The Arconia has seen its fair share of dead bodies. Like Jessica Fletcher’s quiet coastal town of Cabot Cove on Murder, She Wrote, this beautifully historic apartment building loves to attract murder.
Ever since the first season dropped on Hulu, there seems to be a new mystery that pulls our favorite podcast trio together on Only Murders in the Building.
And just like every True Crime fan or mystery lover, we’re at the edge of our seats to solve it. From romances to financial schemes, the trio uncovers all the secrets. We want in!
Though with a fourth murder in a row at the same building, it’s never too early to think of how the mysteries can keep growing. Plenty of reveals and secrets have been unearthed before Only Murders In The Building Season 4, so it’s time for a little refresh.
Below, we’ve thought of a few ideas for how to expand the mysteries. Check it out!
New Residents, New Stories
Even with all the big cases, we can’t forget that the Arconia is an apartment building. Sure, we’ve met residents like Uma and Howard, but what about the rest?
Only Murders In The Building Season 1 and Only Murders In The Building Season 2 succeeded by opening up the world of the iconic building.
We learned about its residents, how they were connected to the murdered victim, and their secrets away from the case. These stories fleshed out the narrative and made the building feel lived-in.
What if a few new faces play a part in the murder?
Sazz (played by Jane Lynch) has been Charles’ (played by Steve Martin) stunt double for a long time. She had been most likely around the building plenty of times for visits. And we can’t forget she’s been to parties hosted by, or around, Charles.
Sazz had to have had connections with the building’s residents, from people we knew to others we hadn’t met.
What if she confided something to someone else in the building? What if one of the residents spotted something?
The possibilities are endless in a big building like the Arconia. The trio’s murder board would have plenty of new names to add to their suspect list.
Return Of The Absent Characters
Now, what about the characters we haven’t seen in a while? It’s time they make a comeback!
Sazz Pataki was a familiar recurring character who provided plenty of laughs whenever they visited. She’s been dropping by our screens since Only Murders In The Building Season 1, and she’s even been in a relationship with Jan.
With her ongoing visits, there’s a strong chance she’s still talking with many people who haven’t been in the central mystery for a while. Some could be memorable characters, while others could be new connections we didn’t know about.
If not Sazz, maybe they’ll return to interact with the podcast trio.
Not every character has to be involved in the murder mystery. We can expand the stories of our main three or catch up with what’s been happening in their lives.
Some characters who haven’t appeared in a while are Mabel’s (played by Selena Gomez) former love interests Alice Banks and Oscar Torres, and Charles’ stepdaughter Lucy. And as mentioned above, the other residents of the Arconia during Bunny’s murder case.
They could come back to spice up the drama or complicate things further.
A Family Connection
Speaking of absent characters, there is one person that would be amazing to have pop up: Mabel’s unseen and wealthy aunt, Salma.
Mabel’s involvement in the world of the Arconia is due to Salma’s influence. If it weren’t for her apartment and letting Mabel stay there, she wouldn’t have been around to be involved in the cases. Plus, Mabel had spent years visiting her aunt and being around the building.
Salma may have sold her place during Only Murders In The Building Season 3, but she owned the home for decades before that.
Salma has a history with the Arconia; many people would have interacted with her. She likely has information or secrets from within the building that could blow up any mystery wide open.
Keep The Mystery Within The Building
This might sound weird since this article is about expanding the mysteries, but it’s an important one that came to light recently during Only Murders In The Building Season 3. Specifically, the power and potential of the case feel greater when it’s tied to the building instead of outside it.
Ben Glenroy’s (played by Paul Rudd) murder happened in the elevator shaft of the Arconia. However, much of the case found its way to the Broadway theater and the people working there.
The mystery itself focused on the musical cast and the production team; a majority of them had nothing to do with the Arconia. Even Ben didn’t have a strong tie to the building, as his penthouse apartment was only shown once (and very briefly).
This is not to say that every case has to be housed mainly at the building all the time. The Broadway case gave us a nice break and expanded Oliver’s world back into theater.
Now that this mystery has been solved, it’s time to bring it back home.
As mentioned above, there is so much potential within the stories of the people who are already there. Instead of pulling the story and the cast back to the building, we can focus on growing out the tales from within.
Only Murders In The Building will be much stronger for it.
A New Unlikely Ally
One of the best aspects of Only Murders In The Building Season 3 was the group’s unexpected help from Howard, the bumbling yet passionate performer. He had always been on the sidelines for a few quips or had his small part in the mystery, but he never played a significant role in the group’s adventure.
During Ben’s murder case, Howard was there to add some fun during the theater production and help the group.
What if the next mystery has someone from the Arconia tag along to do the same?
Don’t worry! We’re not talking about adding a fourth member to the crew.
That would break up the group’s rhythm. So, don’t expect a recommendation of having someone like Tobert or Loretta grab a podcast microphone and join in.
Instead, someone like Uma increasing their recurring status could be a bit of fun.
Uma is already frustrated with the podcast trio, and she’s made comments in the past about how murders keep happening in the building. However, if she were to get more involved, it could be a fun foil to what information she discovers.
Just imagine if Uma has the missing piece to the case. She would never let them live it down!
A Foe To Conquer All
Mabel, Charles, and Oliver have faced an array of villains. Sometimes, they’re one-off characters, or it’s the Big Bad killers who get discovered at the end.
But what if they had a more persistent enemy (or better yet, a frenemy) they couldn’t trust along the way? Someone who was trying to scoop them and held new mysteries over their heads?
Enter Cinda Canning, the “reformed” podcast host who has tried to shut down the podcast trio.
Cinda showed how powerful she could be during Only Murders In The Building Season 2; she nearly took down the group with her investigative prowess. And her offer to Mabel could tear the group apart if she ever accepted.
Cinda could easily fit in and play a part in every new mystery at the Arconia or new case on the horizon.
New developments from sources? A new podcast case she needs the trio’s help with? Sabotaging the group? Revealing a hidden bit of information?
Cinda could be that person.
A Foundation For Mysteries
We’ve touched on many aspects of murders that started within and outside the Arconia. Even Only Murders In The Building Season 2 discussed the history of the iconic venue and the parts it played in the season’s mystery.
But what if more mysteries are hiding within the historic building?
The Arconia was built in 1908, and we know for certain there are secret passageways found between the apartments. The trio had only recently discovered them, which was surprising since many lived in the building for years. What’s to say there aren’t more hidden rooms, passages, or secrets in the building?
The Arconia could be the device for expanding and growing the murder mysteries.
Now, over to you, Fanatics!
How would you expand the mysteries of Only Murders In The Building? What would you change or keep?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Only Murders In The Building is available to stream now on Hulu.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.