Only Murders In The Building Season 4’s Missing Character Was Inevitable After 1 Change

It’s unsurprising, though disappointing, that Only Murders in the Building has cut one of its secondary characters from season 4, considering a significant change the series is making to its central premise. For the past three seasons, the popular Hulu series has revolved around solving murder mysteries that took place in the characters’ New York City building, giving both the series and the protagonists’ podcast their title. Season 3 came close to changing this, with Ben initially seeming to die at the theater rather than the building, but he ultimately was found in the elevator, preserving the premise.

Only Murders in the Building season 4 will involve the trio searching for the person responsible for Sazz Pataki’s death. As is standard for the show, the season 3 finale ended with the discovery of the new body. However, this season will take place in Los Angeles rather than New York, with the group headed to Hollywood because their podcast is about to be adapted into a movie. The location switch is also happening alongside some changes to the Only Murders in the Building season 4 cast.

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Only Murders In The Building Season 3 Ending & Killer Explained

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Tobert’s Absence In Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Makes Sense After Its Setting Change

It Is Difficult To Think Of A Reason He Would Accompany The Trio To Los Angeles

Jesse Williams’ Tobert was a significant character during Only Murders in the Building season 3 because of his relationship with Mabel, but the actor isn’t returning for season 4. Hired initially as Ben’s documentarian, he became Mabel’s boyfriend and the only person outside of the trio she shared her evidence chart with. Despite a slight hiccup when she briefly wondered if he could be involved in Ben’s murder, Mabel and Tobert became close, and she eventually allowed herself to be vulnerable with him.

While Tobert’s absence from Only Murders in the Building season 4 is disappointing, it’s also logical. Mabel’s love interests keep disappearing without explanation, but this time, there is a perfect reason for Tobert to be gone: he is based in New York and the trio is going to Los Angeles. Mabel doesn’t seem like the type to want long-distance relationships, and cameo appearances in which Tobert appears on Facetime for a few minutes at a time would be unsatisfying. Thus, it’s more logical to write him out altogether.

Mabel & Tobert’s Relationship Shouldn’t Be The Central Focus Of OMITB

Romantic Relationships Need To Be Side Stories, Not The Main Event

Romantic subplots enhance the stories on Only Murders in the Building, but over-focus on them will detract from the show’s main premise. The trio needs to move forward toward a solution to the mystery in each episode, and any romantic stories should be intertwined with their goal. In general, Only Murders in the Building‘s romantic subplots work best when the love interests are potential suspects, which would not be likely to happen in Tobert’s case during season 4 and would be a repeated beat if it did since he was briefly a suspect during season 3.

Tobert’s presence in the new season would be more distracting than compelling since it would likely result in a subplot about missed phone calls and the difficulty of a long-distance relationship. This is a valid story on its own, but it would not connect with the main premise in any meaningful way. Instead, it would take up air time that could be better used for either solving the mystery or advancing the podcast-to-film subplot. There are also fewer opportunities for humor to come out of a long-distance relationship, as Tobert wouldn’t be able to interact regularly with Mabel or the other members of the trio.

Alternatively, a situation in which Tobert accompanies the trio to Los Angeles might have had opportunities for jokes around him always being in their way while trying to document their transition to the movie industry. However, this storyline might have felt contrived, which would have taken away from the enjoyment of this story. Additionally, jokes related to Tobert being in the way or in the wrong place would have gotten stale if they were repeated, and there would be little else for his character to do if he tagged along with the trio on their trip to Hollywood.

Jesse Williams Could Still Return After Only Murders In The Building Season 4

When The Trio Returns To New York, He And Mabel Could Interact Again

Only Murders in the Building season 5 is not guaranteed. However, if the series were to return with another New York-based season, that would be the perfect time to reintroduce Tobert. Mabel could work to reconcile with him once they return to New York. Conversely, the pair could pick up where they left off if their decision to hit the pause button was mutual. This would be more logical than trying to shoehorn him into season 4.

Tobert’s absence is disappointing from the point of view of Mabel’s character development. She has never had a successful relationship, and it’s sad that her best option has disappeared for the moment. However, Only Murders in the Building needs to keep its focus on the murder mystery and the trip to Hollywood, which would have been difficult to do if the series had kept Tobert front and center. Hopefully, there will be another season where the group returns to New York, allowing Mabel and Tobert’s relationship to resume and resolve the problem of her significant others always disappearing.