Only Murders Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Once Upon a Time in the West

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 1, “Once Upon a Time in the West,” mixes things up a bit as far as the introduction to the season’s murder go.

The audience knows that Sazz was shot on Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Episode 10, “Opening Night.” So it’s expected that as soon as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel head up to Charles’ apartment on “Once Upon a Time in the West,” that they would make that discovery too.

But that’s not what happens.

The body’s gone, and our trio are oblivious with only Charles expressing concern over Sazz’s whereabouts.

It’s an unexpected way to throw the audience off a bit.

After three seasons, we know how this song and dance goes, but by having the trio spend an entire episode unaware that there’s been another murder in their building, the show breathes some fresh life (no pun intended) into their typical procedure and has a bit of fun in the process.

Mabel: So what’s next podcast-wise? Charles, you mentioned a cold case.
Oliver: Oh please, if it was interesting it wouldn’t be cold. No, what we need is a hot, fresh, dead body preferably right here or very near to here.
Charles: It’s true. We’ve been very lucky with people dying in our building.
Mabel: Yeah but it is kind of a flaw in our business model.

“Once Upon a Time in the West” features our trio saying things that are particularly funny because we know something they do not. Whether its our trio wishing for a fresh body or Oliver wanting to drop dead right where Sazz died, Only Murders in the Building finds the humor in our trio being out of the loop.

And then there’s the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood adaption.

Only Murders in the Building not only pokes fun at Hollywood but at our trio as characters, which is delightful. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel having one-on-one scenes with the actors that will play them is entertaining, but what would be even better is to see the actors and characters mingle a bit.

I’d love to see Charles’ take on Eva Longoria’s Mabel, or one of the actors being in character while talking to our trio. There are so many possibilities for hilarity.

In the final scenes of the episode, Only Murders in the Building reminds us that it can pull off tense, suspenseful moments as our trio discovers what happened to Sazz. The tone shift is done so well, and you find yourself impatient for Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 2, “Gates of Heaven,” to premiere.

After “Opening Night.” the common theory was that Sazz was mistaken for Charles, and that’s why she was killed. But with the weird evidence at her apartment, there’s still a possibility that perhaps Sazz was not killed by mistake. What’s your working hypothesis?

Stray Thoughts

• Do we think Oliver and Loretta can make long-distance work?
• How many murder investigations have they been involved in, and Charles is still touching evidence without gloves?!
• Oliver really knows how to deliver a guilt trip.
• I hope Mabel asked for a ton of money.
• I love Grave-y so much.
• Hopefully, the writer of the adaptation makes his way out to New York to shadow the trio around for “research.”

What did you think of this episode of Only Murders in the Building? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

New episodes of Only Murders in the Building premiere on Tuesdays on Hulu.

Follow us on X and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!