Season 4's killer is revealed

(warning: Spoilers ahead.)

Last week groundbreaking episode from Just murders in the building may have vindicated the Westies, but it also got the Hollywood characters in trouble. Helga had told the trio that Sazz (Jane Lynch) once mentioned that he was harassed by a stuntman, believed to be Glen Stubbins (Paul Rudd). Although we know that sweet Paul Rudd would never harm a fly, his connection to the case certainly suggests that the killer is someone from Hollywood, not New York. (It also means Stubbins is in grave danger, but tragically no one bothered to put a guard outside his hospital room door this week.)

I predicted last week that the killer was both Marshall (Jin Ha) and… Eugene Levyparticularly claiming that they were covering up Marshall's plagiarism of Sazz's film idea. By the end of Escape From Planet Klongo, a good two-thirds of my theory had already been proven correct, which means either I'm a genius or Season 4 has slacked off a bit on the mystery front; I choose the former. The only question left is whether Eugene Levy was involved – he's suspiciously missing from this episode, but there may still be enough time for him to be revealed in the finale.

When it came to Marshall, I was sure my prediction would come true in the opening scene of this episode, a flashback to Sazz accidentally hitting someone with the back of her car. She soon introduces this mysterious man to the world of stunt acting, which is important because Mabel, Oliver and Charles soon find out The is the stuntman Sazz complained would be her death.

The mystery man's face remains hidden for most of the episode, but based on his body type it is clear that he is Marshall. What other skinny young man was finally introduced as a suspect this season? Rudy is too muscular and Alfonso was never given enough attention to make for a satisfying reveal.

However, I had a few concerns about the scene where Mabel meets Bev Melon (Molly Shannon). The last three seasons of Just murders has made it clear that a suspect is likely involved when he suddenly gets a lot of screen time in the latter part of the crime thriller. It didn't help that Molly Shannon plays Bev here as bumbling as ever, especially as she mixes a psychotic-looking smoothie like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Melon then proves her innocence by complaining about the film's script and wondering why Marshall's rewrites feel so different from the script she “originally fell in love with”. This was a recurring observation throughout the season, with both the main trio and the celebrity trio complaining about how terrible all the changes to the script were. That Melon himself doesn't understand what's going on there? This is the biggest sign yet that she is innocent.

The speculation about Marshall's poor rewrites comes to a head in the final scene, when Mabel finds Sazz's original script hidden in the carton of beer Sazz brought Charles Third season finale. At the same time, Charles and Oliver learn from the director Ron Howard (more on him in a moment) that Marshall was a stuntman who sustained burns on set. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that Marshall was already interested in screenwriting at the time, that he only dabbled in stunt doubling to gain more contacts in the industry, and that he used to have a lush head of hair that hinted at tragedy The fire was burned wisely.

It is also revealed that Marshall was the guy who choked Glen Stubbins, which marks the third time Paul Rudd has been killed in just two seasons. (Rest in peace, Stubbins! Hopefully the Lord doesn't let rats into heaven.) Marshall doesn't seem particularly happy about what he's doing, which suggests he's not a Jan-style killer. However, he still does it ruthlessly and proves that he is definitely dangerous, even without a potential second murderer urging him to do so.

This is all mixed news for Mabel, who ends the episode trapped in her apartment with him. If any member of the main trio wins a fight to the death with Marshall, it's her, but maybe it won't come to that. Maybe Marshall will give up and come clean, especially since he saw the text message on Mabel's phone and knows that Charles and Oliver found him out too. A quick confession would be the cleanest way for the show to set up another killer reveal in the finale, assuming there is one.

The other major plotline of Escape From Planet Klongo involves Charles and Oliver trying to sneak into Ron Howard's film set. (Mabel comes along first, but has to leave to find out the news about Stubbins.) This subplot continues the season's long-standing theme: Oliver's insecurities; Despite all signs to the contrary, he continues to insist that Ron Howard knows him well. However, this episode comes after Oliver does it I cleared things up with Loretta and won over Zach Galifianakis, so the season is no longer interested in kicking him while he's down: Oliver's friendship with Howard turns out to be 100 percent true.

The plot also takes up the theme of Charles being an absurdly lonely man; He's unable to throw Oliver the bachelor party he wanted, not just because he's bad at being social, but because he doesn't want Oliver to break up with him. But much like Oliver, Charles has spent the season dealing with and working on this character flaw. The result is that he manages to have a pleasant conversation with Oliver at the Chinese restaurant, despite covering his face with a menu to avoid feeling too vulnerable.

With Oliver and Charles on good terms again, Ron Howard (aka Ron Ron) comes by to give them the stunt double backstory they so desperately needed. Even if Mabel dies in the opening scene of the finale (which she won't), Marshall still won't get away with it. It's just the potential second killer they have to watch out for now.

Evidence from the crime scene:

• Now that we know for sure that Marshall is the murderer, it's worth thinking about his scenes again “Adjustment.” If there was a second killer involved and Marshall could see that the trio hadn't figured that part out yet, why would he even bring up the idea for them? Perhaps Marshall really did act alone; finally him Is young and healthy enough to credibly carry out Sazz's murder within the specified time frame.
• On the other hand, Marshall struggles with imposter syndrome. Maybe it was worth the risk for him to alert the trio to the second killer because it at least gave him a moment where he felt like a smart guy who was useful and not like the poor, stressed out, sad one Sack he faced most of the season.
• Last week I mentioned the scene in Adaptation where both Eugene Levy and Marshall watch Charles walk away from them. (The context is that Charles just hinted that he figured out the two-murderer twist.) That brief shot of the two in the same frame seems even more important this week, since one of them has already been confirmed as the murderer. We know why Marshall was so worried, but what's the innocent explanation for Levy?
• Another big question is why Marshall (or Killer #2) shot Stubbins in the first place. Based on Stubbins' reaction to Marshall's first encounter, it appears he did not peg him as a murderer. Shooting him in such a public place suggests urgency, but it's not yet clear what the rush was.