So, although the plot gets a little lost in the weeds, this season is still fantastic. The weakest episodes still manage to be funnier than most recent comedies, and the strongest ones just illustrate how amazing the show is at its best.

My only real critique of this season is how much narrative weight is given to the Westie/Dudenoff plotline. Albeit pretty funny, it ultimately led nowhere and often overshadowed the truly poignant story at this season’s core: Sazz’s murder and Charles’ reckoning with it.

In what’s become an “Only Murders in The Building” tradition, the finale ended with another dramatic cliffhanger as a setup for the next season. Season four has artfully proved the show’s strength and consistency, and I know I’ll be watching season five as it sends the investigation into a whole new direction.