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Who Will Be the Victim in ‘The Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5?
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Who Will Be the Victim in ‘The Only Murders in the Building’ Season 5?

(WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hulu’s Season 4 Just murders in the building.)

With one episode left to go—and one extremely the likely killer finally found in the case – apparently Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) will soon solve Sazz’s problem (Jane Lynch) murder. But just as much time Only crimes viewers know when one case ends, another begins… and we suspect at least one beloved character won’t make it out of the Season 4 finale alive.

As we head into the Season 4 finale, here are our predictions for which character could be the next target and the next case the podcast trio must solve.

Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard in Only Murders in the Building

Disney/Patrick Harbron

Howard

Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) had more screen time this season than in past seasons. While this was certainly welcome, it is perhaps also a cause for concern. Could the show’s writers take extra steps to endear us to him before he meets a tragic end? It’s also worth noting that Howard recently adopted a cadaver dog; it would be exactly like Only crimes for Howard’s pet to lead them to his poor owner’s body. However, Howard has been a beloved supporting character on the show for seasons, and it’s also possible that the show simply wanted to expand his role. Hopefully he’ll stick around and be able to launch his podcast about pets with jobs.

Jackie Hoffman as Uma in Only Murders in the Building

Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Uma

As for the building’s current residents, Uma (Jackie Hoffman) could be another target. She didn’t appear much in season 4, and when she did, she complained…but from Uma, we’d expect nothing less. Her murder would certainly fulfill the “in the building” aspect of the show’s title, and the trio investigating her death would add a dimension beyond her funny words. That said, the setup for her murder investigation would be very similar to that of the late Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell), which was also developed while Charles, Mabel, and Oliver worked to find her killer. Because of the similarities there, we’re not sure Only crimes would go that way again.

Amy Ryan as Jan in Only Murders in the Building

Disney/Patrick Harbron

January

She doesn’t live in Arconia, but that won’t necessarily remove a target from Jan (Amy Ryan) back. This season, the show made sure to let viewers know in a few short scenes that Jan has escaped from prison, and as far as we know at this point, she’s still on the loose. The show also pointed out that Jan received a note in Season 1 from a mysterious person who claimed to be following her… and since then, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel have also received those notes. If this is a killer with ties to the show’s first season, it’s possible he killed Jan to keep her quiet – who knows what she knows? Plus, it could be super fun for the trio to have to solve a killer’s murder.

Meryl Streep as Loretta in Only Murders in the Building

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Loretta

This would probably be the most heartbreaking potential loss, and we hope the show doesn’t go down that path. That being said, when things get too happy for a character, oftentimes, a major upset ensues. Oliver and Loretta (Meryl Streep) have been very happy lately. They plan to marry, and Loretta has seen success in her career. Everything is going well for them, but in the world of television, it’s them too happy? Loretta might be protected, however, by the show’s status as a cozy mystery; losing her might be too damaging to Oliver for the show to maintain its upbeat tone as well. Loretta isn’t necessarily safe (on this show, few characters are), but we think as long as Meryl Streep wants to stay Only crimesthe show will likely keep the character around.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams in Only Murders in the Building

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Detective Williams

It would be an interesting twist for the trio to investigate the death of a member of law enforcement, and while we’d love to see Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), we’d be interested to learn more about her character during the inevitable murder investigation. Plus, if a mysterious killer is trying to pick up loose ends from the Season 1 investigation, Detective Williams could be a target. She may have noticed details that didn’t add up that could serve as plot lines that weren’t resolved (like the poisoned dog, Jan’s note, etc.). It’s probably more likely that a killer is going after Jan, given that she already received a threatening message in Season 1, but we can’t rule out Detective Williams either.

Just murders in the buildingSeason 4 Finale, Tuesday, October 29, Hulu