Only Murders in the Building Is Returning For Season 4 — What's Next For Charles, Mabel, & Oliver?

Charles, Mabel, and Oliver’s podcast is in no danger of running out of murder mysteries to solve. The Season 3 finale of Only Murders in the Building premiered Oct. 3 on Hulu and ended with the shocking demise of a beloved character.

Thankfully, viewers don’t have to worry about that cliffhanger remaining unresolved — Only Murders in the Building was officially renewed for Season 4 just hours after the finale’s premiere. Now, the big question is: What’s next for the central trio and the murder-plagued Arconia?

Where did we leave things in Season 3?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Season 3 wrapped up the mystery surrounding the murder of Paul Rudd’s Broadway star, Ben Glenroy. In the season finale, Ben’s murderers were revealed to be Death Razzle Dazzle producers Cliff and Donna. But as soon as one mystery was solved, a new one emerged when Charles’ stunt double, Sazz, was shot in the back while standing in Charles’ kitchen.

For now, Sazz’s murderer remains shrouded in mystery, but there’s no doubt Charles, Mabel, and Oliver will be drawing up a list of suspects as preparations for Season 4 get underway.

When will Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building premiere?

Since Hulu mercifully didn’t make fans wait for confirmation that the series is returning for a fourth season, pre-production can get underway soon. In fact, showrunner John Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter that the show’s writers will get back to work on Oct. 9. Assuming the ongoing actor’s strike is resolved soon, the series could potentially begin filming in the spring or summer.

At this stage, it’s too early to speculate on when exactly Season 4 will premiere, but late 2024 or early 2025 feels like a safe bet.

Which members of the cast will return?

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are all expected to return for the series’ fourth installment. Additionally, Jane Lynch is a lock to return despite her character’s death in the finale. Like the comedy’s previous murder victims, Sazz’s death will lead to a deeper examination of her life, according to Hoffman.

When asked by TVLine if Lynch would have an expanded role in Season 4, Hoffman said, “I would hope so!” He also teased that he hopes stars like Meryl Streep, Matthew Broderick, and Jesse Williams will appear, if their schedules permit. It’s far too early for any of the actors to be definitively locked in, but the next season is sure to bring another round of big-name guest stars, as well as returning favorites.

Who wants Charles dead?

One of the longest-running jokes on the show is how uncanny the resemblance is between Sazz and Charles from behind. With that in mind, it’s likely the murderer’s intended victim was, in fact, the real Brazzos, Charles-Haden Savage. Hoffman wouldn’t confirm the theory to TVLine — but he didn’t deny it either.

“There’s a big wealth of possibility for who might have beef with Charles that would lead to a situation like this,” he explained. “But I think there’s another expansive road we have yet to introduce where we’re learning more about Charles and the world around the event that happens at the end of Season 3.”

He also noted that Sazz had something important to tell Charles in the finale, but she was killed before she had a chance. If you’re already on the hunt for clues about who her murderer could be, a good place to start would be with the message she was attempting to spell out on Charles’ kitchen floor in her final moments.

Will Only Murders in the Building Season 4 leave the Arconia behind?

There was quite a lot of talk about California in the season finale, but while the show could potentially go on a road trip for an episode or two, Hoffman is most excited about returning to the comedy’s Season 1 roots by grounding the new mystery in the Arconia. “The thing that also excited me about the way this thing happens at the end of Season 3 is that we had just spent an entire season, delightedly, in both our building and at the Gooseberry — so, we’re bringing it back to the building and examining potential around the building in ways that we haven’t done yet,” he told the outlet.

Hoffman also revealed he’s looking forward to delving deeper into the lives of the Arconia’s residents, both old and new. “There’s a way in which I want to open up [Season 4] and give it new looks, but bringing it home and diving even deeper into the tenants of the Arconia felt really intriguing,” he said. “Whether that means past tenants, or whether that’s tenants we haven’t met yet, or familial relations… [We have] beloved characters that are there, and we have [tenants] who know more about other people in the building that maybe our trio haven’t discovered. That’s the thing with a building of that scale: There are endless opportunities for rediscovery.”

For now, pour one out for poor Sazz as the wait for Only Murders in the Building Season 4 officially begins.