The Studio Episode 4 recap: Matt searches for a missing reel of Olivia Wilde's next film

Apple TV's latest sitcom, The Studio, features many Hollywood A-listers, and is a parody of the happenings in the glamor business. Episode 4, titled The Missing Reel, dropped on April 9, 2025, with guest appearances by actress-director Olivia Wilde and Zac Efron as themselves.

In the episode, Wilde has just shot a Chinatown-style noir film with Zac Efron. While the whole movie was shot on reel, making the process expensive, one of the 10 reels goes missing and chaos ensues.

In addition to the core plot, which focuses on Seth Rogen as protagonist Matt Remick tracking down the missing reel, Wilde parodies her real self, in sync with rumours from the time she made Don't Worry Darling. She appeared as a dictatorial director who was not liked by her staff and crew, much like the news that circulated about her.

In the end, however, it is revealed that she was the one who stole the reel.

Here is the recap of The Studio Episode 4.

How did Matt solve the mystery behind Olivia Wilde's missing reel in The Studio Episode 4?

The Studio Episode 4 was heavy in Hollywood satire. It was about dictatorial directors who want to do everything independently, clearly parodying the general impression about Olivia Wilde herself.

The episode plays out in detective-style noir, which becomes meta about the detective-noir Chinatown film Wilde was shooting with Zac Efron. Of the 10 reels of the movie, only nine were received and Matt then takes it upon himself to find the missing 10th reel, as he was the one who insisted that they use reels to shoot the movie.

After Matt and Sal find an envelope full of cash in Zac's trailer, they suspect him, which ultimately takes them to Chateau Marmont, the famous hotel where Zac is staying.

Matt and Sal know that there was a suspicious person with a strange tattoo around, while the reels were being transported. While reaching the hotel, they discover that the money was for the wrap party, which Matt had not approved of, saying they were tight on budget.

In The Studio Episode 4, Matt finally identifies the culprit as Olivia Wilde herself, when he sees the remnants of the fake tattoo they saw in the picture. Wilde reveals that she was not satisfied with the shoot of her film, because she wanted everything to be perfect.

Since she knew Matt would never approve of a reshoot because it would be expensive, she hid the reel, so that there would be no option left but to re-shoot. However, since the reel contained her cameo, which was highly praised by everyone on set, she kept it safe with her.

In the final moments of The Studio Episode 4, Wilde unloads all of her frustration on Matt, calling him out for saying that her movie is a cheap Chinatown rip-off. She deliberately hid the reel so that Matt would be forced to agree for a reshoot.

However, as The Studio Episode 4 ends, Wilde opens the reel, and eventually destroys it, forcing Matt to personally fund the reshoot, and he is saddled with a director who wants to do everything the way they like. Matt closes The Studio Episode 4 by delivering this line:

“In this town, [directors] call the shots. Classic Hollywood ending. Pretty, isn’t it?”

Also Read: How did 'The Studio' execute complex one-take shots for every episode?

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