The final answers to our season are revealed - but not before the trio faces mortal danger and an Arconia wedding.
Sazz had so many dreams she still wanted to achieve. She was in pain after a lifetime performing stunts. Charles was oblivious to so much of her life. He has sought to honor her life in death. He needed to do right by his best friend. He needed to catch her killer. This case was more personal. Everyone loved Sazz. She was killed. The crime was covered up. It's up to the podcasters to once again solve the mystery. The story was all wrapped up in the aspirations of Hollywood. That took the characters away from the Arconia. They focused for a time on the residents of the West Tower as potential suspects. They even discovered that someone has been stalking them ever since they started the podcast. Those details were ultimately not relevant. Sazz only pursued those threads in pursuit of her new dream. She wanted to finance her trampoline park training the next generation of stunt people by selling her script adapting the podcast for the big screen. Her first draft was incredible. The envy of one person snuffed out her life for good. The pieces all come together. Marshall was revealed as the protégé Sazz took under her wing. He had natural talent as a stuntman. He wanted to be a writer. No matter what he did though, he just never fit into that role.
Marshall essentially puts on other identities instead of accepting who he naturally is. Of course, he's been told that's what equals success in Hollywood. To make it as a writer, he has to use his trauma in his art. He could never communicate that on the page. It's meaningful to him that his father told him he would only ever be a killer. He wanted so much more. His dreams drove him elsewhere. Sazz befriended him. She was nice to everyone. She saw when others were struggling. She tried to make their lives better. She was a huge influence in Charles' life. She would always tap in whenever he was in a dangerous situation. However, the confrontation with the killer requires Charles to perform his most dangerous stunt to date. The opening sequence highlights his fear of heights. Those are amplified further when he's tasked with walking across a ledge outside the apartments. It's only a brief walk from Vince's to Mabel's. It's still absolutely terrifying. In that moment, he's driven by more than rescuing Mabel. That's important too. He can't lose her like he did Sazz. However, he also has to get justice for what happened to his friend.
Marshall couldn't cope with Sazz being naturally gifted as a writer. She actually did the research though. She took time to get in the voice of each character in the podcast. She investigated to ensure every detail lined up. Of course, it's suggested a subplot was completely tangential and could be cut. That probably has clues that need further developing. It could be as simple as all the drama happening in the West Tower. That's how Marshall knew about Dudenoff's apartment. He gained access to this world because of Sazz. He sought to pass her work off as his own. He thought getting in the door would be the most difficult task. In reality, he was struggling every step of the way. He couldn't deliver. He could never improve on the draft Sazz created. She had a personal connection to the material. As such, the film becomes a way to honor her. Charles, Oliver and Mabel are able to step outside their own identities to appreciate how Sazz saw them. It doesn't matter what stylistic choices the actors and directors make. The film came out of love. That's how it should be seen. Marshall introduced so much drama and uncertainty. He was the source of all the problems. Those could be written off when he was solely the one updating the script each day. It was more perilous when he was revealed as the killer.
The season doesn't offer some big twist that further complicated the mystery. Marshall was the killer. That information was revealed at the close of the penultimate episode. Reflecting on closing another case, Charles dreads another body dropping in the Arconia soon. That's been the pattern of the podcasters' lives for awhile now. Whenever they solve a case, a new one emerges. That remains true. Oliver believes the sentiment will apply to Loretta. The love of his life is in the building. They are getting married. That's a prime event for tragedy to strike. It doesn't. It was only momentarily delayed so a powerful moment could be created. Loretta walks down the aisle with Dickie and Will. These families are coming together. This is a beautiful celebration for a couple embarking on an unconventional life. Loretta's work is taking her to New Zealand. Oliver can't leave New York. This is his home. A lifetime of adventure still awaits him with Loretta. However, it's just as important for him to stay with Charles and Mabel. They faced death once more. They only survive because Jan was phrogging in Charles' apartment. She too had a personal vendetta against Sazz's killer. She remained close by to exact this punishment. Her arrest occurred immediately afterward.
However, the finale confirms that Sazz's killer was separate from whomever has been stalking the podcasters since the beginning. That bombshell was dropped several episodes ago. It made everyone start thinking about the bigger picture. That amounted to a mystery that was more compelling than the ongoing detours in trying to solve what happened to Sazz. She deserved better than that. The confrontation in the end is still meaningful. Everyone has to play to Marshall's ego until Jan gets her shot. The other mystery still persists. That could pertain to the new murder that occurs in the building. Lester the doorman is found in the courtyard the morning after the wedding. Meanwhile, Charles and Mabel are approached by Sofia Caccimelio to find her missing husband. She claims this case is connected to the Arconia. No clarity is offered as to what she meant by that. The casting of Téa Leoni though immediately suggests this case will also be important moving forward. It has already drawn local media attention. Charles, Oliver and Mabel have a more immediate connection to Lester though. They relied on him for a lot. Now, that part of the building's history has been destroyed too.
