S04.E08: Lifeboat

[Affogato]

There was a lone about ‘casting the hell out of this’. Good old Dudenoff, he sure did. I really hope Mabel and the Westies get their apartments. I hope the next murder doesn’t happen at Oscar’s wedding. 

[Milburn Stone]

18 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm hoping for a Happily Ever After In The Building for them via Dudenhoff's and/or his wife's will.

I'm hoping for this to be the final season. The watching I do is not hate-watching, it's more like no-choice watching. I have no choice but to watch a show that has Steve Martin and Martin Short in it. Knowing there is such a show and not watching it would be intolerable. Yet watching it is torture. (Except for some episodes, like this season's episodes featuring Paul Rudd. And also, any episode that contains physical comedy from SM is worth it for that alone. But so many episodes don't cut it.) Please go away, show, and stop torturing me like this!

Edited to add: And using one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, Lifeboat, as a touchstone for this episode as if it even existed in the same universe, is sacrilege.

Edited October 17 by Milburn Stone

[shapeshifter]

39 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Edited to add: And using one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, Lifeboat, as a touchstone for this episode as if it even existed in the same universe, is sacrilege.

But maybe you can enlighten us as to a clue within Lifeboat that pertains to this season's OMITB mystery? The voiceover said something about whether or not everyone survives.
Or maybe wait until after the last episode has aired.

 

42 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Yet watching it is torture

Kumail Nanjiani's on-purpose terrible acting did go on way too long. 
It would have worked better, IMO, if they'd semi-muted him while they focused on the "real" actors' cringing faces. And made it briefer.
But I'm still wondering what Oliver was enthused by — line memorization?
Will that will come back to haunt/torture us?

[SnapHappy]

If there was a single person on this show I would most NOT want to ever have back for any reason it's Paul Rudd/Glen. 

Hate with the fire of a thousand suns is downplaying my feelings.....

And why am I not surprised that Howard didn't want to give up Hammy Faye.  I assume she gets along well with Sevelyn, and I'd love to see that.  

[Affogato]

Someone I knew said that if the tarot cards she read became too ‘uppity’ she buried them in the backyard. Of course it wasn’t the cards, it was her attitude towards them.  This is one of the functions of comedy. Making fun of hitchcock is fair game. It speaks well of Meryl Streep that she participates in this. I think the monologue went in long enough to have it qualify as a shaggy dog. 
 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifeboat_(1944_film)

the group in the lifeboat includes people from both a  U boat and an allied vessel. 

[cardigirl]

8 minutes ago, SnapHappy said:

If there was a single person on this show I would most NOT want to ever have back for any reason it's Paul Rudd/Glen. 

Hate with the fire of a thousand suns is downplaying my feelings.....

And why am I not surprised that Howard didn't want to give up Hammy Faye.  I assume she gets along well with Sevelyn, and I'd love to see that.  

I feel the same about Howard as you do about Paul Rudd.

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

I feel the same about Howard as you do about Paul Rudd.

Okay. While we're all calling out the Emperor has no clothes:
Selena's acting this season is…I'm not sure what.

At least we still have Streep.

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, roseha said:

If the murderer turns out to be someone like the screenwriter, that would seem like a cop out to me at this point, he's barely been around for several episodes now and there wasn't much insight really into his character.

For this very reason I think he's a strong candidate for being the murderer. He appears in the first few eps, piques our interest, then disappears, replaced by more suspicious candidates. I won't be surprised if it's him. Not sure what his motivation would be, but that's the kind of reveal saved for the end.

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

I'm hoping for this to be the final season.

Season 5 has already been greenlit.

[Affogato]

Given the Lifeboat clue I winder if someone will not be as he seems. One of the actors, perhaps, will be spying. For sme reason. It is all confusing. 

[cardigirl]

I have to say that this season I am more unsure than ever about what is really going on. And that is saying a lot because Season 2 really came out of left field for me.

Season 1, I was focused on the jewelry Tim was buying up and the grave-robbing scheme that Teddy and Theo were involved in, and had no idea that Tim was murdered

Spoiler

by a jealous ex-lover who was crazy until the very last episode. Lots of people had figured Jan was the murderer, but I don't think anyone had guessed the why of it. 

Season 2, I was focused on Charles' father's story and the painting

Spoiler

but hoped for a different reveal than poor Poppy White

. Although I did appreciate that the season was referencing the podcast murder that had initially brought the trio together.

Season 3 I enjoyed, for all of the theatre insider stuff, and the Broadway production and how crazy that all can be.

Spoiler

I was very disappointed that the killers were the producers, although I guess with Matthew Broderick and Mel Brooks showing up, I should have seen that coming.

I had all kinds of crazy theories about Loretta and who her real son was, and it turned out that the solution was not crazy but pretty straightforward.

This season I have a guess as to who the murderer might be, I've had it from episode one, but only for reasons outside of the show. I still have no idea of the "why." I hope I'm not disappointed with the resolution, as I enjoy the world this show has created. However, they do make it very difficult (for me) to figure out what the heck is going on. 

Edited October 17 by cardigirl

[Affogato]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Okay. While we're all calling out the Emperor has no clothes:
Selena's acting this season is…I'm not sure what.

At least we still have Streep.

It was ok at the beginning. She hasn’t had much to do for a while. I liked the pig face. 

[Milburn Stone]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But maybe you can enlighten us as to a clue within Lifeboat that pertains to this season's OMITB mystery? The voiceover said something about whether or not everyone survives.

This is the latest episode I've watched, but based on that, any connection to the movie is tenuous at best. It would seem to be the discovery made by our three detectives and the Westies that they are all in the same boat. Which in the movie, was literally true.

2 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Season 5 has already been greenlit.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[chaifan]

On 10/15/2024 at 1:35 PM, Snapdragon said:

Here's my problem with the whole "we won't mention on the podcast that Dudenoff is dead so that the Westies can keep with their ruse".  The police know Dudenoff is dead!  They confirmed it was his remains in the incinerator, so not only would he now be listed as dead (or whatever it's called when someone dies), there would also be an official investigation into his death.  So they couldn't continue to live in those apartments, nor cash his checks.  

Yep. I totally agree.  I can't figure out any way for this to end well for the Westies.  Even if Dudenoff wanted to die, them helping him by putting him in the incinerator would still be a crime.  If he died prior to that (poisoned himself), destroying the body is still a crime.  Cashing all the SS checks is definitely a crime, a federal one, and probably a substantial one after all this time.  And the Arconia would definitely be notified that Dudenoff is dead, so all their leases (subleases?) would be cancelled.  Or at the very least, rent would be seriously hiked up.

Also, what happened to all of Dudenoff's stuff?  Why would they have emptied out the apartment, with the exception of the bed and the ham radio? 

I think something is fishy (hammy?) with Helga and the story surrounding her.  I don't quite buy Dudenoff's (alleged) explanation as to why she shouldn't be told he was dying/dead. 

So, overall, I'm not sure I 100% buy what the Westies were all saying.  I wouldn't be surprised if there's another story, or at least part of a story, that's being left out still.

I agree with the comments about about Eva Longoria being the surprise delight of this season.  Yeah, I like Eugene Levy and ZG well enough, but Eva is really funny in this role, and I think she and Selena pair well.

I also agree that Glenn is probably not the killer, but was doing some dumb stuff that would get him and Sazz killed.  Still haven't figured out if Sazz was actually the target, how the writers will plausibly get there if that's the case, and whether she's actually dead. 

I like that they're setting something up to be resolved in the last season.  All these little loose ends from the prior seasons have some sort of connection unrelated to any of the actual murders.

 

 

[cardigirl]

Are we certain that Season 5 is the last season? I don't think so.

 

Quote

Only Murders in the Building showrunner John Hoffman has previously said he hopes to make as many seasons as "they'll have us for," as he told Screenrant. "I really mean it. This is one of those shows [where] everyone involved in it is so happy doing it – and I know I speak for the trio and everyone else. When you have lightning in a bottle in this way, and then there's this magnetizing force of incredible talent who say, 'Wow, that looks like fun. I would love to be a part of that.'"

 

Edited October 17 by cardigirl

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Are we certain that Season 5 is the last season? I don't think so.

I think the person was using "last season" more like prior seasons.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

Also, what happened to all of Dudenoff's stuff?  Why would they have emptied out the apartment, with the exception of the bed and the ham radio? 

Oh. I never put together that the empty apartment where the sniper shot from was Dudenoff's apartment. It looks like it was abandoned a lot longer ago than when he died. But yeah, of course: Helga changed the key code to the 'oh hell' numbers, so I completely missed that. Duh.

[Chit Chat]

Random thought: I still like the references to the show Perfect Strangers!  Dudenoff & Helga mentioned it.

6 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Season 5 has already been greenlit.

Yay!!  ☺️

[cardigirl]

43 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I think the person was using "last season" more like prior seasons.

Oh, sorry, I should have referenced Milburn Stone's hope for no more seasons. Plus, 

 

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

I like that they're setting something up to be resolved in the last season.  All these little loose ends from the prior seasons have some sort of connection unrelated to any of the actual murders.

I thought the reference was for next season as last season, but maybe what was meant things will not be completely resolved until the last season, whenever that is. 🤔

[Yeah No]

10 hours ago, chaifan said:

Yep. I totally agree.  I can't figure out any way for this to end well for the Westies.  Even if Dudenoff wanted to die, them helping him by putting him in the incinerator would still be a crime.  If he died prior to that (poisoned himself), destroying the body is still a crime.  Cashing all the SS checks is definitely a crime, a federal one, and probably a substantial one after all this time.  And the Arconia would definitely be notified that Dudenoff is dead, so all their leases (subleases?) would be cancelled.  Or at the very least, rent would be seriously hiked up.

I don't think the police know who put Dudenoff in the incinerator and in order to keep the Westies' apartment scheme secret our trio agreed to keep the Westies' story from the them, but why I don't know because the police already believe or know that Dudenoff is dead so how could our trio's silence do them any good anyway?

But yeah, the Westies cashing the checks is a crime and that with the presumption of Dudenoff's death makes them look like potential murder suspects. I'm just surprised that we haven't already seen the police descending on the Westies about that too.

10 hours ago, chaifan said:

I think something is fishy (hammy?) with Helga and the story surrounding her.  I don't quite buy Dudenoff's (alleged) explanation as to why she shouldn't be told he was dying/dead. 

So, overall, I'm not sure I 100% buy what the Westies were all saying.  I wouldn't be surprised if there's another story, or at least part of a story, that's being left out still.

Yes, I posted above that I didn't think Helga's story added up and that she may actually be a suspect. I can't forget how Vince said episodes ago that she wasn't "like the rest of them" and that's why they had to exclude her from their group. 

And I also said I didn't 100% believe the Westies' story about not only her but more and so I agree with you that there is something they are at least leaving out or covering up. They were visibly shocked to see Helga in this episode so I wonder if they aren't afraid of her for some reason we don't know of and their story in front of her was a lie to cover up something about her that they don't want to reveal about her for fear of her retaliation. I'm already suspicious that Christmas guy changed his story about her from being his girlfriend to not being his girlfriend.

13 hours ago, Affogato said:

Given the Lifeboat clue I winder if someone will not be as he seems. One of the actors, perhaps, will be spying. For sme reason. It is all confusing. 

My vote is for Eugene Levy on that. I said above that I'm suspicious of him now. Just a gut feeling. 

[shapeshifter]

18 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Oh. I never put together that the empty apartment where the sniper shot from was Dudenoff's apartment. It looks like it was abandoned a lot longer ago than when he died. But yeah, of course: Helga changed the key code to the 'oh hell' numbers, so I completely missed that. Duh.

So, maybe all the Dudenoff flashback's were fiction?

[Affogato]

11 hours ago, Yeah No said:

 

My vote is for Eugene Levy on that. I said above that I'm suspicious of him now. Just a gut feeling. 

I hope he rents the penthouse and is part of the next season. 
 

in some ways he has had the least drama of the three. He could have known Dudenoff or Sazz. 

[roseha]

This is total speculation of course but I wonder if the big reveal will be that Sazz and Dudenoff are both alive (as we have never seen their bodies and the Dudenoff suicide film could be some kind of a fake out) and has been speculated elsewhere there could be a murder in the last act.  Not that I want to see it at the wedding though...

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, roseha said:

This is total speculation of course but I wonder if the big reveal will be that Sazz and Dudenoff are both alive (as we have never seen their bodies and the Dudenoff suicide film could be some kind of a fake out) and has been speculated elsewhere there could be a murder in the last act.  Not that I want to see it at the wedding though...

That was one of my speculations and admittedly it's my favorite so I hope it's true. And if there is a murder in the building it's someone peripheral that the audience doesn't care that much about. I posted earlier that perhaps Stubbins will die from his injuries and become this season's murder.

The thing is, though, that this show usually has a murder in the last episode which becomes next season's murder in the building, so whatever murder might happen at the wedding will not be this season's murder. I'm hoping it's not Loretta, but I kind of doubt that her and Oliver's relationship isn't doomed. If she's the murderer it would be doomed but I hope that's not the case either.

The film could be a fake out for Dudenoff to make people think he's dead when he's not, presumably because he is hiding out somewhere afraid he'll be the next in line to be killed.

[Yeah No]

I've been thinking over who might have a motive for murder involving those rent controlled apartments. No one has ever mentioned a landlord in the Arconia. The apartments on the other side of the building are owned by the tenants but if part of the building is a rental there must be a landlord who would benefit from being able to increase the rents on those apartments, which would only happen if Dudenoff died and had no family members living in them that had a claim to the apartments.

Also succession rights might apply here - Under the rent control laws in NYC a family member or "family-like" or "non traditional family member" can "inherit" the right to live in the apartment at the rent controlled prices if they can show that they lived in the apartment for over 2 years before the original renter's death. Perhaps Helga was trying to qualify for that legitimately but someone wanted the apartment and was willing to kill for it so she and Dudenoff went on the run. And maybe Sazz too, who might have stumbled on some information that made her a target.

OR - Helga is the murderer. She may have had a falling out with Dudenoff that jeopardized her getting the apartment so she offed him.

Edited October 19 by Yeah No

[Affogato]

7 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I've been thinking over who might have a motive for murder involving those rent controlled apartments. No one has ever mentioned a landlord in the Arconia. The apartments on the other side of the building are owned by the tenants but if part of the building is a rental there must be a landlord who would benefit from being able to increase the rents on those apartments, which would only happen if Dudenoff died and had no family members living in them that had a claim to the apartments.

Also succession rights might apply here - Under the rent control laws in NYC a family member or "family-like" or "non traditional family member" can "inherit" the right to live in the apartment at the rent controlled prices if they can show that they lived in the apartment for over 2 years before the original renter's death. Perhaps Helga was trying to qualify for that legitimately but someone wanted the apartment and was willing to kill for it so she and Dudenoff went on the run. And maybe Sazz too, who might have stumbled on some information that made her a target.

OR - Helga is the murderer. She may have had a falling out with Dudenoff that jeopardized her getting the apartment so she offed him.

Hammy owns the apartments. 

[Quilt Fairy]

On 10/16/2024 at 3:26 AM, Yeah No said:

here's a big possibility - That Glenn succumbs to his injuries and dies. That would qualify HIM as the murder in the building!

I may be confused about this, but although the production team is using the penthouse as a local HQ, I don't think the photo shoot was at the Arconia.  

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I may be confused about this, but although the production team is using the penthouse as a local HQ, I don't think the photo shoot was at the Arconia.  

Was the shooting outside the Arconia, and, if so, would that qualify as a "Murder In The Building"?

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Was the shooting outside the Arconia, and, if so, would that qualify as a "Murder In The Building"?

Yeah, I went back to check that scene and according to the webcam time and place stamp it supposedly took place at 402 Spring Street, which is a joke and not a real address because according to Google maps that would be in the Holland Tunnel, LOL.

That's the scene where the 3 of them jump into a cab and Oliver tells the driver to take them to the Upper West Side, anywhere but the hell that is Soho.

So no, if Stubbins died it would not qualify as a murder in the building. I somehow thought the photo shoot took place at the penthouse at the Arconia.

[Affogato]

8 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Yeah, I went back to check that scene and according to the webcam time and place stamp it supposedly took place at 402 Spring Street, which is a joke and not a real address because according to Google maps that would be in the Holland Tunnel, LOL.

That's the scene where the 3 of them jump into a cab and Oliver tells the driver to take them to the Upper West Side, anywhere but the hell that is Soho.

So no, if Stubbins died it would not qualify as a murder in the building. I somehow thought the photo shoot took place at the penthouse at the Arconia.

I thought the point of the photoshoot was that it was at the arconia. 

Edited October 20 by Affogato

[Calvada]

On 10/16/2024 at 9:32 PM, roseha said:

I don't know, I'm hoping that when this whole story is presumably concluded in two weeks that some of these various characters/plotlines/references will make - some sense??  But although I find the Westies entertaining as characters - way more than having to watch another over the top Bev Melon scene for one thing - I really wish this whole season had been simplified like the previous ones.  At this point there are so many celebrity guest actors that it just feels like stunt casting.  I didn't mind that so much in a show like Psych that was pretty much a comedy, but when you have a season long murder mystery without even a known dead body, and your're in the 8th episode, it just feels so scattered.  I've counted up the new guest stars this year and it comes to just about 20 now that we've seen both Dudenoff (whether he's dead or not) and Helga.  That's just way too many.  And I still can't believe that any of the three actors are going to be involved in the murder, not when they are guest starring under their own names.  It might have helped had the show not made that decision.

I agree with this.  I don't mind a brief cameo for comedy purposes (John McEnroe) if done once or twice during the season but not what we've seen.    

[Yeah No]

53 minutes ago, Affogato said:

I thought the point of the photoshoot was that it was at the arconia. 

I thought so too but I went back and watched it again and they are clearly not leaving the Arconia after the shooting and the stamp on the video we're looking at places them way downtown near Canal Street. Also, looking closer at the interior shots they were in a much more modern building.

[Affogato]

13 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I thought so too but I went back and watched it again and they are clearly not leaving the Arconia after the shooting and the stamp on the video we're looking at places them way downtown near Canal Street. Also, looking closer at the interior shots they were in a much more modern building.

Next week, this week (now) they are going to the movie set, so I guess it makes sense that would be the place. It seems odd, though, for publicity, but the BS are odd. I thought they were in the Arconia elevators prior to entering the area but I haven’t rewatched. I will later. 

[Yeah No]

36 minutes ago, Affogato said:

Next week, this week (now) they are going to the movie set, so I guess it makes sense that would be the place. It seems odd, though, for publicity, but the BS are odd. I thought they were in the Arconia elevators prior to entering the area but I haven’t rewatched. I will later. 

Actually upon looking it again I realize that the exterior of the building looked ambiguous and you don't see much of it, plus the street they run out onto looks like further uptown, not lower Manhattan, and not Spring Street. I'm not sure it looks like the UWS either. I'll have to ask my husband as he can sometimes pinpoint a Manhattan location better than I can since he's down there all the time.

The interior shots at the shoot don't look like the building, but it's hard to tell because of all the fake partitions. In the background in one shot are very high, modern glass doors and that definitely don't look like the building either. 🤷‍♀️

Edited October 20 by Yeah No

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Actually upon looking it again I realize that the exterior of the building looked ambiguous and you don't see much of it, plus the street they run out onto looks like further uptown, not lower Manhattan, and not Spring Street. I'm not sure it looks like the UWS either. I'll have to ask my husband as he can sometimes pinpoint a Manhattan location better than I can since he's down there all the time.

The interior shots at the shoot don't look like the building, but it's hard to tell because of all the fake partitions. In the background in one shot are very high, modern glass doors and that definitely don't look like the building either. 🤷‍♀️

Yes the penthouse is the production office.  When they go to the photoshoot there is a skyscrapery steel and glass shot, upward, no street and they are walking through bif glass doors. 

[shapeshifter]

On 10/15/2024 at 2:43 PM, shapeshifter said:

But doesn't Eva have it all recorded on her pink cassette player?

On 10/15/2024 at 3:12 PM, Snapdragon said:

Mabel erased it after Eva started playing it for everyone.

I just rewatched. Mabel turns off Eva's pink cassette player, but she didn't erase it. Maybe she was supposed to erase it, and since Selena and most of the viewers have never owned a cassette player, they think pushing a button briefly erases it, and I'm supposed to think that too?

 

 

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I just rewatched. Mabel turns off Eva's pink cassette player, but she didn't erase it. Maybe she was supposed to erase it, and since Selena and most of the viewers have never owned a cassette player, they think pushing a button briefly erases it, and I'm supposed to think that too?

I don't think it was a cassette player, but a digital recorder, the playback seemed highly compressed and low fidelity. It only takes one button press to erase a digital recording.

[mledawn]

I distinctly remember Mabel's interaction with the recorder, and even said at the time "She just stopped it - she didn't erase it". So I'm not sure what the show thinks we're getting from that scene (or wants us to get from that scene) but I definitely noted that she only clicked it once which I assumed was to stop the playback.

[paigow]

1 hour ago, mledawn said:

I definitely noted that she only clicked it once which I assumed was to stop the playback.

Maybe she switched it Suri mode... constant listening

[Ilovepie]

On 10/15/2024 at 4:21 PM, Calvada said:

I'm finding this season a bit of a chore.  For me, it just doesn't flow from episode to episode like prior seasons.  Maybe once all the episodes drop, I'll try again when I can watch all of them one right after another.  I miss the Arconia of previous seasons - Charles', Oliver's & Mabel's apartments, Uma, Lester, the Howard of seasons 1 & 2.  

Same. I am not a fan of the "actors". The podcast feels like an afterthought most of the time. I don't know what I expect, but this sometimes feels like a completely different show now compared to season one.

[Quilt Fairy]

The thing that bothers me about the photo shoot shooting is that no one appears to be investigating it!  Regardless of whatever odd reason the FBI is investigating Sazz's murder, certainly this shooting should be under the purview of the NYPD and Detective Williams.  Yet we don't see any indication of a crime scene investigation or any interviews.  I can handle a bit of hand-waving over physical SS checks that don't exist anymore, but this continues to annoy me.  Maybe when we get back to Stubbins in the next episode things will be explained. 

[Ceindreadh]

11 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

The thing that bothers me about the photo shoot shooting is that no one appears to be investigating it!  Regardless of whatever odd reason the FBI is investigating Sazz's murder, certainly this shooting should be under the purview of the NYPD and Detective Williams.  Yet we don't see any indication of a crime scene investigation or any interviews.  I can handle a bit of hand-waving over physical SS checks that don't exist anymore, but this continues to annoy me.  Maybe when we get back to Stubbins in the next episode things will be explained. 

Or maybe whoever is investigating it just isn't bothering to update a bunch of podcasters. 

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Or maybe whoever is investigating it just isn't bothering to update a bunch of podcasters. 

But they're not a random bunch of podcasters, at least one of them is the potential target.

[Calvada]

I think I've figured out what's wrong with this season -  not enough Gut Milk. 

[KarenX]

On 10/17/2024 at 12:45 PM, cardigirl said:

Are we certain that Season 5 is the last season? I don't think so.

 

On 10/17/2024 at 12:45 PM, cardigirl said:

Only Murders in the Building showrunner John Hoffman has previously said he hopes to make as many seasons as "they'll have us for," as he told Screenrant. "I really mean it. This is one of those shows [where] everyone involved in it is so happy doing it – and I know I speak for the trio and everyone else. When you have lightning in a bottle in this way, and then there's this magnetizing force of incredible talent who say, 'Wow, that looks like fun. I would love to be a part of that.'"

 

UGH. This is showing. It’s clearly a lot of fun for everyone involved who are totally amusing themselves first and foremost but it’s becoming tedious to watch. The story seems to be serving the whims of the actors rather than the actors finding space for fun in a story.

Were the main three ALWAYS executive producers on this show? I think this season is inexcusably self-indulgent for them and their best friends.