Only Murders in the Building solved Sazz’s death only to go ahead and kill off our favorite Arconia doorman Lester — so what does that mean for season 5?
The fourth finale, which concluded in October 2024, had Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) trying to track down what led to Sazz’s (Jane Lynch) murder. They were able to figure out how her stunt prodigy, Marshall (Jin Ha), stole Sazz’s script and killed her to keep it quiet, but there wasn’t much time for them to celebrate the solve.
Hours later, Oliver was exchanging vows with Loretta (Meryl Streep) while Mabel and Charles were approached by a woman (Téa Leoni) who came into the building asking for the trio to help her find her missing husband. They said no, and by the next morning, Lester (Teddy Coluca) was the next victim at the Arconia.
“It’s always one of those strange experiences with the finales of our seasons because we always have to start there first in many ways before we even begin episode one. And we walk through all of the details and lay down everything that actually, in truth, happened,” creator John Hoffman told Decider in October 2024. “And then we back our way, twisting our way to the front of the season in many ways with that mystery story. So a lot of it is just a burst of truth at the end in funny ways and then crafting around that, you know, ways in which we haven’t done before, hopefully.”
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Keep scrolling for everything we know so far about season 5 of Only Murders in the Building:
What Is the Vision for ‘Only Murders’ Season 5?
The new season will show viewers more about Lester’s life.
“Our beloved doorman has a hold of a large amount of tenants in our buildings’ secrets and many other things about his life were interesting for me to sort of explore. The very nature of a doorman in a pre-war apartment building, a New York City in 2025,” Hoffman told Decider. “[It] felt very, very interesting to look at in terms of what our show has always been about, which is classic meets newer. We really are dipping our toe into a New York City in season 5 that feels particularly ripped from the headlines in certain ways that we’ve not done before.”
He continued: “And going into some modern new take on the power in New York along the lines with, ‘What happens with the power in New York in regards to the classic respect and sort of protocols that have always been there that exist in these sort of buildings?’ with a doorman and the respect and all of that. And how does modern technology come into all of that? So some of these things are being brought up within the next season, granted in comedic ways and fun ways, but also hopefully in pointed ways like we haven’t shown before.”
Will Meryl Streep’s Loretta Return or Is New Zealand Her Way Off the Show?
“There are certain things I just can’t do, and one of those things I can’t do is kill Meryl Streep. Granted, she has many other things she will be doing and should be doing, and yet, every time we even begin to have a discussion about anything like that, or her ending her time with us, I say, ‘Stop talking. I can’t talk about this,’” Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2024. “I can’t promise that might be true forever. But for this season [it is].”
Hoffman wouldn’t confirm nor deny whether Loretta’s move meant that was her final episode.
“There are a lot of reasons [for that decision]. I’ll cop to that for sure. But I think, ultimately, I delighted in it, and we said yes to it because it felt like a funny, believable thing now. If you’re working in TV and film, again, it’s a little bit of a tweaking joke to the industry that overseas is cheaper, or overseas makes sense, or overseas is fresher,” Hoffman explained at the time. “Things are happening like that all the time around productions that are either just getting going or are making a move, or whatever they can do to hold on to things and keep the costs down. So a little bit of that wink was a part of that decision.”
Could There Be a Crossover With Another Show — Perhaps ‘Abbott Elementary’?
“I love Quinta Brunson. We talk about each other’s shows in the most glowing terms. And so we have kind of tickled with that,” Hoffman teased to Decider. “And I love everyone on her show and everyone behind the scenes on her show. That’s the one that comes to mind first. I don’t know if there’s a world that could ever happen or what that might look or feel like. But it’s fun to imagine.”
Will the Caccimelio Mystery Return?
“It is my tremendous, great hope and belief that that might be true,” Hoffman hinted to TVLine in October 2024 about Leoni, who plays Sofia Caccimelio in the season 4 finale. Sofia asked Mabel and Charles for help after her husband, Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio, went missing and even hinted his disappearance had “everything” to do with the Arconia.
Hoffman confirmed he was in talks with Leoni, adding, “First of all, she’s the best. I will give up that we have had texts about things that can happen in season 5, as recently as a few days ago. There is a real opportunity, I think, for season 5 to take us back into the land of New York today, in many ways … and maybe even headlines about New York City today, in the real world, might influence some of the stories in a way that we haven’t done yet.”
According to Hoffman, there have already been talks about who would play Nicky.
Could Paul Rudd Return in a 3rd Role?
“I mean, Paul likes a good, repetitive joke. The fact that he likes the show as much as he does, and keeps at it with us, moves me to the point of making terrible choices,” Hoffman shared with TVLine. “Dramatically, I can’t take anything off the table for him or for Jane Lynch. Or anyone else, frankly.”
Are Jan and Charles Actually Endgame?
“I think she does, which makes her deeply threatening,” Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2024 about Amy Ryan‘s onscreen return as Jan. “But I do like Amy and the character so much in its madness and what she can do. So all of those things make me think like, ‘Well, I don’t ever want to quit her.’ So why should Charles, at this moment?”
Which Guest Stars Can Fans Look Forward To?
Hoffman weighed in on the chances of another star-studded season, telling THR, “First of all, I’m still a SAG member, and so I want all of the best actors to be working for us, whether they’re brand-name faces or not. If I find a part that feels really right and fun for someone incredible that we get the chance to work with, who wants to do the show, then that’s a gift. So more will come.”
He added: “But I think this season, particularly season 4 was all, again, built around TV and Hollywood, so it was its own cavalcade of stars. That’s where I went this season, but it might not look exactly the same next season. But still, I hope we can land some beauties.”
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Will ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5 Be a Noir-Inspired Story?
Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez in ‘Only Murders in the Building’. Disney/Patrick Harbron
“There are two beats in the end of the season, in episode 9 and episode 10, again with the great Téa Leoni, who I love. There are connections to be made with the very last beat of this season and that story line, and I’m excited to go in that direction that feels particularly New York in certain ways,” Hoffman detailed to THR. “But also, I’m really excited to explore, what does that look like today? And, what new thing can we say about all of that that will feel both fun and enlightening, and a little bit resonant in ways to actual events around New York and our world today in ways we haven’t done before? That gets me excited.”
