Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S4 E3: Two for the Road (Part 1)

Release Date: September 11, 2024
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard) for Hulu / Straw Hut Media
Featured Guests: Showrunner John Hoffman; Writers Ben Smith & Pete Swanson

Episode Overview

This episode dives behind the scenes of "Two for the Road," the third installment of Only Murders in the Building Season 4. Hosts Maggie Bowles and Ryan Tillotson are joined by writers Ben Smith and Pete Swanson and showrunner John Hoffman to discuss crucial developments in the series, the challenges and comedic turns of creating "Hollywood doubles," the meta hijinks of this season’s themes, standout comedic set pieces, and the return of beloved detective Williams. The show also explores guest appearances from this week's star-studded cast—Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Kumail Nanjiani—while teasing new mysteries and subtle clues for devoted fans.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Recap of S4E3: "Two for the Road"

[02:08 - 04:44]

• Trio investigates new evidence with Detective Williams.

  • A bullet casing is found, and suspicion falls on Jan.
  • The plot thickens around apartment 14F and its mysterious occupant, Professor Dudenoff.
  • Detective Williams confirms that Charles, not Saz, was the intended target.

• Hollywood actors arrive to shadow the main trio for research:

  • Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy, and Eva Longoria play fictionalized versions of themselves, tasked with shadowing Oliver, Charles, and Mabel.
  • Amusing pairings and odd-couple dynamics arise.

• Key hijinks:

  • Charles and Eugene devise increasingly outrageous plans to get Vince Fish (Richard Kind) to remove his eyepatch, suspecting a gun-related bruise. The solution pivots between logical (eyedrops) and absurd (hard-boiled eggs).
  • Mabel investigates "Christmas All the Time Guy" (Rudy, played by Kumail Nanjiani), leading to the discovery of a suspiciously unburnable "tinsel" and a not-so-festive backstory.
  • Montage of Oliver and Zach's "magical day"—a Perfect Strangers-inspired sequence.

• Cliffhangers and clues:

  • A mysterious photo featuring the Westies and a person with a scratched-out face.
  • A ham radio message: “Meet me at 4:45.” An accented, ominous voice warns, “The last person who came around asking these questions got killed.”

2. Peeking Behind the Writing Room Curtain

[05:33 - 18:49]

• How the “brother sisters” and meta gags are born:

  • Pete Swanson candidly admits, “It was one of those stupid moments where I was just like, what if? Can it be the brothers sisters? And John was like, that’s so stupid that we have to do it.” [07:08]
  • Insight into the spontaneous, collaborative vibe of the writer’s room, riffing story beats until something just clicks.

• Bringing Detective Williams back—timing and approach:

  • Writers began scripting before Da'Vine Joy Randolph won her Academy Award, but were always hopeful to feature her—especially as her career soared. “We just wanted to make sure, like, she has a really fun energy with the trio.” [08:15]
  • John Hoffman lauds her improvisational brilliance and chemistry with the cast: “We cannot make this television show without her... If you only saw the stuff that's on the cutting room floor… every take different, every new thing... she's a genius.” [09:48]

• Celebrities playing “meta selves” for maximum comedy and character contrast:

  • Ben Smith: “Our theme was reflections—how seeing yourself portrayed in different ways affects you... Oliver is a narcissist obsessed with his portrayal... let’s pair him with someone who thinks of him as a shallow narcissist...” [12:46]
  • Pete Swanson describes Eva Longoria’s willingness for self-parody, opening up whole new comedic possibilities. [14:15]
  • Writers adjusted scripts when particular guest actors were confirmed, matching dialogue and situations to each performer's strengths and quirks. [15:25]

3. Scene Craft & Comedy Deep Dive

[16:43 - 22:56]

• The Eyepatch Scheme: Genesis of a Classic Comedy Set Piece

  • Writers discuss brainstorming numerous “eyepatch removal” schemes, from logical to totally absurd—at one point including hard-boiled egg gags that were ultimately scrapped.
  • Ben Smith: “There used to be an episode too, that there were pieces… what we thought were paint chips on the window were actually pieces of an egg, a hard boiled egg... And over the course of the scene, Eugene Levy would eat like 12 hard boiled eggs and then he vomited and had to take off the eye patch because of that. And it inadvertently worked.” [18:58]
  • Shout out to Matteo Borghese for writing the elaborate, monologue-heavy eyedrop storyline.

• Favorite improvisations, pig puns & on-set energy:

  • “Natalie Porkman,” “George Swinebrenner,” “Gloria Swineham”—the pig puns keep coming, many thanks to both the writing staff and guest improvisations. [27:18–28:15]
  • Richard Kind’s comedic chemistry with Steve Martin and Eugene Levy is highlighted as a “delight,” with several lines (like the cannibal joke) attributed to the actors themselves, especially Martin. [22:24]

4. Character Dynamics & Emotional Resonance

[28:21 - 33:13]

• Oliver & Zach’s friendship—Perfect Strangers parody and serious heart:

  • Writers credit Dan Fogelman for spotting the “Perfect Strangers” montage potential, which grew from a visual gag to a musical and emotional centerpiece for the episode. [28:35]
  • Inspirations from the film “May December” in scenes where characters literally become each other in the mirror—probing issues of legacy, image, and emotional honesty.
  • Pete Swanson: “If there was ever a moment where we were going to get some honesty from him about some of the origins of his storytelling and why he presents himself to the world the way he does, I think it was going to be with Zach...” [29:38]
  • Notable quote:
    • Zach: “I get it. You don’t want to be forgotten.” [31:02]

• Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) comes to Oliver’s defense—comedy and devotion:

  • “There is no obstacle nor tragedy that Oliver Putnam can’t bounce back from. Think about what he’s been through—flop after flop after flop…” [31:46]
  • "You're not the court jester. You're King Lear... you're this elegant worm, this dressed up doormat, this technicolor cockroach refuses to die." [32:55–33:13]

5. Mystery Clues & Fan Engagement

[33:17 - 36:35]

• Potentially crucial hints called out:

  • The unburnable “tinsel”—a mysterious material—could be a major clue. [33:19]
  • Photo in Vince’s apartment—the scratched-out face of the person holding a pig.
  • Ham radio conversation with an accented, threatening voice.

• Fan speculation and the challenge of writing a fair, surprising whodunit:

  • Creators share anecdotes about fans or friends guessing the culprit on pure vibes alone—sometimes correctly, often not. [34:46]
  • Ben Smith on plotting: “We're still trying to walk that line of—it’s all there should you want it. But also, we need to... present whoever the killer... in a way that... subverts the way you think we tell our stories.” [35:46]
  • “And that’s why we love when it’s just like, let’s take off an eyepatch…so uncomplicated—there’s no meta trickery.” [36:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We cannot make this television show without her [Detective Williams].… If you only saw the stuff that's on the cutting room floor… she's a genius.”
  – John Hoffman [09:48]

• “I have a bag of hard boiled eggs in my pocket, and I'm just gonna offer a hard boiled egg to every single person we see. And if they eat a hard boiled egg, they must be the killer.”
  – Ben Smith, recounting a scrapped story idea [01:08, 18:58]

• “You're not the court jester. You're King Lear… you're this elegant worm, this dressed up doormat, this technicolor cockroach refuses to die.”
  – Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) [32:55–33:13]

• “My success is my prison. And these ornaments… The reindeer. That gun from A Christmas Story. These are my jailers.”
  – Kumail Nanjiani as “Christmas All the Time Guy” [26:57–27:05]

• “The last person who came around asking these questions got killed.”
  – Mysterious voice on ham radio [04:51]

• “The photo in Vince’s apartment—the scratched-out face holding a pig”
  – Highlighted as a “big clue” [33:58]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:08 – 04:44 | Episode recap, spoiler warning, main plot beats | | 05:33 – 09:09 | Writers' room stories, origin of "brother sisters" and meta jokes | | 09:45 – 11:23 | Showrunner John Hoffman on Da’Vine Joy Randolph & Detective Williams | | 12:25 – 17:16 | Writing celebrity "doubles;" adapting to specific guest stars | | 18:02 – 18:49 | Eyepatch removal schemes—eyedrops, stickball, hard-boiled eggs| | 27:18 – 28:15 | Pig puns, improvisation on set | | 28:21 – 33:13 | Oliver—Zach dynamic, emotional core, Howard’s defense speech | | 33:17 – 36:35 | New clues, fan speculation, the art of balancing the mystery |

Takeaways for Listeners

• This episode illuminates how Only Murders balances layered mystery mechanics with outlandish comedy and heartfelt character work.
• It showcases the collaborative, sometimes chaotic energy of the writers’ room—with major actors joining the fun and often shaping their own lines.
• Detective Williams’ return, emotional confessions from Oliver, and evolving trio dynamics set up both laughs and new threads of suspense.
• Viewers are invited to play along with new clues (the unburnable tinsel, the scratched photo, the ham radio threat), knowing that nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems—unless it actually is, and someone just needs to take off an eyepatch.
• Next week promises even more behind-the-scenes insight, including a conversation with Richard Kind.

For Devoted Fans:

Send thoughts and theories to onlymurererstrawhutmedia.com.
Stay tuned for Part 2 with even more Episode 3 insights and Richard Kind’s perspective!