Picking up from Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 6's hidden camera bombshell ending, the podcast trio flees New York City because the killer has infiltrated their Arconia. The Brothers Sisters are no longer the prime suspects, and the news that Dudenoff is dead means someone else is cashing his social security checks.
Options are limited because hotels are non-starters, as they assume their credit cards can be traced. Despite light protests, the decision to hideout at Charles' (Steve Martin) sister's place on Long Island is made. Mabel (Selena Gomez) tells Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) where they are going and asks him to go to the bodega where Dudenoff's checks are getting cashed to see if he can identify the culprit. Before they switch off their phones, Oliver (Martin Short) sends Loretta (Meryl Streep) a breakup text after she responds "eurgh" to his proposal.
What else happens in Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 7? Read on to find out.
Charles' sister
Leopard-print-wearing Doreen (Melissa McCarthy) is the opposite of Charles in personality and taste; she isn't afraid to show her feelings and her decor is maximalist. Dolls of varying sizes fill her house, which Oliver notes seems to be her way of replacing her daughters after they moved out.
Doreen reveals she has kicked out her cop husband Mike (Jason Kravits) again, and he currently resides on the boat in the driveway. But Doreen also makes eyes at Oliver, who seems uncomfortable at this flirty attention.
Some unresolved issues with Charles stem from Doreen joking about when Charles accidentally pushed a swing too hard, causing the then 3-year-old Doreen to fall off. This injury led to surgery, and Doreen lost her spleen in the accident. Unsurprisingly, Charles has immense guilt about this incident.
An unsafe safe house
Thanks to Howard's loose lips, it isn't long before people locate where the trio has fled. First to arrive is Bev Melon (Molly Shannon), who is concerned the movie is about to get shut down due to all the onset incidents (like shootings!). Bev asks if Charles thinks the Brothers Sisters are the killers; he's relatively sure they aren't.
Elsewhere, Oliver wants to day drink to help with his broken heart and Doreen is more than happy to make a signature cocktail for her podcast favorite. "A tall pour for my short king," she flirtatiously says. Oliver tells Doreen about his breakup and mentions he was "too emotionally available."
Mabel, meanwhile, has been trying to find a quiet place to work (with zero dolls for company). But much to her horror, the actors (Eugene, Eva and Zach) also show up at the house. Eva says the trio are "contractually responsible for our safety," Mabel reluctantly lets them stay, but they must give up their phones and stay out of her way.
The doorbell, which plays Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," goes off again as a tipsy Doreen makes a pass at Oliver. Before they can answer the door, Oliver accidentally gets entangled with Doreen’s macramé duster, while Loretta walks in on this compromising visual.
Friction in Long Island
Loretta took a six-hour flight to find out why Oliver broke up with her over text, which he explains was because of her reaction after showing his soul on the phone call. Loretta realizes Oliver must've talked to her stand-in as they were both wrapped in gauze and no one could tell the difference.
The actors want to help with the case, but Mabel is reluctant. Loretta pulls Mabel aside, saying actors make great detectives as they study the human condition when preparing for a role. One person with zero time for the actors is a drunk Bev, saying she is done with Hollywood. After this tantrum, Eva, Zach and Eugene accurately guess that Bev is a middle child, a single mom and has a high thyroid, proving Loretta's point about their detective skills.
Loretta tells Oliver she is jealous of her stand-in for hearing his intimate thoughts, so he reveals he wanted to propose that first night in Los Angeles. Oliver also mentions he made the fake Instagram account, chatting with Loretta under the guise of Ronnie. However, Loretta is horrified he would do something this deceitful.
When Loretta is alone, Doreen approaches her to apologize, but this civil conversation turns into a physical altercation involving hair-pulling and biting. There are a lot of feelings spilling out in this home.
Resolutions and new (old) clues
Charles tends to his sister and says he is worried about her. Doreen explains she makes jokes about her spleen because it isn't a big deal. For Charles, it's a shame he's carried since he was 19, believing their mother never forgave him. Doreen then tells Charles the only time their mom held her hand was when they went to see Charles in one of his first plays. Their mom was so distant, and then so was Charles, so listening to his podcast gave Doreen a lost connection to her big brother. Charles says he wants to be better at staying in touch.
Before Loretta's car arrives to take her to the airport, Oliver explains he hasn't been in a real relationship for a long time and lost his cool. Loretta doesn't want to run from him and pledges to sign onto his kind of crazy for a lifetime. She then uses one of the doll bracelets as a ring, proposing to Oliver, which he accepts.
The following morning, the actors wake everyone up because they have solved everything with their murder wall. Well, not the killer, but that this all stems back to season 1 "plot holes" (such as who poisoned Winnie, Oliver's dog) that are still unsolved. They believe the killer has long been after them.
Back in the city, Howard discovers multiple people are cashing Dudenoff's checks, and the bodega security footage reveals that all of the Westies are pretending to be Dudenoff. Howard rings the number from the bodega logs and gets Vince Fish (Richard Kind) before hanging up. "They know," he tells the other Westies. Did they kill Dudenoff and Sazz?
New episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 4 premiere Wednesdays on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
