‘Only Murders In the Building’ Showrunner John Hoffman Talks Season 4 Finale And Spills Details About “Ripped From The Headlines” Season 5
Only Murders In the Building co-creator John Hoffman is looking forward to an exciting and all-too-real Season 5 after a “bonkers” Season 4.
Talking with Decider in conjunction with Tuesday’s finale, the executive producer and writer excitedly addressed [redacted] showing up in the final moments of Episode 10, the Meryl Streep and Martin Short romance that infiltrated the headlines (and our hearts), and what he and the other executives have in store for season 5.
**Spoilers for Episode 10, “My Best Friend’s Wedding” ahead**
After Episode 9, “Escape From Planet Klongo,” not only brought in Ron Howard to play himself — portraying the movie director working on a film with Sazz (Jane Lynch) and her masked protege prior to the former’s murder — but also unveiled her killer, Hoffman told Decider that he and the other writers knew they had their work cut out for them when crafting the finale. While they knew it would be Rex Bailey/Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha), the intrepid script writer for the Only Murders in the Building movie based on the fictional podcast from the series, the path to the end was not always clear.
“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,” Hoffman said. “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.”
Similarly, the executive producer told Decider that the process is very collaborative and evolutionary as they look ahead to new seasons, including Season 5, which was greenlit just days after Season 4’s premiere in August. Season 5 will presumably see the main trio — Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Short) and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) — investigating the death of the Arconia’s beloved doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca). The final shots of season 4 reveal Lester lying dead in the courtyard fountain as the trio discovers his corpse and realize that their work is never done.
Hoffman said that the upcoming season — which they are already hard at work on (shout out to four seasons in four years) — will feel like a story that many have seen before, partially because it has a “ripped from the headlines” feel to it. Of course, there’s also Leoni’s character, the wife of Nicky Caccimelio — the missing “Dry Cleaning King of Brooklyn” introduced only via a news clip in Episode 9. While the missing man — who we are sure to get at least one “money laundering” joke out of in Season 5 — did not die at the Arconia, Leoni’s character alludes to the fact that it will all come back to the building somehow.
On top of all the OMITB tidbits, we asked Hoffman — the executive producer of Grace and Frankie and a former actor who worked with Diane Keaton in Northern Lights — about the potential for Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Keaton to guest star on the show in future seasons and while he couldn’t say anything for certain, it’s not out of the question.
Keep scrolling to read Decider’s full interview with Hoffman and be sure to check out our other coverage of Only Murders in the Building Season 4.
DECIDER: I’ll start with the showstopping ending: We’ve got our full-fledged killer reveal in Jin Ha, you got Téa Leoni as a last-minute appearance, and then we also got the murderous reveal at the very end. Talk me through how this episode came together.
JOHN HOFFMAN: Well, it’s — 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. 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 and then crafting around that, you know, ways in which we haven’t done before, hopefully. And emotional moments that feel understood for the first time for the audience. And really relying on doing sort of the dance of what our show does with tone, and with the breath of comedy and poignancy, hopefully, and character arcs. All of it coming together and then springboarding us into a potential next season. So all of that comes into play. But in this case, we knew we had a first order of business with saving Mabel, [in Episode 10]. And how could that happen? And that felt like it would be for Charles and Oliver to just spring into action in a way that we hadn’t seen before, both heroically and comedically. And so it tied in very directly to that is a central question that we ask halfway through the season: Did two people do this or did one person do this? [And if it’s] One person, and how could they have done this?
And so that gave us the landscape for a way to sort of create a comedic set piece for Steve and Marty out on that ledge that only a stunt person might feel comfortable walking on in a heated moment. So that reveal was tied into the narrative. And then the second set of business was the big reveal of what really happened that night with Sazz and Rex/Marshall and what happened in the history between them so that we understand the motive in detail. And we answer a lot of questions, obviously, that are dropped throughout the season that act as clues. So that was a big order of business. And then the third order of business was somebody had to get married. And so Oliver and Loretta’s wedding, I think, holds a lot of tension because I’ve already felt like people have an expectation — which we wink at through the episode, that something might happen to the bride-to-be. And we held on to that while also trying to indulge in a beautiful courtyard setting and then springboard with the terrible news of what they find in the fountain at the very end. So all of those things we knew had to be dealt with. And it felt like a fairly orderly confection, as we put it together.
I’m glad you mentioned both the wedding and the starting at the end and working your way forward, because there was definitely a moment where, as the audience, we’re not sure if Loretta is going to walk out or if we’re going to find that maybe she — oh gosh, what if she falls from the top of the Arconia? Or what if she texts him, “Sorry, I have to walk away from this.” Do you guys find that you’re really glued to one storyline or is there a possibility of alternative endings?
Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, when it comes to that sort of coda to the season, which leads us into the next season, we go through many options and we keep that open as sort of backwards and forwards, you know, forward for the actual full investigative murder we’re tracking through the season, that has to be grounded very specifically early on in the writers’ room. But as far as what the coda is that takes us to the next season, we tend to put a pin in that and collect other pins. Okay. What if we go this direction? What if we pick this character? What if we start to talk about this character? What if all of that and a lot of it leads very heavily into schematics for a potential next season? We always like to go into a little bit of a new world with our characters, and it all has to reflect back on their character arcs and also what kind of new territory feels fresh to us. And so that goes in — that is called into play certainly when it comes to the victim and what kind of stories we might be telling in the next season.
I guess before I get to Season 5, I want to touch back on the wedding. There was a really beautiful moment with some familiar faces, including J.J. Philbin in there, some of the writers, I believe I saw you in there. How did that come about? Was it always the plan to include you as the guests or was it something about the week of the day of?
That’s so nice of you to say. Well, first of all, I was resistant to it. I was convinced that if I put myself in the show, I would ruin the show for myself. I would think, “What the hell am I doing there? Stop that.” So I did edit myself way down, I never had anything to say. I guess I let Jamie Babbitt [the director] convince me that if you’re not just going to the officiant at the wedding of Meryl Streep and Martin Short, then I don’t know what to tell you, you’re out of your mind. So I thought, “Yeah, you’re right, I’m going to do that. I’m going to do that.” But beyond that, it was also J.J. and I had written — co-written the episode together and she was on set and Ben Smith and Alex Bigelow and a few other writers and producers, Jess Rosenthal. We were all there too and it was like a nice moment to be able to sort of fill up the seats at the wedding with faces that were beloved to the crew as well. And so that felt sweet to sort of have everybody represented in that wedding.
I feel like one could argue that you and the producers and the writers are really responsible for giving us one of Hollywood’s newest and hottest couples. I believe I saw a tweet the other day calling them “Travis and Taylor for people who love musical theater.” Did you guys just see the the spark between them before everybody else did or what does it feel like now looking at it and thinking, “They’ve always had that chemistry.”
You know, it is one of the most unexpected turns. But I remember thinking, like “God.” As I got to know Meryl, as I’ve known Marty and as I watched the two of them work together in season 3, I just — it was unbelievable. We were laughing our heads off and they just delighted in each other on screen, off screen in every way. And I remember one night we were shooting on the ferry in episode five of season 3. We shot until about two in the morning on the most gorgeous night in Manhattan. and we got back in about two in the morning and I got off to Gangplank there and Meryl was waiting and she had tears in her eyes and she said, “I just had to wait here for you to get off the boat to say thank you.” And I was like, “What?” and she said, “I just got to play a scene I really thought that the likes of which I wouldn’t have a chance to do, to play romantic scenes at this age with this band in this way, it’s just the greatest thing ever.” And I felt, of course, like the luckiest guy in the world to have her anywhere near a set that I was near. So that felt like one of the most gratifying things. And I kept on thinking like, “I hope the world falls in love with this couple the way we all are.” And that is so due to the magic that they create together.
That’s so beautiful. And I do believe that we don’t see older love stories or there are so many different kinds of love you don’t get to see play out on television. I know you’ve worked on Grace and Frankie where there’s there’s so many other love stories there and and also friendship stories. I wanted to ask you about guest stars for season 5 — have you thought about bringing in any of the other other ladies you’ve worked with, maybe even Diane Keaton?
My God, I’ve thought about all of them. It’s one of those things with these opportunities I’ve had that it’s been so gratifying to work with these legends. And I, you know, I make jokes about like, “Well, I only work with legends.” But it’s really something to watch both up close, the way in which they’re utter pros to a person, every last one of them I’ve had the privilege to work with, [they] are just people to learn from every minute. It’s the way they work. And then also, to see the way they feel grateful for this moment, to have work at this point in their life that feels enlivening. I feel very privileged, but also just feeling like, “Damn it, you should have more work. I only want more of all of you.” And I think Meryl had said too, to do this kind of story where it’s not twee, where it’s not about their age, that’s it’s pure heart that’s happening and romance between these two people. And it doesn’t feel like a story about “at this point in their lives.” It just happens to be a story that we’re following with people over a certain age. But I love that she pointed that out.
I love that, too. And, you know, looking ahead to season five, we already know that there’s going to be some kind of storyline with Nicky [Cacchiamelio] and with Téa Leoni’s character but is there anything else you can share about that? Anything you can maybe tease a little bit?
Well, I mean, 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. [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. 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.
I think that that’s so cool. You know, Season 3 was all about Broadway, Season 4 we’re in Hollywood and we’re doing movies. Is it fair to say potentially there could be some Sopranos-esque influences?
I mean, this is what I think looking at this aspect of New York and what does that look like today. That’s what I’m interested in. Sort of progressing that classic trope a little bit more forward to understand what that element might feel and look like today is what I’m really interested in.
And do you have any current castings or pie-in-the-sky guest dream actors that you were really hoping to pull for Season 5?
Gosh, I would love to be able to share. There are and there have been so many that have been amazing to reach out. I can’t believe what has happened with the show, but I also really want to be very careful with it so it feels a part of the fabric of our show. This past season, it was bonkers who came aboard to work on this show, but it was a season all built around Hollywood. And so I very much love the work of great character actors in New York and yet I will find it hard to resist some key roles being played by some amazing people this year. I can’t share yet. But there will be, certainly.
I’ve talked to a lot of people and we’ve reached the consensus that this kind of was the funniest season. And it was definitely the most ambitious season you guys have had, which is not always a good thing for television, but in this case, it was really, really great. And I think it for me at least, I. I came down to leaning into the lunacy and just letting you guys have fun with it. But were there any potential storylines or any scenes, jokes or whatever that you guys had, you be like, “Okay, let’s take a step back. Let’s now go that far with these characters.”
Certainly there were and thank you for that. I really appreciate that. I have, you know, I feel this incredible urge with this group of people, just the core group of people within the show and the show and the opportunity itself to really step it up and to reach for things and sort of be ambitious in that way. And it is challenging for everyone involved, b but everyone else says the same thing with me and with everybody involved in the sweetest way. So it feels really gratifying to feel like we’ve landed some things that we really reached for. But beyond that, yeah, no, I think, let’s see if I can come up with anything. Everybody dives in the same way. And I love this minute turn notion for — in Episode 9, of the madness of art. What felt like a pretty direct homage to Hollywood and great films and titling Episode 9 “Escape from Planet Klongo” when it’s been nothing but classic movies. It was definitely like, “Okay, I guess we’re going here.” And then the fact that Ron Howard was directing the movie.
There were certainly lots of scenes on the cutting room floor that had Steve Martin and Martin Short in those blue spandex outfits sort of right on the edge. But nothing is better than that, too. So that was one thing. Certainly in Episode 7 with that house of comedic geniuses — Melissa McCarthy, Molly Shannon, Meryl and everyone else, Zach [Galifianakis], Eva [Longoria], Eugene [Levy] — it was crazy. So letting them go a little bit as far as they wanted to was a pleasure. And so there were times for sure that you have to trim. We’re a 30, 35 to no more than 38-minute show. And so the things I would share and hopefully we can put something together to show some other stuff, but boy, it was big-time funny happening that we couldn’t even air.
I mean, it’s hard to say that you guys will ever be able to step up over yourselves on a Melissa McCarthy-Meryl Streep showdown, knockdown, drag out. But then you also have these not even quietly funny, just downright hilarious moments with someone like Martin Short screaming at an iPad and Paul Rudd doing an Irish accent. It just goes right back into, you have to find the funny in the lunacy of it. It’s cartoonish, but it never leans into being way too cartoonish. And I love that about the show.
Thank you. Thank you. Can I just say, that brawl, the scene that follows that brawl is one of the most touching scenes I think we’ve put on screen for this show between Melissa and Steve. And I love buttressing those kind of tonal mixes up against each other. And it only works if you have the greatest acting talents that can do both brilliantly.
And you guys do it so well. I mean, even, even the ending of Sazz’s script saying, “Happy endings or only for characters in a movie and for exotic massages. Sometimes life doesn’t happen that way.” I had to pause that. I was like, “Oh that is deep deep, that’s beautiful.” The delivery is impeccable as well. But it’s, it’s just it’s one of those beautiful messages that you find in the most unlikely of places.
That’s right. Yeah. It’s sort of like a little wink throughout that feels so sweet to be able to do and now have an audience appreciate them. Like you’re saying, I love any time that I hear some of my favorite parts or aspects being sort of quoted like that. It’s really gratifying.
Well, I’ve been keeping track all season of all of my favorite little one-liners and little quotes. And I think my favorite one from the last episode has to be just Martin Short’s really quick “Would I have to go to the theater?” Because that’s just — his delivery. It’s beautiful, it’s just ten out of ten.
I love that.
Well, one more question. It’s kind of out of left field, but run with me here. So with the upcoming Abbott Elementary/ It’s Always Sunny crossover, I feel like there’s been a renewed interest in those kinds of television events. You guys are part of the big Hulu, ABC, Disney+, FX family — have you ever thought of a crossover with another show, or is there one that you think would be really fun to do?
Oh my God, I haven’t thought of that. But I will say this much, I love Quinta Brunson. And, you know, I’ve been fortunate to be at a bunch of these kinds of awards things or parties that I sometimes get a little bit tongue-tied and a little bit overwhelmed by and she’s been like a life preserver. We just happen to have gone to many of the same things together. And [she’s] so smart, sweet — it’s just a delight. And we talk about each other’s shows in the most glowing terms. And so we have kind of tickled with that. 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.
Well, you know, I say we get it in the works. We get the Abbott Elementary crew on a bus up to New York. There’s tons of historical significance to New York. So maybe we can we can work it out.
Absolutely. It’s not far from Philly. Yeah, absolutely.
Only Murders In the Building seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Hulu.