Diksha Sundriyal
Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’ has a lot going for it. Apart from its interesting premise of three people, entirely different from each other, solving the murders in their building, the show also benefits from its star-studded cast. Each season, the show brings a new set of characters, opening the door for some of the most celebrated actors to appear in the show. From Meryl Streep to Zach Galifianakis, the show has brought on board some very unexpected stars. One of them was Paul Rudd, who became the focus in the third season with his character falling to his death on the opening night of his Broadway show. Despite the death of his character, the actor appeared throughout the season, mostly in flashbacks. But the fourth season opens the door for his return in a very unexpected manner. SPOILERS AHEAD
OMITB Season 4 Gives a Completely New Character to Paul Rudd
When the third season of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ ended, its creators talked about the people they would want to bring back in the new season. Meryl Streep returned for the fourth season, and it makes sense, considering that her character is very much alive and has a lot of new things happening for her. The creators also mentioned how much they loved working with other actors, especially Rudd, and how much they would love to bring them back. With actors like Jesse Williams, whose character, Tobert, is also alive in the show, the return would make sense. But with Paul Rudd, things get a bit trickier because not only is his character dead, but also, his murder has been solved, with no connection to Sazz’s murder. Yet.
However, the fourth season focuses on the life of a stunt double, and Ben Glenroy worked in a superhero action movie, ‘CoBro,’ which means that he, too, must have employed the double. We didn’t get to see that double in Season 3 because Ben was working on a Broadway show, not a movie, which means he had to be on the stage himself, removing any requirement for a double. While no one thinks about it, Ben’s sudden switch to Broadway leads to a massive setback for his double career, and he suddenly finds himself out of a job. But no one thought about him, just like no one thought about Sazz before she was murdered.
Paul Rudd’s New Character Brings a Deeper Layer to Sazz’s Story
During the investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver go to a bar called Concussions, which is the regular haunt of stuntpeople in Hollywood who gather there to talk about the thankless nature of their job. This is where they come across a man who looks so eerily similar to Ben Glenroy that it makes the trio wonder if they are actually seeing the actor who somehow managed to come back to life. It is only when the man starts to speak that they realize he is a completely different person, and the reason he looks like Ben is that he is supposed to. He is, after all, Ben’s double, Glenn Stubbins.
Within the first few minutes, it is clear that Ben’s death has been really hard for Glenn. Not only has he lost his source of employment in Hollywood, but he also seems to have lost his sanity. His desperation to get work becomes clear when he tries to get Charles to hire him as his body double and even performs some stunts to prove he is up to the task. As funny as the situation is, it also makes things very pitiable for the character.
What makes it better is that this character is completely different from who Ben used to be. It allows an explanation for Rudd’s return to the OMITB universe while also underlining a huge difference between the faces and their doubles. It makes Charles ponder his own equation with Sazz, and while she took so many hits for him, there was so much that he still didn’t know about her. He decides to rectify that situation by trying to solve her murder and bring her killer to justice. But before that, he must put himself in her shoes and see the world from a perspective entirely different than his.
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