DISCLAIMER: This recap of Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Episode 3, “Two for the Road,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
“Two for the Road” finds our trio working closely with their famous counterparts. It’s slower, more character-driven fare, which is fine by me. The narrative picks up toward the end, as is this show’s modus operandi. And thankfully, the investigation takes on new colors and shapes. While Mabel ultimately crosses Rudy off the suspect list, his connection to the ham radio person might mean he’s not entirely innocent.
This outing drips with fun comedic beats and delightful interactions between our core cast and guest players. Plus, all the ham, pig puns and Christmas decor you could dream of.
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Only Murders in the Building, “Two for the Road”
We open with Zach Galifianakis providing narration. He explains how one of his acting teachers approached the acting process. You ask questions about who you’re playing, dissecting them until you get to the heart of who they are. During said narration, Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) brainstorm suspect ideas while moving things around on the murder board. One card says, “Strong enough to carry Sazz’s body!” while another states, “Sniper? Proficiency with guns!”
Meanwhile, the FBI examines the incinerator, pouring the remainder of Sazz’s ashes into a container. They also survey the Dudenoff apartment. One agent hands a baggie containing a gun shell casing to another. So, the killer fired on Sazz from the Dudenoff place. Then, Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) barges into Charles’ apartment. She reveals that the FBI has taken over the case, so she’s there to disclose crucial intel for our sleuthing trio’s investigation.
Precious Intel
Williams struggles to get her intel out because Charles and Oliver interrupt her. The pair wonders if Williams actually likes them. Charles can’t let go of the fact that Williams has never heard of Aristotle Brazzos, the titular detective he played in the series that made him famous. They finally allow Williams her moment when she urges them to pretend she’s Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU. Also, Randolph is an Oscar winner; she better get her moment.
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Anyway, the FBI believes Jan is involved in Sazz’s murder. Perhaps she hired someone to kill Sazz. However, they now suspect Jan’s in Florida because there are a plethora of orchestras and sex toy shops. That checks out. Williams also reveals that the FBI found the shell casing in M. Dudenoff’s apartment. Dudenoff is a retired professor. According to the FBI, Dudenoff is conveniently in Portugal. Mabel agrees with Williams; that’s pretty damn suspicious.
Williams adds that the neighbors — Vince and the “Sauce” family — are busy playing cards during the murder except for Rudy Thurber (jacked Christmas guy). Sazz’s phone has been turned off; however, the FBI is combing the CCTV footage from that area.
A Whole New Direction
Our fave detective believes the killer was after Charles, not Sazz, as our trio suspected. Mabel tells Williams that she can’t stop them from investigating, especially since Charles’s life is on the line. Williams acknowledges she’s finally given up on trying to dissuade our trio after three seasons. Suddenly, Eugene Levy says, “This sends the investigation into a whole new direction,” Brazzos’s iconic line. Eva Longoria and Zach are also present. They’re all dressed as Charles, Mabel and Oliver, respectively.
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We learn that our trio’s Hollywood counterparts are there to observe them for the day — study their quirks and eccentricities. Eva is excited about the prospect of solving a murder. Eugene can’t wait to spend time with Charles. Unfortunately, Zach is less interested in Oliver. Williams, however, is quite taken with Zach. She threatens that if our crew doesn’t take care of Zach, she’ll murder them.
Mabel and Charles pull Oliver aside. They’re not on board with the actors following them around. But all it takes for Charles to cave is Eugene complimenting his looks and brains. Later, Eva studies Mabel as she looks out the window at the West Tower. Someone over there apparently wants Charles dead. Elsewhere, Oliver tries to bond with Zach, who’s engrossed in his phone. He claims he already has Oliver’s character down to a tee. Just put on some scarves, mutter stories about partying with ’80s stars and be flamboyant.
Rudy and Vince
Then, everyone concludes that Rudy and Vince are worth investigating. Vince claims he has antibiotic-resistant pink eye. However, that eye patch could conceal a bruised eye from the kickback from firing a gun. Meanwhile, Rudy might despise Charles for banning real Christmas trees from the Arconia. That could be a viable motive.
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Later, Charles and Eugene play concertinas while debating how to remove Vince’s eyepatch. If anyone can concoct a plan on the fly, it’s comedy master Eugene Levy (and Charles Haden-Savage). Mabel decides to infiltrate Rudy’s apartment to search for evidence.
After all, she and Oliver found tinsel in the Dudenoff apartment. Eva decides that her character’s name will be pronounced “Mah-bell,” making her more mysterious. Oh, she also has a penchant for a morning glass of white wine. Eva also believes that they should barge into Rudy’s place and interrogate him until he admits to being the killer.
Natalie Porkman
Then, we see Zach posing in front of Oliver’s mirror in the latter’s apartment as he coaches Zach on all things Oliver Putnam. Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) stops by with the pig from the Dudenoff apartment. He’s named her Natalie Porkman. Listen, I met a pig with that name at The Grove in Los Angeles. She was a good egg. Howard also brings a ham radio to listen to the frequencies for anything suspicious. Speaking of “suspicious,” Howard doesn’t trust Zach to truly nail Oliver’s essence.
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Later, Mabel walks past the Dudenoff place, which has police tape over it. She seemingly contemplates heading inside. After this, she knocks on Rudy’s door to find Eva on the other side. She’s been chatting with Rudy (Kumail Nanjiani) for a spell. Meanwhile, Charles and Eugene visit Vince (Richard Kind) while wearing eyepatches. Eugene and Charles claim they’ve also contracted a case of conjunctivitis. They understand Vince’s pain.
Thankfully, they’ve obtained a solution from Portugal that’s supposed to be quite effective. Our duo urges Vince to remove his eye patch and apply the eyedrops in front of them. Vince reminds them he knows how to use eyedrops, heading for the bathroom. Meanwhile, in Rudy’s apartment, Mabel takes in all the Christmas decor. She admits she loves Christmas herself. He gives Mabel and Eva eggnog — his own recipe. Once he leaves the room, Mabel notices the ham radio and a gun mounted on the wall. Hmm…
Perfect Strangers
Later, Oliver styles Zach’s hair. Zach wears a scarf with one of Oliver’s signature jackets. Oliver also applies foundation on Zach’s face. Then, Oliver and Zach pose in front of the full-length mirror. Zach’s really feeling himself. Cue: musical montage! I love how it feels very ’80s sitcom-esque. Oliver plays the piano while Zach goes to town on a flute. They go shopping. They smile creepily at Uma (Jackie Hoffman) in the elevator. It seems the pair are finally bonding.
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Meanwhile, as Vince uses the eyedrops in the bathroom, Charles and Eugene brainstorm how to get off Vince’s eye patch. What if one of them “inadvertently” spits water in Vince’s face? Then, he’ll have to remove the patch. Eugene spits the water in Vince’s direction, resulting in Vince punching Eugene in the face. Vince finally takes off the patch to reveal he really has pink eye — antibiotic-resistant, to be exact.
Next, Rudy catches Mabel sniffing around his Christmas decorations. She hears the Perfect Strangers theme song over the ham radio. However, Eva’s now taken control of the proceedings. She starts breaking Rudy’s stuff. She even grabs the gun and fires it at a Santa figurine with lots of junk in the trunk. Thankfully, it’s not a real gun (it’s a prop from A Christmas Story). During all this, Eva accuses Rudy of trying to kill Charles over the Christmas tree situation.
The Cold, Candy-Coated Truth
Rudy insists he didn’t attempt to murder Charles. Why? Because he hates Christmas. Also, he wasn’t around the night of Sazz’s murder. But more importantly, Rudy loathes Christmas. He’s an influencer, and he had one Christmas video go viral. Now, he only continues to gain social media traction with Christmas-themed workout videos (insert holiday pun here). Nobody hates the holiday more than him. Mabel pivots, asking Rudy to confirm that what she found at the Dudenoff apartment is, indeed, tinsel. He tries to set it aflame with his lighter. Real tinsel is flammable; this is not.
Then, Howard greets Oliver and Zach after they return from their shopping spree. He’s listened to the ham radio all day, but it’s mostly call signs and the Perfect Strangers theme song. Even Kristen Pigg is bored (new name alert!). After this, Oliver and Howard overhear Zach telling his manager that he hates spending time with Oliver. Zach insults him.
Zach makes an excuse to leave, but Howard stops him. He defends Oliver, claiming the latter is the definition of tenacity. He’s persistent in the face of overwhelming failure. Despite getting incessantly knocked down, Oliver gets back up again (and again). Realizing this is the juicy, award-drawing role he’s waited for, Zach finds new zeal for playing Oliver in the Only Murders in the Building film.
The Photo
Charles admits to Vince that he’s socially awkward, which is why it always looks like he’s glaring at Vince across the way. Vince confesses to the same thing. Neither hates the other; they’re just weird. Charles and Vince embrace. Eugene also goes in for a hug while Charles examines a framed photo by the door featuring the Westies. Rudy leans into someone holding the pig, denoting intimacy between the two; however, their face is scribbled out.
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Later, Mabel decides to take a page from Eva’s book and jump in with both feet. Without Eva’s unorthodox approach to the investigation, Mabel would’ve been stuck on Rudy being a suspect for weeks. Now, they can rule him out. She breaks into the Dudenoff apartment and decides to claim squatter’s rights. Mabel invites Charles and Oliver over for a housewarming party.
Once there, Charles and Oliver worry about Mabel running into Dudenoff when he returns from Portugal. What if he’s the killer? Mabel hopes her squatting in his place will draw him out. He’ll have to face her. Suddenly, she and Oliver start singing the Perfect Strangers theme song. Charles and Oliver are shocked that Mabel knows it.
Meet Me at 445
Oliver reads what Howard wrote down while listening to the ham radio: “Meet me at 445.” They realize this is a radio frequency. Mabel turns the ham radio to said frequency. Charles reveals to them the picture he saw in Vince’s apartment — Rudy getting cozy with a mysterious someone (who owns the piggy).
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Mabel contacts whoever is on the radio, disguising herself as “OMITB.” “Paging Perfect Strangers, do you copy?” she asks, holding her phone up to the radio to record the conversation. Someone responds, seemingly a woman. “You shouldn’t be on this frequency,” they say. Mabel asks about the identity of Dudenoff. Oliver piggybacks off that, inquiring about all the ham. “Do you know who’s out to get me?” Charles asks.
The mysterious someone reveals that the last person who asked these questions (presumably Sazz) got themselves killed. Then, they hear the pig squeal on the other end, acknowledging that the animal belongs to them.
“Drop this, or you’ll be next,” they warn before signing off.
Someone better protect that precious piggy.
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Only Murders in the Building drops new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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