Reviewer Rating: 5/5.0
5
Oh my God! It’s not even Halloween yet, and Murder in the Building Season 4 Episode 4 brings us a feast of black comedy!
From Charles’ creepy, fog-filled dreams to the surprising twist that Paul Rudd never shows up again, “Stunt Man” delivers some serious horror.
Rats, Hell’s Kitchen, “The Face” and snappy dialogue set the tone, weaving together the threads of the previous episodes. Now, we may be getting closer to finding out who killed Saz — if Saz is actually dead.
Plus, did we just find out that Mabel might be heading down a darker path?
Selena Gomez recently joked that it would be “fun” for her character to become a murderer. Now that Mabel is living in the West Tower, surrounded by “weirdos,” will she become “a different kind of weirdo”—like, maybe, a murderer?
There’s so much to unpack, so let’s dive in!
back to heaven
Charles has trouble explaining his dream about Saz, but when Stubbins knocks him out, it finally jogs his memory of the meaning of “heaven.”
But if you look at it as a whole, did Glenroy’s stand-in trigger Charles’ flashbacks about Saz wanting to open the Saz Pataki School of Influence – especially the way things turned out in the end! ?
During this time, Loretta’s mysterious Dr. Maggie (and her memory-inducing chiropractic treatments) and Eva Longoria offer Mabel a bed, which happens to be in the Dude In front of a secret compartment in Nove’s apartment – something fishy must be going on.
The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that neither Glenroy nor Saz was actually dead.
This could very well be some wild movie plot concocted by Bev and her team to capitalize on the success of the trio’s podcast. Honestly, everyone—Saz, Gilroy, even Loretta—could have had a hand in the whole thing!
However, Loretta may not be involved in the whole plan.
Charles’ casual remark of “if she’s still alive” could be some kind of sneaky foreshadowing that Loretta could be next on someone’s hit list, which would eliminate her from my conspiracy theory.
I know this sounds a bit outrageous, but what if the filmmakers really wanted her to leave? Maybe they were worried that a romance between her and Oliver might ruin the plot.
Or – plot twist – what if Loretta isn’t who she says she is? Okay, that’s a bit far-fetched, but given everything this show has shown us, wild speculation is actually necessary!
As for Saz, she told Dr. Maggie that she planned to retire, but she didn’t mention this to Charles.
So the idea of her faking her death while leaving Charles with his Hollywood movie project makes a lot of sense.
She probably thought of the movie as a going-away gift, and in the end, they both had a good laugh about it. But it’s definitely a weird theory and a weird way to say goodbye to a friend.
This is what sweet dreams are made of
Although Dr. Maggie mentioned that Sazz wanted to get over his bad relationship with Charles, I don’t think it was as deep as Charles thought. She might just want to quit the industry altogether.
And let’s not forget the wrap party for Season 3, Episode 10 of The Musical, which provided some support for my theory that Saz isn’t really dead.
Why did Saz go to such lengths to bring Charles’ Malbec back to his apartment? What is she investigating? We haven’t figured this out yet.
She’s also a radio ham, so she can easily help Bev hatch this “murder” plot involving the Westi and keep things interesting.
I mean, it makes sense to add a bunch of “weirdos” for extra flair and depth, right? They want a blockbuster, not something that’s going to disappear on some random streaming service!
Who knows? Maybe Mabel’s move into the west wing was part of the plan.
Win the rental jackpot
An apartment in New York costs $200 a month? It’s like winning the housing lottery! Since Mabel is basically homeless at this point (what happened to Theo?), she can’t refuse such a sweet deal.
Even though it’s all wrapped up in the machinations of filmmaking, it’s the only place where she can be independent now.
But—more importantly—moving in with the Westies, even though we don’t know much about them yet, might change her, and probably not for the better.
When Vince calls the Westies “weirds,” he tells Mabel that if she moves into Dudenoff’s apartment, she’ll become “a different kind of weirdo.”
Now, that could mean a lot of things—or nothing at all. But if Murder in the Building had kept Mabel in the West Wing, her character arc could have changed a lot — including her turning into an actual killer.
Honestly, with her past accidents and setup, this isn’t going to be much of a leap.
What if this happens? This would take the show and Mabel’s character in a crazy new direction, and I’m all for it. That will be a blast!
But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. The reason I bring this up is because of Oliver and his Finsta account, which he used to track down Loretta.
Not bad, baby!
Oliver finally lets go of his “face” – it’s time!
If you remember my review of Murder in the Building Season 4 Episode 3: “Two Take the Road,” I talked about his habit of “preparing a face for the faces you meet.”
Well, his mask completely came off when he opened up to Mabel about Loretta. This time, Oliver is real and shows his vulnerability when he admits he’s worried Loretta might be dating someone else.
Naturally, Mabel, being the voice of reason among the three, thinks this is a terrible idea (because, uh, it would ruin their relationship if Loretta found out).
But, quick sidebar: I totally understand Oliver’s technical struggles. Watching him fumble with adjusting the brightness on his iPad made me uncomfortable.
Mabel’s patience with these two technically challenged “weirdos” was endearing. No sarcasm, no sarcasm – just sweet understanding and patience.
Also, can we talk about “finsta”? I had to google it and when I realized what it was, I laughed so hard. It was a total “Okay, I may not be as old as Charles and Oliver, but I can feel you” moment.
It also makes me appreciate Mabel even more – she’s like a calm, patient child in the face of her insular parents. It reminds me of my own child, who showed endless patience when I struggled with what he thought were simple technical problems.
Anyway, back to Oliver.
Surprisingly, he admitted to Mabel that he planned to propose to Loretta in Los Angeles.
It’s not shocking that he wanted to raise the issue (we all saw it from the balcony), but it was What’s surprising is that he actually shared it. Make progress, Oliver!
Did anyone else notice the trio talking about “faces” after the bartender at Confessions called them that? I have completely mastered “face” observation!
As you know, I have access to a filter for Only Murder, but like any fan I watch them episode by episode, so I have no idea what to expect.
As for Oliver and Loretta’s relationship? It’s too early to tell, but wouldn’t it be crazy if that mystery arm we saw belonged to Ben Glenroy?
I don’t think their romance will go very far, and no matter how it ends, it will be hard on Oliver. Despite his bravado, this guy really does love her.
Fortunately, he has Charles and Mabel to rely on, and there is no doubt that these two people will help him get through this. One thing is for sure, though, he – or any of our trio – can’t count on Howard!
A mouse is a mouse, a mouse is a mouse
I can’t even express how disappointed I am in Howard!
I really hope he becomes a permanent member of the team. Sure, Mabel traps him in her apartment to keep an eye on things (and pigs), but hey, it still counts, right?
But what now? Humph, he is a complete traitor! A mouse! As my mother-in-law always says, “Go get your ass.”
That’s exactly how I feel about Howard. He was quick to turn on our trio, and to be honest, I could have turned on him just as fast.
This selfishness is unreal—although it’s not surprising. Maybe backbiting and deception are just part of the Hollywood playbook.
But in fact he was rejected for playing the role himself The movie should have him crawling back to our trio with his tail between his legs.
He didn’t even have to admit that he auditioned, and honestly, the trio would have forgiven him even if he had.
But what now? He was apparently confused with the siblings and Bev. They didn’t “grow” him for nothing. And then he takes Mabel’s pig right after he pulls off his sneaky little stunt? Yes, there is no doubt that it is all connected.
To tie it all together, remember how Stubbings told Charles he was going into the back room to question Dr. Maggie? He said he thought of him as a “rat” in the background. It’s kind of like what Howard is doing to our trio right now.
Here’s another crazy idea: Was Stubbings really just Stubbings, spying on Charles under someone else’s orders? Or maybe he’s Ben Gilroy in disguise – you know, the “face” of Stubbins?
This makes perfect sense, otherwise how would Bev know the trio were heading to Thaz Pataky’s Academy of Influence? This is shocking, right?
And a quick side note – the whole “Rat in Hell’s Kitchen” thing? funny.
I mentioned before that in real life, the Sith were a group of Irish thugs operating out of Hell’s Kitchen, and one of their members, Mickey Featherstone, ended up being transformed into – you guessed it – a rat! Gotta love the similarities.
Well, Arkoniacs, it’s your turn! Are you as shocked as I am by these twists and turns? Do you think Saz and Glenroy are still alive? Is this all a big movie hoax? What’s Loretta’s role in all this?
Hit the comments below and share your theories!
