Note: This story contains spoilers for “Only Murders in the Building” Episode 6.
In a rare departure, the latest episode of “Only Murders in the Building” ditched the Hulu comedy’s traditional style of filming and opted to shoot in a documentary format, leveraging various static cameras capturing multiple perspectives, as well as a handheld camera.
“I loved it because you’re not aware of any camera, because they’re all actually hidden, or it’s an iPhone on a stand and you’re not trying to really hit a mark. You’re really wandering out,” star and co-creator Steve Martin told TheWrap of Season 4, Episode 6. “They wanted it to look a little sloppy, like actual hidden camera footage and that was really fun to do. It meant that we had to completely know our lines because there’s no cutting.”
When Michael Cyril Creighton read the script for Episode 6, titled “Blow-Up,” he didn’t know how it would translate on screen.
“It was wild. I was having a really hard time wrapping my head around it,” the actor told TheWrap. “The way they spliced it together is incredible.”
After getting behind the camera himself with Howard holding the handheld perspective, Creighton said he has “even more” respect for the work done by the show’s crew.
“I didn’t know how really graceful and agile you have to be operating a camera. I would sort of be doing a dance with our camera operator, and I’d be behind him so that the eyeline was right, and we would be moving around with this camcorder and he would be filming it and I’d be holding my little fake one behind him,” Creighton added. “It was really hard work, but I loved it. I was like, ‘Well, maybe if acting doesn’t pan out for me, I’m going to be become a camera guy.’ But it’s cool. I think that episode came out incredibly.”
Showrunner John Hoffman said that while writing and filming the episode was a “huge” challenge, there was “palpable excitement” from the cast and crew.
“I really like taking a swing with something and seeing how we do and everyone jumps in. It’s a new energy and panic, and a little bit of fear motivating us in a good way,” he added. “None of us really knew what was going to come of it honestly when shooting it, but we all just went deep in together. The glory of watching a verité experience with our actors for the first time, looking into the lens and giving an ‘Office’ vibe, is something we haven’t seen them do and everybody playing in that way for this one episode, when the camera gets intrusive and exposing, felt exciting.”
Beyond its technical marvels, the episode finally pulled back the curtain on the Arconia’s mysterious resident Milton Dudanoff, revealing that he was the film professor and mentor of the Brothers Sisters — the directing duo leading the film adaptation of the core trio’s podcast.
When the trio confronted the sisters, they revealed that they were in his apartment at the Arconia the night Sazz Pataki died, and admitted they would be willing to kill for him. But Mabel received word that a second metal left shoulder joint uncovered by Gravey earlier in the episode belonged to Dudanoff — meaning he’s a second victim of the Season 4 killer.
“It was a big twist and we wanted to lay the seeds of who this person is. In Episode 4, we drop an understanding of who that person is and then in Episode 6, you see him and make the connection between the Brothers Sisters and the group in the West Tower. You’re putting it together that ‘Oh, my God, they all took this class from the same person,’ and now they’re all tied into this mystery that we’ve set up that’s very tied into what happened to Sazz because of the apartment that this man was in,” Hoffman said. “So all of that felt really interesting, combined with one of my favorite moments: the end of episode one and this stark turn into a darker undertone of reality, of what happened to Charles’ beloved friend. So there’s stuff left in there to be discovered.”
Following the reveal, the Brother Sisters told the trio that they lost touch with Dudanoff and signed onto the movie about the podcast in order to get close to him, but that he still didn’t answer their calls. They also informed the trio that they’d planted hidden cameras in their apartments for a behind the scenes film about the making of their movie, which they agreed to as part of giving over their life rights.
Charles, Oliver and Mabel also learned that the killer has been watching them through the hidden cameras — but it’s unclear for how long.
“We’ve known that there are connective tissues that extend from the beginning of our show for our three main characters up to now, that there are unanswered questions and plot holes,” Hoffman said. “The reflection back on the trio themselves and what they they’ve started with this podcast and what potential dangers are still around in that building and who has been onto them from the beginning causes them to look back at the film of their own lives here in these last four seasons.”
“We have fans that have many, many theories, and I know there’s some questions that have not been answered that they want answers to,” Creighton added. “I think some of those questions may be answered this season in a really satisfying way. Not all of them, but I think the audience will be pleased in many ways by getting some solid answers to some difficult questions.”
New episodes of “Only Murders in the Building” are released Tuesdays on Hulu.
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