Only Murders In The Building Season 4: Cast, Plot, And More Info

"Only Murders in the Building" has earned pretty much universal acclaim for its first three seasons, including an 8 out of 10 /Film review from Josh Spiegel for season 3. It's also been responsible for Meryl Streep's return to TV, a weirdly catchy original Steve Martin tune (or two), and an official companion podcast called "Only Murders in the Pod." Plus, of course, the show has won four Primetime Emmys and counting. So what's next for the series? In a word: Hollywood.

After three seasons spent solving murders in their unusually deadly New York City apartment building, amateur sleuths Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) are making a great escape. While last season of the zany Hulu mystery series saw the trio of podcast hosts turned frequent murder suspects unmask Ben Glenroy's (Paul Rudd) killer and seemingly get embroiled in another East Coast death, the first teaser for the new season promises a location change. This time around, the gang's headed to the West Coast, where threats and intrigue will surely follow them.

The first teaser for the new season dropped in May along with a release date: August 27, 2024. The show's previous seasons have alternated between October and August release dates, so this is pretty on par with the release window we expected. As usual, the show will stream exclusively on Hulu, though the word "exclusively" doesn't exactly mean what it used to when it comes to streaming services. Disney-owned Hulu is also available in a bundle for Disney+ subscribers, and it seems likely that the two services will continue to cross-pollinate over time.

If you're just catching up on the show and want to tune in, you can subscribe to Hulu on its own for $7.99 a month, Hulu and Disney+ combined for $9.99 a month with ads, and the two services plus ESPN with ads for $14.99 a month. To watch without ads, you'll have to pay for the premium bundle of all three services, which is $24.99 a month, or for Hulu premium on its own, which is $17.99 a month. These prices are, of course, subject to change, but it's worth noting that Hulu also typically has a free trial option.

The new season will no doubt feature an investigation into the shooting of Sazz Pataki, Charles' stunt double (who's been played by Jane Lynch for the past three seasons). At the end of season 3, she told Charles the pair had to talk, then stepped into his apartment and was shot by an unseen sniper. On first glance, of course, it seems like it must have been a hit intended for Charles, but the truth in "Only Murders in the Building" is always more complicated (and sillier).

The first official synopsis for the new season features a lot more information about its plot, including an explanation of how Mabel, Charles, and Oliver end up in Hollywood. "Questioning whether [Sazz] or Charles was the intended victim, their investigation leads them all the way to Los Angeles where a Hollywood studio is readying a film about the 'Only Murders' podcast," the plot description explains. Even though much of the teaser trailer takes place in Los Angeles, the summary goes on to hint at what might happen later in the season, noting that the show will once again head back to the building that's long-since been at its center: historic apartment The Arconia.

"As Charles, Oliver & Mabel race back to New York," the synopsis reads, "they embark on an even more epic journey — traversing their building's courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia's West Tower residents." Given that the group has already found hidden passageways inside their sprawling home, it's not surprising that the courtyard has some secrets worth exploring.

Singer and actor Gomez and seasoned comedians Short and Martin will all be back for the show's new season, along with a few key returning cast members. Jane Lynch will return, though it seems likely that she'll play Sazz in flashbacks as the character seemed pretty dang dead in the season 3 finale. Newly minted Academy Award winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph will also return as Detective Williams, while Michael Cyril Creighton will continue playing quirky Arcadian resident Howard. Meryl Streep will also return as burgeoning star Loretta, which makes sense as she no doubt will find more work in Los Angeles after her breakout turn in Oliver's play.

The new season's cast is, as always, star-studded and super fun. "Schitt's Creek" star Eugene Levy is on board, as are comedians Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover"), Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids"), Molly Shannon ("The Other Two"), and Kumail Nanjiani ("The Big Sick"). While past seasons had star power, this one seems to include more funny people than ever before. "Desperate Housewives" alum Eva Longoria is also among the new castmates, as is Richard Kind, who's fresh off a stint on John Mulaney's live Netflix show "Everybody's In L.A." Details about each new character are still being kept under wraps.

The first teaser trailer for season 4 (see above) does a good job laying the groundwork for the new, coast-switching plot. After recapping the end of last season — namely, Sazz's murder by an unseen sniper — the promo shows Oliver goading Charles about recording a podcast episode on the crime ("You know this is happening, we might as well just start," the shameless fame junkie says). In the next clip, Mabel lets the guys know that a Hollywood movie studio wants to turn their (objectively bad) podcast into a movie.

From there, the group jets off to L.A. where they encounter several of the new castmates. While Longoria and Levy seem to be schmoozing at a party, Shannon appears to play a producer or executive who's interested in the podcast. In the promo's silly stinger, Charles struggles to pass a note with a figure on it –- the cost of his life rights –- across a torturously wide table to Shannon's character, who isn't impressed by the number "4" written inside. Other quick snippets in the trailer include Richard Kind in an eye patch, a tiny piglet running through the hall of the Arconia, and the trio riding through what seems to be Beverly Hills, leaning out of the sunroof of a limo while eating fast food. Classic!

"Only Murders in the Building" returns to Hulu on August 27, 2024.