S04.E01: Once Upon a Time in the West

[Quilt Fairy]

Quote

Charles, Oliver & Mabel are whisked to Los Angeles where a legendary film studio intends to adapt their podcast. However, Hollywood's glitz is overshadowed by a stunning clue about Charles' stunt double & friend Sazz Pataki. 

Air date: August 27, 2024

[sjankis630]

you beat me to it.

I thought this one ended on a real macabre note that I did not see coming. I like the direction this is headed though. It was very dark and I didn't see them going there so early in the season. They did not start right into a discovery phase like before and that was OK in my book.

It had some good lines as well. I am assuming that travel back and forth to Hollywood will be the necessity at this point. I look forward to it but will have to rewatch to catch the clues at Sazz's apartment.

I do have one odd thing to point out. I know nothing about fashion but since the first episode each of the main actors has dressed well. I would say Mabel always has on some "bad" (meaning good) outfit that even i know looks great. But for some reason her dress at the party in Hollywood looked horrible to me. It made her shape look weird and quite frankly aged her greatly. That one dress made her look like a woman in her late 40s- early 50s - with a cute young face. I know I know not what I speak of but can anyone confirm or set me straight that I really don't know fashion?

 

 

[Juneau Gal]

Yay, show is back! Terrific start to Season 4. Several Lol moments and the ending was very well done. Can’t wait to see where they take us. Im along for the ride! 

[Irlandesa]

I loved that Bakula showed up.  I don't think he was in the credits so it was a nice surprise callback. 

The murderer this season is quite dark.  And as I've seen pointed out elsewhere, pretty scary.  The person who did this has got to be a professional that they could shoot and kill from outside of the apartment and they're cold enough to get rid of the body. 

12 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

But for some reason her dress at the party in Hollywood looked horrible to me. It made her shape look weird and quite frankly aged her greatly.

It made her look like she wasn't wearing a bra.  And as someone who hates bras, more power to her but I agree I felt it was an odd outfit. 

Edited August 27 by Irlandesa

[thuganomics85]

Only Murders in the Building is back and with 100% more Bakula!!

Curious to see how this was going to kick off and, so far, I'm kind of digging the differences even though it is clearly the same show (and same characters.)  The main gang starting out not even knowing Sazz was killed was an interesting approach and it made the discovery even more heartbreaking: especially for Charles.  I'm curious to see if this was is going to feel a lot like Season One/Tim Kono with how the victim is someone close to one of the main players.  And judging from the killer's text, this feels pretty personal.  Still wondering if she was the intended target or if they had assume she was Charles himself.

Knew going in Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Jack Black... err, Zach Galifianakis were going to be playing the "movie" versions of the characters, but I didn't know they were playing variations of themselves, which was fun.  All three seemed to be having a ball: Zach in particular was a blast playing himself as an egotistical jerk who has no respect for Oliver and is only doing this with the promise he will be able to do his dream project after (which apparently is an Erin Brockovich remake with himself as the lead.  Bwah!)

Not surprised Mabel is struggling most with the idea of selling away her rights to the film.  Out of the three, she is the one who didn't come from a showbiz background and despite the likely big money, I can see how that would be a lot to take in.

Looks like Loretta/Oliver is still in play.  Their conversation though did get awkward: feels like Oliver is struggling with the idea that she might end up thriving more than him.

Assuming Sazz's death is connected to this film, I feel like one of the executives is a likely suspect.  Molly Shannon's character seems too obvious, but I noticed the other ones they introduced were all played by familiar faces, so I can see one or more of them being involved.

Charles "slipping the note" to Molly Shannon's character on that oversized table was classic Steve Martin physical comedy!

As much as I enjoyed last season, I'm glad it seems like we won't be separating out the trio too much this go around, because the show really thrives when Steve, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are playing off one another.

[AnimeMania]

Molly Shannon

Jin Ha

Zach Galifianakis

Eva Longoria

Eugene Levy 

[cardigirl]

Why only one episode to kick off the season? In the past it has been two. 
 

Enjoyed the whole episode, it's going to be tough to wait for the next. I have no speculations to make yet about who did it or why, but I am hooked! 

Loved that they closed Oliver's show.  Nice reference to last season. I miss Cliff and Donna. 

 

[shapeshifter]

Was the opening theme song a bit faster or more upbeat? 
Hrmmm…
[44 MINUTES LATER: LAST CLOSED CAPTIONING STATEMENT] Solemn version of theme music playing.]

 

6 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

I thought this one ended on a real macabre note that I did not see coming. I like the direction this is headed though. It was very dark and I didn't see them going there so early in the season.

I was relieved when we were only shown the pristine, bloodless surgical replacement joint labeled "Bulgaria."
But then everything in the episode was perfection, IMO.

 

6 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

It made her shape look weird and quite frankly aged her greatly. That one dress made her look like a woman in her late 40s- early 50s - with a cute young face. I know I know not what I speak of but can anyone confirm or set me straight that I really don't know fashion?

I noticed it too.
Maybe it was supposed to make her look out of place in Hollywood?
Regardless, Eva Longoria's repeated line about them being basically the same age kind of hung a lantern on Mabel's NYC looks in Cali.

 

 

5 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

All three seemed to be having a ball: Zach in particular was a blast playing himself as an egotistical jerk who has no respect for Oliver and is only doing this with the promise he will be able to do his dream project after (which apparently is an Erin Brockovich remake with himself as the lead.  Bwah!)

Hey. Maybe coming to a streamer near you…?

 

5 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Assuming Sazz's death is connected to this film, I feel like one of the executives is a likely suspect.  Molly Shannon's character seems too obvious, but I noticed the other ones they introduced were all played by familiar faces, so I can see one or more of them being involved.

Or someone not in the first episode?

 

 

5 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Charles "slipping the note" to Molly Shannon's character on that oversized table was classic Steve Martin physical comedy!

What really sold it for me was Oliver grasping CHS's ankles so he could reach across the table.

 

1 hour ago, cardigirl said:

Why only one episode to kick off the season? In the past it has been two. 

I am grateful to have just one episode at a time.
Any binging always leaves me feeling robbed of the intended experience, whether TV shows or donuts.

[paigow]

Good job contaminating the crime scene 

[Jediknight]

6 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Zach Galifianakis

The little boy from Home Alone?

 

"Julie Andrews is a goddess."  Say as many times as you want for the people in the back, Charles.  Julie Andrews is a got-dang treasure.

 

Those last few minutes, holy shit.

[mledawn]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

Good job contaminating the crime scene 

Seriously. I kept saying "You aren't rookies! Call the COPS!" I mean, they have someone they can call directly, even.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the episode and was also sad to have only one ep available!

[paigow]

Whoever is texting Charles cannot be Bond villain evil because he / she would have identified himself / herself.

[cardigirl]

Apart from dropping only one episode, it was without ads, which I appreciated. I'm sure the rest won't be that way.

The writer intrigues me, mostly because I've been impressed with the actor's performance in Pachinko. Jin Ha will be worth watching! 

Edited August 27 by cardigirl

[paigow]

Sazz is a willing / unwilling participant in a scheme against Charles. She was betrayed by her accomplice, but no effort is being made to frame Charles for the murder- so there must be an elaborate revenge endgame.

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, paigow said:

Sazz is a willing / unwilling participant in a scheme against Charles. She was betrayed by her accomplice, but no effort is being made to frame Charles for the murder- so there must be an elaborate revenge endgame.

That seems to implicate Season 1's Jan, the murderous oboe bassoon player, presumably still in prison. 
Too easy?

Edited August 28 by shapeshifter
Bassoon, not oboe

[Irlandesa]

7 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Why only one episode to kick off the season? In the past it has been two.

Loved that they closed Oliver's show.  Nice reference to last season. I miss Cliff and Donna.

I seem to recall three episodes being released before for the first week.  They must be looking to spread out the episodes because it performs so well.

12 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Zach in particular was a blast playing himself as an egotistical jerk who has no respect for Oliver and is only doing this with the promise he will be able to do his dream project after (which apparently is an Erin Brockovich remake with himself as the lead.  Bwah!)

I liked that Zach referenced Between Two Ferns which is a (fakeish) talk show he does with an obnoxious host which I believe is an homage (of sorts) to Martin Short's Jiminy Glick.

[sjankis630]

Ohhh good point. I mean Sazz was the last person we saw speaking to Jan in prison. And she played bassoon not oboe. Not a huge deal but i played the oboe when i was young and wouldn't wish that even on a murderer. Lol

Edited August 27 by sjankis630

[tennisgurl]

I'm so happy that this show is back, and more murder-y than ever. After a season of theater, it looks like its the movies turn now to get warmly roasted, I hope that we travel between LA and NYC, I like the idea of the trio in a new location, but it feels wrong not to be in New York City. Having the trio find out about the murder at the end of the episode was an interesting twist. This seems like a good start, quite a bit darker than most openers. Poor Sazz, and poor Charles, that was a gnarly thing to find. I was definitely yelling "call the cops!" when they realized where Sazz was, lets not contaminate the scene too much guys!

I cant wait to see the movie that's being made, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Zach Galifianakis were funny in their scenes and already have wacky chemistry with Mabel, Charles, and Oliver. I can actually see Eugene Levy as Charles, but Eva Longoria and Zach Galifinakis as Mabel and Oliver...not so much. 

It looks like Sazz was investigating something involving Charles? That she wanted to talk to him about? Whoever killed her apparently has enough knowledge to get rid of her body and make it seems like she was still alive, and that text made things feel personal. Was Charles the real target? Was it Sazz? Was it Bakula? Is it connected to the movie, which is already apparently in pre production? 

5 hours ago, Jediknight said:

The little boy from Home Alone?

 

"What have they done to you?!" 

[sjankis630]

Alright quick lunch edit. i rewatched the part of the show at Sazz's apartment at lunch. Does anyone have a clue about the stuff on her desk?

• Golf scorecard
• "2 notes" scrawled on a takout order for Avacodo toast
• the numbers sequence 11 13 26?, 14?, 86?  
• sticky with the number "773440"
• West Tower of the Arconia ???
• "Cancel Dr Appt for Thurs @ 10am out of town til 23rd - killer could know plans
• Helga name on a plane ticket from LAX to JFK
• Fight like a Girl - girl in sailor hat 
• "Lookin At Charles" note on the envelope

 

Edited August 27 by sjankis630

[Snazzy Daisy]

Scott Bakula in da house, finally! 😘

Charles slowly pushing that paper across the huge table is ICONIC. 😂

It’s ridiculous that Bev and her team start making the OMITB movie before they get the trio onboard. There are a lot of process and paperwork to be completed re life’s right.

Charles could possibly be the intended target. Alternatively, Sazz was killed to shut her up. At first glance, what happened to Sazz was a professional hit. The killer knows Arconia building well — where Charles lives, how to secretly move her body and the existence of the built-in incinerator.

There are also some good clues on Sazz’s desk — notes re “looking at Charles” and “West Tower Arconia”. For all we know, the killer could be living at Arconia too, across the courtyard.

 

I hope OMITB S04 will not make the same mistakes they did in S03 — made the play their priority, the whodunnit mystery became secondary and separated the trio. 🤞🏻

 

Edited August 27 by Snazzy Daisy

[Affogato]

Well if they call the cops they could trace the phone, sazz’s phone, to the killer.  I feel they are obstructing justice here. I guess the killer didn’t know a out the joints or they would have retrieved them. I also feel the incinerator would not get that hot. 
 

Gravey. Heh. 
 

Edited August 27 by Affogato

[SnapHappy]

WOW!  That was a helluva way to show a murder without showing a murder! 

Big callout to Gravey and her adorable cable knit sweater. Kudos to wardrobe for binging on more handcrafter items, Howard's granny square cardi was adorable.  And Mable just looks so frumpy despite the glitter. 

I'm dying to know what was in the document she handed to Molly.

I won't miss Sazz, but she makes a good murder victim.

This should be a great ride!

[Affogato]

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

 

It made her look like she wasn't wearing a bra.  And as someone who hates bras, more power to her but I agree I felt it was an odd outfit. 

Longoria was quite catty, too. I feel they were emphasizing our crew is dowdy in comparison to the movie crew. Which is hard because our three are of star quality. 
 

i wonder if the western scene, which was protracted, will play into it. I feel it may be another stunt person or armorer or related to the fillm industry. 

[LakeGal]

My labradoodle died in February.  His name was Gravy.  Of course my dog was not spelled Grave-y.  But it made me a bit sad to think of him.  

I loved seeing Scott Bakula finally.  Now who was the intended victim?  Scott, Charles or Sazz?  Since the killer moved the body they would know if they killed the wrong person.  The fact the murder took place in Charles' apartment does point to him as the intended victim.  

I am looking forward to the season.    

[Ohiopirate02]

17 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Not surprised Mabel is struggling most with the idea of selling away her rights to the film.  Out of the three, she is the one who didn't come from a showbiz background and despite the likely big money, I can see how that would be a lot to take in.

She's also the only one who is young enough that selling her life rights could come back and haunt her someday. She also knows how rudderless she is at the moment and doesn't want to sign a contract with potential huge implications in the future. 

[Affogato]

25 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

She's also the only one who is young enough that selling her life rights could come back and haunt her someday. She also knows how rudderless she is at the moment and doesn't want to sign a contract with potential huge implications in the future. 

Well basically our lot needs to lawyer up. They are being railroaded. They were not being given time to read the agreements. 

Edited August 27 by Affogato

[paigow]

Artificial joints were also a key plot point in Dexter 2.0 where the handy town incinerator was used for body disposal but titanium implants survived...

[paigow]

Unless the movie is a Producers fraud scheme, nobody involved would order a hit on Charles before getting his life rights.

[chitowngirl]

18 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

But for some reason her dress at the party in Hollywood looked horrible to me.

It definitely needed some kind of support.

[chitowngirl]

Could this be some kind of elaborate set up by Sazz herself? Perhaps she knew Charles was the intended target, took the “hit”, and can now try to find out who wants to kill Charles. 🤔 No body, no death!

With all the page reloading and site crashing, it is almost impossible to post! It took me 3x to get this post done.

Edited August 28 by chitowngirl

[Frost]

The wardrobe for Mabel was atrocious.  That beige skirt/jacket combo could have been cute, but the skirt was too tight!  The waistband was actually rolling over!  And the Hollywood gown was a lovely color, but the fit was horrible.

Charles and Oliver both looked very dapper.

I'm very intrigued by the case so far.

 

[txhorns79]

19 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

I would say Mabel always has on some "bad" (meaning good) outfit that even i know looks great. But for some reason her dress at the party in Hollywood looked horrible to me. It made her shape look weird and quite frankly aged her greatly.

My exact thought.  It didn't fit well, and the neckline made it look like her boobs were sagging to somewhere around her stomach area. 

2 hours ago, LakeGal said:

I loved seeing Scott Bakula finally.  Now who was the intended victim?  Scott, Charles or Sazz? 

Why would someone have been trying to shoot Scott Bakula in Charles' apartment? 

2 hours ago, SnapHappy said:

I'm dying to know what was in the document she handed to Molly.

The number and/or deal she was willing to accept for her life rights?   

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Affogato said:

wonder if the western scene, which was protracted, will play into it. I feel it may be another stunt person or armorer or related to the fillm industry. 

I doubt they'd use the Rust shooting fiasco as a plot point when it's still working its way through the courts — if that's what you were thinking?

[sjankis630]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

With all the page reloading and site crashing, it is almost impossible to post! It took me 3x to get this post done.

Question. Are you trying to post from your phone or your computer? I have no issues on my home PC or Macbook Pro but whenever I try and read this thread on my iphone the popups and autoscroll make it almost impossible to just read. It keeps scrolling back up every time I try and read down the comments.

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

I do have one odd thing to point out. I know nothing about fashion but since the first episode each of the main actors has dressed well. I would say Mabel always has on some "bad" (meaning good) outfit that even i know looks great. But for some reason her dress at the party in Hollywood looked horrible to me. It made her shape look weird and quite frankly aged her greatly. That one dress made her look like a woman in her late 40s- early 50s - with a cute young face. I know I know not what I speak of but can anyone confirm or set me straight that I really don't know fashion?

No, your instincts are spot-on. The dress was horrible. I was frankly shocked that a woman so young could have such saggy boobs without support. I'm 66 and I don't think mine sag as much without a bra! But to let her wear a dress that let them hang like that was unforgivable. And the dress wasn't even flattering either.

14 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Was the opening theme song a bit faster or more upbeat? 
Hrmmm…

It sounded faster to me too. I'll have to play an episode from last season to test that theory.

7 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Was Charles the real target? Was it Sazz? Was it Bakula? Is it connected to the movie, which is already apparently in pre production? 

Interesting to think it might be connected to the movie somehow. Is that was Sazz wanted to talk to Charles about? 

Also when is our trio going to realize that Charles' life might be in danger now? Is he going to have a dream about it and wake up in a sweaty fit like he did about the whistling?

2 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

Could this be some kind of elaborate set up by Sazz herself? Perhaps she knew Charles was the intended target, took the “hit”, and can now try to find out who wants to kill Charles. 🤔 No body, no death!

You beat me to saying something like this but I don't think she knew she would get hit. I think she may have survived and realized that Charles was the intended target and wanted the killer to think they had succeeded. Then she staged the fake cremation to throw our trio off the "scent" so to speak. But Charles still being alive and out there is not going to help his cause if the killer still wants him dead and finds out he's still alive. 

And no way would that building incinerator be in any way operational after so many years. They were shut down 30 years ago with the clean air act. And even if someone could get it to work it would never be hot enough to completely cremate a body to the kind of ash and small particles we saw here. And it would take hours to accomplish.

So once again like last season I'm not convinced there's a murder here just yet, cadaver dog or no cadaver dog. We'll have to see how this progresses.

It is absolutely WONDERFUL to have the show back and this first episode was excellent. I was worried about the LA angle but I should know better to trust this show to be great.

Edited August 28 by Yeah No

[Chit Chat]

20 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

They did not start right into a discovery phase like before and that was OK in my book.

I thought it was a clever twist, and it kept me on the edge of my seat just waiting for them to discover Sazz's body.  So sad if she's really gone.  😌  

21 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I think she may have survived and realized that Charles was the intended target and wanted the killer to think they had succeeded.

Here's hoping that's what happened.  Fingers crossed that we'll see Sazz once again!!  

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

Gravey. Heh. 

Oh duh. I didn't make the connection. I had CC on and was wondering why the name wasn't spelled Gravy.

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

i wonder if the western scene, which was protracted, will play into it. I feel it may be another stunt person or armorer or related to the fillm industry. 

I can't remember the whole plot line of Once Upon a Time in the West, but I know the bad guys there in the beginning were waiting for Henry Fonda, playing another bad guy. I'm sure there's some parallel with what will happen in this show.

I have to say, I hate when people enter a dark house and don't turn on the lights. I know it needed to be that way for the comedy and wondering if/when they'd literally stumble upon the body.

And then in Sazz's apartment there was that noise... and they didn't investigate?

Anyway, loved the conversation betw Zach and Oliver, particularly "Are you the little boy from Home Alone?"

BTW, I wonder if it was Jane Lynch singing that song "I'm Going to California." I thought I recognized her voice from Hollywood Game Night when she'd sometimes sing.

[chitowngirl]

34 minutes ago, sjankis630 said:

Question. Are you trying to post from your phone or your computer? I have no issues on my home PC or Macbook Pro but whenever I try and read this thread on my iphone the popups and autoscroll make it almost impossible to just read. It keeps scrolling back up every time I try and read down the comments.

Taking this to Small Talk…

[Seelouis]

It’s the little throw away lines that kill me. “He looks like he’s driving his own hearse” had me rolling. 

[Yeah No]

29 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

Here's hoping that's what happened.  Fingers crossed that we'll see Sazz once again!!  

Same here! Here are some more thoughts on this:

About the metal rod in the incinerator - If Sazz is that quirky that she has a shrine to the x-rays of her metal rods from limb breaks she might also have a duplicate of her favorite rod, which Charles already clued us in on, the one from Bulgaria. So that's how it could have ended up in the incinerator.

OR, she may have actually had it removed at some point and kept it for a souvenir. I have a titanium rod in my right forearm from an arm break and I was told that after it healed completely I could have it removed because it was no longer necessary. I never did because it doesn't bother me and I don't need to endure another surgery just to do that.

I totally get the shrine to her body metal x-rays, though. I have my x-ray photo although I would never go to her lengths to commemorate it. But I do think the fact that the show made that a thing with Sazz is a clue and part of the plot because it made such a point to include it. It must figure into this somehow.

Here's how I think she may have survived - if the bullet hit one of her body metal parts she could have survived the shot. Yet another way it can figure into the plot somehow.

I think perhaps Sazz realized Charles was the intended target and may actually suspect someone specific as the killer. She may also fear that she would be the next one on their list so she would prefer for them and the world to think she was dead, which would provide another reason for her fake incineration and her disappearance.

Here's another thought - Why would the killer shoot from an apartment across the courtyard and then go back to the apartment just to retrieve the body and incinerate it? It makes no sense. If they were going to go back to the apartment anyway why not just shoot the person from inside it? And if they were trying to cover up evidence of a murder by removing the body they would also be concerned about the hole in the glass and would likely break the entire window to cover up the fact that any shot came through it. And they wouldn't have put the body in the building incinerator where it could be found.

Yet another reason I think it may have been Sazz herself trying to make it look like she was dead by faking her own cremation. Obviously she needed to think of a way to provide evidence of her body's demise because her body wasn't on the floor to find. And she would leave the hole in the window alone to lead them to believe she was shot and killed and then incinerated by the killer

 

Edited August 28 by Yeah No

[Quilt Fairy]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

i wonder if the western scene, which was protracted, will play into it. I feel it may be another stunt person or armorer or related to the fillm industry.

It doesn't exactly answer your question, but in one of the articles I read, it said that to keep the Hollywood connection this season all of the episode titles would be riffs off of classic movie titles. 

Regarding Mabel's dress, which I concede looked odd, there are 2 things I want to mention.  First, her nicer clothes are probably still hand-me-downs from her aunt.  Second, if you look at the ties in the back, it almost looks as if the top is some kind of shrug that's put on over the gown.  I was expecting her to take it off and show some cleavage. 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

3 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

No body, no death!

 I think she may have survived and realized that Charles was the intended target and wanted the killer to think they had succeeded. Then she staged the fake cremation

Interesting 🧐 

 

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

And no way would that building incinerator be in any way operational after so many years. They were shut down 30 years ago

Yes, and there was a line in the episode saying the incinerator was no longer operational right before Charles found the hip replacement, which did seem odd.

[Phebemarie]

Could Mabel’s clothes be purposefully ill fitting and unflattering this season?  I noticed when they were walking down the NY street in Hollywood, Mabel walked with her hands down, showing the tightness of her pleated skirt.  Then, she dropped her hands and folded her arms across her stomach.  
 

Why would costumers put Selena Gomez in clothing that isn’t flattering when they obviously have Steve Martin and Martin Short in attractive outfits?

[tkc]

So happy that a show that makes me laugh out loud multiple times per episode is back!

I wonder how much they paid Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez for this season… 4? Maybe they held out for 5! 😄

[akiss]

I agree that Sazz is not dead, which I actually don’t like because I don’t care for the character and Jane Lynch. 

I guess I don’t see what everyone is seeing because to me Maybel and her outfits look great. 

The scenes with the faux trio were so funny but my favourite was the screen writer with the fly on the wall comments. 
 

Meryl looked awesome! Oliver and her were cute.

[Affogato]

8 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Same here! Here are some more thoughts on this:

About the metal rod in the incinerator - If Sazz is that quirky that she has a shrine to the x-rays of her metal rods from limb breaks she might also have a duplicate of her favorite rod, which Charles already clued us in on, the one from Bulgaria. So that's how it could have ended up in the incinerator.

OR, she may have actually had it removed at some point and kept it for a souvenir. I have a titanium rod in my right forearm from an arm break and I was told that after it healed completely I could have it removed because it was no longer necessary. I never did because it doesn't bother me and I don't need to endure another surgery just to do that.

I totally get the shrine to her body metal x-rays, though. I have my x-ray photo although I would never go to her lengths to commemorate it. But I do think the fact that the show made that a thing with Sazz is a clue and part of the plot because it made such a point to include it. It must figure into this somehow.

Here's how I think she may have survived - if the bullet hit one of her body metal parts she could have survived the shot. Yet another way it can figure into the plot somehow.

I think perhaps Sazz realized Charles was the intended target and may actually suspect someone specific as the killer. She may also fear that she would be the next one on their list so she would prefer for them and the world to think she was dead, which would provide another reason for her fake incineration and her disappearance.

Here's another thought - Why would the killer shoot from an apartment across the courtyard and then go back to the apartment just to retrieve the body and incinerate it? It makes no sense. If they were going to go back to the apartment anyway why not just shoot the person from inside it? And if they were trying to cover up evidence of a murder by removing the body they would also be concerned about the hole in the glass and would likely break the entire window to cover up the fact that any shot came through it. And they wouldn't have put the body in the building incinerator where it could be found.

Yet another reason I think it may have been Sazz herself trying to make it look like she was dead by faking her own cremation. Obviously she needed to think of a way to provide evidence of her body's demise because her body wasn't on the floor to find. And she would leave the hole in the window alone to lead them to believe she was shot and killed and then incinerated by the killer

 

I also have metal in my arm from a break. small world. 

I had some of these thoughts. Then I thought,  they did the fakeout last year with Rudd. Maybe they are making it their brand? But when they kept on not tripping over her my first thought was that she had walked away.   Sazz lying on the tile looked final, though. And she had something to tell Charles. 
 

 The metal body parts could have (i suppose) deflected the bullet. Also the part we saw was part of a ball and socket joint., I think.  And would have an id number. But yeah she might definitely have a spare, being weird.  The other hand Gravey seemed convinced there was a body. I still don’t think the incinerator would be functional, but this is a fantasy. 
 

they mentioned Jan several times, the oboe/bassoon player. She would have a knowledge of the incinerators and building and possible contacts on the outside.  If it is a fakeout, she could make it work. 
 

i’m sure Sazz could be alive. 
 

 

Edited August 28 by Affogato

[Affogato]

It is possibe the goal is not to kill Charles but to provide clues as in a game and make the trio look like fools?  Or could ‘paramount’ be doing it for publicity?

Edited August 28 by Affogato

[highway61]

So is it the idea the Bakula attended the party, but didn't speak to Charles until Charles chased him down? That is suspicious! Would have made more sense running into him on the street.

And yeah, the negotiation... Don't Oliver and Charles have agents? I think they've even talked about them... And unless they're hinting Charles is losing his marbles he should know '4' is not a number you put out as an offer. 

But greaat to see everyone back! 

 

 

[cardigirl]

9 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I have to say, I hate when people enter a dark house and don't turn on the lights. I know it needed to be that way for the comedy and wondering if/when they'd literally stumble upon the body.

And then in Sazz's apartment there was that noise... and they didn't investigate?

My thoughts exactly.  When Charles called out "Sazz?" and then they went right back to looking at the desk, I was so frustrated!

[highway61]

17 hours ago, sjankis630 said:

Sazz was the last person we saw speaking to Jan in prison.

Wow - good remembering!