Only Murders in the Building season four continues to intrigue its audience. The fourth episode of Only Murders in the Building titled Valley of the Dolls was released on Hulu on Tuesday, October 9, 2024.
The latest episode saw the trio of podcasters turned amateur sleuths responding to a threatening situation at the Arconia residence.
There's one particular scene in episode seven that has drawn awe and fanfare. The scene in question is a long-drawn ordeal that finds Meryl Streep and Melissa McCarthy embroiled in an intense brawl. Interestingly, this scene was shot without any stunt doubles!
Here's how it all happened and more.
Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 7: Meryl Streep and Melissa McCarthy's brawl scene details revealed
Show creator and director John Hoffman recently spoke at length to Variety about the intricacies of making the popular Hulu show. Among the other topics touched upon by Hoffamn, the remarkable brawl scene involving Meryl Streep and Melissa McCarthy assumed considerable importance.
According to Hoffman, he knew that both Streep and McCarthy were not in favor of using stunt doubles for the scene right from the outset. Following his custom of discussing the script over dinner with Streep, Hoffman had explained the scene in detail to her way before the action had been choreographed. He told Variety,
"We had dinner to tell them what they were going to do across the season. I got to Episode 7 and explained, “There’s going to be this fight.” And the minute she heard it, she raised her hands and she went, “I put my money on me!” She was all in."
Thereafter the stunt person for the show, Chris Barnes, was consulted by Hoffman and the actors where a visibly detailed action sequence was planned and choreographed by them.
It was rich with action spread across the entire space they were shooting. Fortunately, both Streep and McCarthy were able to rehearse the entire sequence without a hitch.
However, Hoffman further explained in the interview that once they were done rehearsing, both Streep and McCarthy felt the brutality of the sequence could be enhanced.
Both of them proceeded to choreograph the sequence for a second time themselves. By the time they were done, Hoffman was bewildered as Streep was intent on going ahead with her version, even though it wasn't approved yet by the stunt team.
"They got to choreographing this themselves, and when I saw what they were doing, I was like, “This is not mapped out with the stunt people.” They’re like, “No, no, we don’t need stunt people.” I’m like, “Meryl, you’re being thrown over that couch on your neck! I can’t!” She says, “I’m fine. I’m fine. I love it." Hoffman said.
Streep came up with the easy solution that they didn't need any stunt doubles and could perform the entire brawl sequence on their own. Hoffman was a bit reluctant at first due to safety concerns and expressed his skepticism.
Nevertheless, he eventually had to give in to Streep's enthusiasm. The scene was eventually filmed and canned without a glitch in a few takes.
Hoffman further added that the successful execution of the scene was a relief to him since it involved a lot of well-synchronized and complex movements. The scene adds to the complexity of the narrative effectively.
What to expect from Only Murders in the Building season 4 episode 8?
The upcoming episode of Only Murders in the Building season 4 is titled 'Lifeboat' and can be expected to deliver further revelations of the dark secrets hidden inside the walls at Arconia.
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The title of the episode suggests the incidence of a life-and-death situation where the pivotal characters might once again be pushed to the limits of their abilities.
Only Murders in the Building season 4 airs new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.
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