GN Expansion Pak: Only Murders in the Building's 4th season is the best yet

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The fourth season of Only Murders in the Building just wrapped, bringing an end to yet another hijinks-filled whodunnit. The formula for this season remained largely the same, sticking with the tried-and-true argument that if something’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. I say largely remained the same, as season four does achieve something that no other seasons have. Somehow, this season managed to perfect everything series fans adore about the show, and then some.

I have to admit, when I saw the first trailer for Only Murders in the Building’s fourth season, I was equal parts excited and nervous. My excitement came from getting a new season of a show I really do enjoy. Only Murders in the Building isn’t one of TV’s greatest programs ever, but what it does, it does well. There’s nothing else quite like it right now, and it’s always nice to have that void filled with a fresh season. In terms of nervousness, the debut trailer for season four was overflowing with celebrity cameos, so much so that I worried it would be overkill.

Celebrities popping up in Only Murders in the Building isn’t anything new. Outside of the principle cast (which is the star-studded trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez), recognizable faces are peppered throughout the entire series. Those big-name actors, like Nathan Lane, Tina Fey, Matthew Broderick and so on, usually have a major presence in the show or they’re on-screen for a couple of choice bits. With the fourth season, the trailer made it seem like celebrity appearances were the reason to watch.

A big part of the magic in Only Murders in the Building comes from the laser-focus on Martin, Short and Gomez. The dynamic this trio has created in the series is an absolutely massive reason for not only why people tune in, but why the show works as well. First off, the opportunities for humor between one young-ish person and two septuagenarians is undeniable. Gomez and Martin/Short are operating in completely different areas of life, and the two sides are always sharing quips, making comments and using slang that the other side simply doesn’t understand. The audience is always in on that confusion, which can be exploited for laughs time and time again.

Second, Gomez, Short and Martin are and have always been the anchors of Only Murders in the Building. The stories revolve around them, and other people bounce in and out of the action. Those celebrities and supporting cast members come into play off of the trio and add a little flavor to their scenario. Those new faces can help spice things up and keep things feeling fresh, as someone stepping into the series for the first time always makes for interesting banter and story paths.

Last but far from least, the trio are incredibly relatable. Gomez isn’t old by any means, but she’s not a youngster either. She’s riding the edge of what the younger generations know while also recognizing that she’s not as in-the-know as she used to be. As for Martin and Short, the two are extremely out-of-touch with the world today, but Gomez is dragging them into the modern era, sometimes kicking and screaming. At the same time, she is learning (unwittingly or fully aware) that perhaps the way she’s thought about older generations wasn’t quite fair. Between the three of them, it’s very easy to relate. There are plenty of times when we’re confused, lost, or struggling to make sense of things. It’s totally okay to feel like that, and sometimes all it takes is a bit of humility and the right people around to make for a clearer picture.

That multi-layered dynamic is paramount to Only Murders in the Building’s success, and I feared that the heaping helping of celebrities joining the fourth season would throw that delicate balance completely out of whack. With the sheer amount of people joining this season, I thought that Gomez, Martin and Short would get lost in the shuffle, and the spotlight would shift from the three who started it all. Still, the show had built up more than enough good will for me to jump straight into season four when it launched, so that’s exactly what I did.

Having just watched the finale of season four this week, I have to say that I’ve been left flummoxed as to how everything played out. Any trepidation I had about this season was proven invalid, and done so quite early on actually. As a matter of fact, the first episode of season four was so strong that I was wondering if this season might end up being the best. That feeling just stuck with me as each episode released, and now with the full season behind me, I can say without a doubt that I found season four to be the pinnacle of Only Murders in the Building.

It did turn out to be true that this season was stuffed with celebrity cameos, including returning favorites and brand-new faces. Seriously, the show easily tripled the amount of major players for its fourth season, but they are never, ever the focus. If anything, the cast of characters brought in this time around only help to make Gomez, Martin and Short shine. You get to see so much more of their characters, gain insight into their quirks and backstories, and even come to appreciate them in all new ways.

The way celebrities are handled in this season of Only Murders in the Building is impressive on a monumental scale. Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Kumail Nanjiani, Melissa McCarthy…the list goes on and on. On paper, it sounds like an absolute nightmare. How do you not only keep track of how all of these actors are used, but do so in a way that makes their appearances worthwhile, but doesn’t steal the thunder of the main trio? The amount of planning, writing, and re-writing that had to go into this season…I shudder to think about it. Thankfully I just had to watch, and the end result was phenomenal.

Equally impressive is how the celebrity appearances make perfect sense for this season. In some instances, celebrities are playing characters unique to this season of Only Murders in the Building. In other examples, such as Eugene Levy, he is appearing as himself…mostly. Eugene is very much the Eugene Levy we know as an actor, but in this season Eugene is also playing an actor. In other words, he’s being himself and playing the role of…himself. This leads to all kinds of funny and smart moments that enrich the season, and this is the case for all the stars featured.

All of these big names dropping by only enhance everything there is to love about Only Murders in the Building. Everything that made you love the show beforehand is still here. There’s wacky, over-the-top moments, scenes that are endearing, discussions that’ll make you chuckle or laugh out loud, story beats that bring a tear to your eye and so on. Only Murders in the Building is masterful in giving us a cast of characters we can connect with, no matter how off-the-wall or unbelievable the scenarios are. The show has never been about figuring out who is the murderer or how they did it, at least from a viewer perspective. That may be the main motivator in pushing the story forward, but it’s the time we get to spend with Gomez, Short and Martin that make us fans.

Looking back on the fourth season, I feel silly for doubting it. The show has given me nothing but joy since day one, and it’s clear the writing team knows what makes everything work. With season four, they’ve proven that they know the main characters in and out, and they recognize their magic. To put together such a splendid season this far into the series is no easy task, but the writers came through on every level. At this point I’ll gladly follow Martin, Short and Gomez no matter where their next zany murder mystery goes, and I have no doubt I’ll cherish every single second.

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