Only Murders In The Building: Season 4, Episode 8 recap

Living in Arconia has changed people's lives Just murders in the buildingis the charming trio. The location turned them into amateur detectives and successful true crime podcasters as the bodies fell to the ground around them. But it has also, perhaps most importantly, made them unexpected best friends. Before joining forces, Charles, Mabel and Oliver lived lonely lives. Today they are closer than ever and the subjects of a damn Hollywood movie. Choosing to live in this Upper West Side apartment complex has made them a found family.

As it turns out, they're not the only Arconia tenants who go together like chips and dip (or should I say like Ibérico ham and sauce?). Episode eight reveals how, in the West Tower of Arconia, another group of madmen have formed a close bond thanks to Milton Dudenoff's generosity. “Lifeboat” shows us how the Westies became inseparable over the years. We barely know the guy, but it's clear that Dudenoff wasn't a villain like Mabel suspected. He was a sweet hero who always wanted to take care of his friends. Griffin Dunne's down-to-earth performance in this episode is so touching that I wish season four had expanded on his journey beyond a single installment. At least OmitB's casting department hits the jackpot again.

So, that's one Murder on the Orient Express Situation where the Westies gut their neighbor to collect his social security checks? No, but they were complicit in what happened to Dudenoff and kept their traps tightly closed. They would have gotten away with it if Charles, Oliver, and Mabel hadn't turned the Arconia into a hot zone for true crime lovers and cops. And now the Westies are forced to reveal their dirty truth to podcasters and three curious Hollywood stars who willingly put themselves in danger for a reason I don't understand. Maybe it's the adrenaline.

Under the pretense of a star-studded game night, everyone gathers at Oliver's house. Players include Charles, Mabel, Oliver, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Rudy (Kumail Nanjiani), Vince (Richard Kind), Alfonso (Desmin Borges), Inez (Daphne Rubin-Vega) and Ana (Lilian Rebelo) . . Phew. But the Westies turn the tables as soon as they arrive. Rudy wields a knife and at one point makes everyone suffer through his rendition of the monologue A few good men. (Only Oliver reacts enthusiastically; the rest look like they're sleeping with their eyes open.) Then the Westies tell their heartbreaking yet eyebrow-raising story.

Flashbacks show that Dudenoff and his wife bought the other apartments on the 14th floor years ago when prices were cheaper. (How cheap? Give me the numbers, OmitB.). After becoming a widower, Dudenoff eventually invited the rest of the crew to get together often for game nights and dinners. He realized that his students Vince and Rudy were just as lonely as he was, while the owners of the restaurant he visited (Alfonso, Inez and Ana) took pity on Dudenoff and continued to bring him food. There was another person in this circle, Helga (Alexandra Templer), a locksmith who joined Dudenoff and earned her place. (Yes, in episode three it is Helga who threatens the trio on amateur radio to stop investigating Sazz's murder.)

Out of the goodness of his heart, Dudenoff offered his friends the opportunity to live illegally in his empty apartments for a very small fee. “I’m about to change your lives,” he told them. In a sense, he offered them a lifeboat that would allow them to continue living in New York City and pursuing their dreams without spending money on rent. Dudenoff didn't want to stay alone in an empty hallway either. So the Westies moved in and for a while these complete strangers became family.

Look, these scenes offer a nice glimpse into the way Dudenoff realized that the randos would fit in well with interests like the game Oh Hell, movies, and amateur radio. But OmitB rushed through their interactions. It would have been effective and believable to spend more time with them as a group in the final few episodes instead of indulging in silly shenanigans with the Westies like the drone, the pink eye, and that fake tinsel. (What happened to that?)

Anyway, more flashbacks: One night, Dudenoff sent mysterious notes to the others. Helga said he was retiring and moving to Portugal. He asked the rest to meet him in the basement of the building for his funeral. He confessed that he was sick and only had a few months to live. (Saying that to Helga would break her heart because she was already grieving for her dead father). Dudenoff feared that after his death, Arconia's management would expose their fraud and the Westies would have to evict. To avoid this, Dudenoff – who had already swallowed a number of pills – asked his friends to burn his body and lie that he was traveling. This way they could continue to live there. After some emotional back and forth, and after Dudenoff recorded video to corroborate this story, the Westies did as he asked.

And there we have it: the complete story of how Milton Dudenoff was human until his fiery end. The Westies are genuinely apologetic at the end of this episode. Because of this, Mabel decides not to use any of this information in her podcast; She doesn't want something that led her to Charles and Oliver to tear other friends apart. I wonder if the Westies are questioning their actions. They've certainly been through a serious moral dilemma, but I'm afraid they'll come out of this situation looking selfish, even if they're not directly guilty of murder. What I do know is that I would have liked to have spent more time with Dunne in this role. Imagine Dudenoff, a film buff, interacting with Charles and Oliver. We were robbed!

OmitB There is too much action in these 30 minutes to fully enjoy everything. In weaker hands it wouldn't have worked at all. But by this point, the cast and crew have a deft tonal balance, so the twists feel good. One such curiosity is that the trio meets Helga in the present when she storms into Oliver's apartment as “Ding Dong”, a surprise to the Westies with whom Helga has been arguing. She now tells everyone that she left the building shortly after Dudenoff “went to Portugal” because she knew her friends were keeping something from her. All's well that ends well, because in “Lifeboat” Helga hugs the Westies and makes up with them. She even gets her pig back from a reluctant Howard.

Helga also admits that she spoke to Sazz over the amateur radio before her death. The stuntwoman asked about the podcast's plot holes. (To Helga?! Sure, why not.) Sazz also confided in her that a former protégé was targeting her. Apparently on the set of a film she took part in Project Ronkonkomathere was a conflict between Sazz and this mysterious person. Mabel's hasty IMDb search tells her exactly who this mentee is: Glen Stubbins (Paul Rudd), who is still in a coma. I have a feeling he'll wake up soon.

Crazy observations

• • There was a lot to cover in this episode, but there were also a lot of funny exchanges, such as:
  Eugene Levy: “Precise control of our emotions is what actors do best.”
  Eva Longoria: “Yes, the question is: 'Can you three do it?'”
  Charles: “First of all, I’m an actor.”
  Oliver: “Well, let’s not go crazy.”
• • Charles: “One thing would it be like to leave a safe house full of family?”
  Oliver: “What is that, Charles?”
  Charles: “It makes going home to a building full of murderers more attractive.”
• • Rudy: “Yeah, not only did we lie about setting a person on fire, but we also lied about me having a girlfriend. May God have mercy.”
• • Oliver and Loretta don't want to wait for the wedding, so it's taking place this weekend. I'm freaking out (free).
• • Galifianakis is determined to find Oliver a fun venue, so he books the top of the Empire State Building. It doesn't matter because Oliver decides that they will exchange vows at the Arconia murder house. Of course damn it.
• • Another week, another episode full of movie references from Conditions of tenderness To It's a wonderful life. The biggest is Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboatwhich Dudenoff says in voiceover is a film about “diverse characters learning how far they will go to survive the rough waters of their dangerous circumstances.” It's fine; OmitB is not a show about nuance.
• • Eva Longoria's new product is a multi-tool called Lady Longoria. It tightens pores and doubles as a nail gun, screwdriver, recorder and vibrating head. I actually need it immediately.
• • Eugene spends the episode forcing Charles to express his anger and sadness so he can learn how to act it on film. When Charles finally breaks up with the devil, his anger pours out in the form of imitation. It's always wonderful when OmitB gives Steve Martin some physical comedy.
• • What are the chances that Tony Danza will appear before the end of the season? He was mentioned several times in this episode, so I bet it happens.
• • Before we close, I have to ask you Dudenoff's question: “If your life were a movie, what would your happy ending be?”