Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Greenlit - Thanks To Hulu Series' Killer Ratings
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of "Only Murders in the Building"
"Only Murders in the Building" ended Season 3 with yet another murder. Within hours of the finale hitting Hulu, the streamer announced the show's renewal on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating: "Only Murders in the Building is returning for Season 4! The trio's journey is far from over," along with a photo of its smiling stars — Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin.
According to TVLine, Hulu hasn't released specific numbers regarding the success of "Only Murders in the Building." However, the outlet reported that the show earned the top views of any of the streamer's original scripted content in 2023. "Only Murders in the Building" returned for Season 3 on August 8, presenting a theatrical-themed murder mystery that puzzled audiences and its main trio, Mabel Mora (Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Short), and Charles-Haden Savage (Martin).
The third season of Only Murders in the Building is a bonafide hit
Like most streamers these days, Hulu keeps its numbers largely under lock and key — but when "Only Murders in the Building" returned for its third season, Deadline reported that it cracked the top ten on the Nielsen charts right away (alongside the surprise summer hit "Suits"). According to the outlet, "Only Murders" scored an impressive 719 million viewing minutes after its August 8 premiere, earning the series the number 9 spot on that week's Nielsen charts for streaming shows. When it comes to original streaming shows, "Only Murders in the Building" was even more successful, garnering the third most-watched spot on the charts for that category.
Beyond solid streaming numbers, the third season of "Only Murders in the Building" scored solid reviews from critics. At The Atlantic, Shirley Li wrote, "The stakes are low, but the joke density is high, and the twists are always more fun than frightening." Inverse critic Hoai-Train Bui agreed, saying, "Each mystery still unravels with a fizzy, stylish pop, and every new twist is more entertaining than ever." At Variety, Alison Herman pointed out that this season's setting was an ideal fit for its comedy stylings: "'Only Murders in the Building' has always been a study in urban loneliness and isolation, giving emotional substance to what's often a wacky farce. Broadway proves an ideal canvas for this theme." Of course, Meryl Streep received praise as well; as LaToya Ferguson wrote at TheWrap, "Streep's performance meshes well with the other big-time stars and only enhances the quicky, charming nature of the popular Hulu series."
What went down in Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building?
So how does Season 3's finale set up a new story for the podcaster's upcoming season? Let's recap!
After solving two previous murders at the Arconia Seasons 1 and 2 of "Only Murders in the Building," Mabel, Charles, and Oliver begin Season 3 hoping to enjoy Oliver's return to Broadway. Oliver, once a famed theatre director, is staging a comeback with a murder mystery play, "Death Rattle," which is later transformed into a musical titled "Death Rattle Dazzle." Of course, tragedy strikes again. Unfortunately for Oliver, his star Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) drops dead on stage during the opening night ... only to resurface later and announce that he was poisoned, but survived.
Ben doesn't get lucky twice, though; he ends up falling to his death down an elevator shaft in the Arconia — putting Mabel, Charles, and Oliver back on the case. Throughout the season, the trio investigates potential suspects like TikTok star-turned-actress Kimber (Ashley Park), videographer Tobert (Jesse Williams), and forever-aspiring actress Loretta (Meryl Streep). Frankly, Ben wasn't necessarily the best guy, so there are plenty of people who might have wanted him dead and gone. So who did it?
The Season 3 finale of Only Murders in the Building sets up a whole new mystery
Well, it's complicated — considering that one person poisoned Ben and another pushed him down the elevator shaft. The poisoner is Donna Demeo (Linda Emond), the musical's producer, who caught wind of a negative review by local theater critic Mazine (Noma Dumezweni). To protect her wannabe producer son, Cliff (Wesley Taylor), Donna fed Ben a poisoned cookie so he wouldn't be able to ruin the play with his terrible performance. But as Donna tells Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, she didn't intend to kill him outright. When Cliff runs into Ben and discovers what his mother did, he pushes Ben to his death to protect her.
Although the mystery seems wrapped up, as is tradition, "Only Murders in the Building" ends its season finale with a new mystery ... complete with a fresh kill. Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles' stunt double from his days on his old crime series "Brazzos," tells her old friend she has to talk to him. She leaves to find them a bottle of wine, only to be shot through Charles' apartment window. The shooter was clearly aiming for Charles, though — so Season 4's storyline is already good to go.
All three seasons of "Only Murders in the Building" are streaming on Hulu now.