How Did “Only Murders in the Building” Season 3 End? Here's Where We Left Mabel, Charles and Oliver

'Only Murders in the Building' left season 3 with yet another murder that Mabel, Charles and Oliver are left to solve

<p>Eric McCandless/Disney</p> Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short in

Eric McCandless/Disney

Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Warning: Only Murders in the Building season 3 spoilers ahead!

Keeping with tradition, Only Murders in the Building season 3 left off with a murder, naturally, in the building.

A year after season 3 wrapped, season 4 started dropping on Hulu on Aug. 27. It sees Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin reprise their roles as true-crime-solving trio Mabel, Oliver and Charles, respectively.

Now, they've gained recognition for their podcast and have skyrocketed to fame so quickly that a movie about their lives is being made starring Eva Longoria as Mabel, Eugene Levy as Charles and Zach Galifianakis as Oliver.

However, all of this is happening at the same time as the trio reels from the death of Sazz Pataki, who died in the season 3 finale. Sazz, played by Jane Lynch, was Charles' stunt double and was killed in his apartment, leading Mabel and Oliver to suspect he may have been the intended victim.

Following a trailer full of starry guest appearances, including Melissa McCarthy, Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon, as well as A-list returning stars, including Meryl Streep, season 4 promises to be full of fun and mystery.

Before you dive in, here's everything to know about how season 3 of Only Murders in the Building ended.

How did Only Murders in the Building season 3 end?

<p>Patrick Harbron/Hulu</p> Jane Lynch in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Jane Lynch in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

While one mystery was solved in the tenth and final episode of Only Murders season 3, a new one unraveled. The episode, which aired in October 2023, started with the opening of Oliver's Broadway comeback musical, Death Rattle Dazzle, starring Loretta (Streep) as the lead.

The moment is a long time coming after the death of the show's previous lead, Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd), who was murdered on the initial opening night of the play Death Rattle, leading Oliver to shut down production. However, he rebranded the show into a musical and carried on rehearsing throughout season 3, while Mabel and Charles focused on continuing their podcast and figuring out who killed Ben.

In the finale, fans discover that there were not one but two culprits in Ben's murder. First, Donna, the mother of producer Cliff, left cookies laced with poison for Ben after reading an initial review that he was the weakest link in the production. She explained to Mabel in her confession that she didn't mean to kill him, only to "knock him on his a--," so that her son's reputation wouldn't be ruined for a bad production.

While Ben dropped "dead" on stage, he bounced back up for the after-party, where he discovered he was poisoned. He confronted Cliff when he found out it was Donna who did it, leading to a brawl between the two that ended with Cliff pushing Ben down the elevator shaft in a fit of rage, causing his ultimate death.

After their confession, Cliff attempts to take his own life. Donna stops him, and the two are arrested.

However, while Mabel, Charles and Oliver finally get a chance to celebrate the success of opening night and their solved murder, another crime takes place elsewhere in the building: the death of Sazz.

She is killed while standing in Charles' apartment, and the camera pans out as we see her write some message to Charles in her own blood.

Showrunner John Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter that the mystery of Sazz's final message was left ambiguous on purpose soon after the finale aired.

"We thought to keep it as oblique as possible for now, just to keep our options open for the next season, but it feels very in her character to send a message," he said. "She’s been trying to do it to Charles throughout the season."

What happens with Mabel and Tobert at the end of Only Murders in the Building season 3?

<p>Patrick Harbron/Hulu</p> Jesse Williams and Selena Gomez in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Jesse Williams and Selena Gomez in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Apart from the murder mysteries at the center of Only Murders, the show also explores each of the main characters' relationships, especially Mabel, who is continuing to find herself and the right partner for her.

In season 3, she develops a close bond with Tobert (Jesse Williams) as Charles and Oliver are distracted by other projects and lose focus on their shared podcast. Tobert is a videographer who was making a documentary about Ben and, throughout the season, helps Mabel solve his murder.

However, the two called it quits in the season finale as Tobert gets an offer to shoot an indie film in Los Angeles. Though fans thought the status of their relationship could still be up in the air for season 4, Williams put theories to bed when he confirmed to PEOPLE that he wasn't returning to the show in July 2024.

What happens to Oliver and Loretta's relationship at the end of Only Murders in the Building season 3?

<p>Patrick Harbron/Hulu</p> Martin Short and Meryl Streep in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Martin Short and Meryl Streep in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Like Mabel, Oliver also found love in season 3 with his leading lady, Loretta. At one point in the show, all signs even pointed to Loretta as the killer after Oliver found a diary in her home that made her look like she was obsessed with Ben, when in reality, it was his adopted brother, Dickie, she was following closely as he was the baby she gave up to pursue a career in acting.

Before Oliver knows the truth, he decides to protect Loretta and doesn't share his suspicious findings with his fellow podcasters, leading to tension within the group. However, Loretta is ultimately shown to be innocent after she gave a false confession to protect Dickie, who she believed had killed Ben.

In the season finale, Dickie, who is now Loretta's manager, told her that he had a few opportunities for her in L.A. now that she had shown herself as a shining star in Death Rattle Dazzle. She told Oliver the happy news, and he said he could handle L.A. in small doses but would be unable to move there, leaving their relationship up in the air.

When does Only Murders in the Building season 4 premiere?

<p>Eric McCandless/Disney</p> Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Eric McCandless/Disney

Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Only Murders will air weekly on Hulu, with the first two episodes released on Aug. 27. The season will consist of 10 episodes.

The first three seasons of the show are available on Hulu.

What will happen in Only Murders in the Building season 4?

<p>Eric McCandless/Disney</p> Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Eric McCandless/Disney

Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building'.

Only Murders in the Building season 4 is going to focus on the fourth murder in The Arconia, the Upper West Side building in which Mabel, Oliver and Charles live. At the same time, per the trailer, it looks like the three leads will be spending some time in L.A. as their story is brought to life by Levy, Longoria and Galifianakis.

It also appears as though their movie counterparts will be shadowing them as a "character study," and want to get involved in helping solve the murder of Sazz.

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