Investigating Why Mabel’s Love Interests Only Last 1 Season on ‘Only Murders in the Building’
Perhaps the next case the Only Murders in the Building trio should solve is the case of Mabel's disappearing love interests.
Since OMITB debuted on Hulu in 2021, Mabel (Selena Gomez) has been paired off with someone every season — but never for long. The first season introduced Aaron Dominguez as Mabel's childhood best friend who acted on his feelings for her after being released from prison for a murder he didn't commit.
The show seemed to set up Oscar's return, but Dominguez was nowhere to be found in season 2. Instead, Mabel formed a connection with newcomer Alice (Cara Delevingne) after the gallery owner reached out to her on social media. The romance quickly blossomed, but by the time season 2 came to an end, so did Mabel and Alice's future together. Do you see the pattern?
Season 3, which premiered in 2023, blew Tobert (Jesse Williams) into Mabel's life at a time when she wasn't looking for love. Despite their mutual interest in a murder investigation, Mabel and Tobert found time to start dating and all seemed swell — until it didn't.
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Although Mabel made a decision to stay in New York instead of moving to Los Angeles with Tobert, OMITB shook things up by moving the season 4 setting to the West Coast. Mabel's move to California won't reunite her with Tobert, though, since Williams confirmed offscreen that he didn't film any more scenes for the show.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of all of Mabel's love interests — including the paper thin excuses for why they aren't around anymore:
Aaron Dominguez's Oscar
After exploring Mabel and Oscar's love story, creator John Hoffman teased Dominguez's involvement in future seasons, only for the actor to never return. Hoffman later addressed his decision not to include Oscar in the show's next chapter.
"I love Aaron," he told Deadline in 2022 at the time about why Dominguez’s onscreen departure "made sense" within the narrative. "We made a call that we didn't want to see Mabel develop a relationship where the trauma bond is strong."
Hoffman noted it would have been "really hard" for the character to stay following another murder. "I think they keep in touch and I won't say it's not something that won't come back around in some way, because he was a part of her life," he added.
Mabel, meanwhile, only mentioned Oscar once on screen to explain why she wasn't seeing him anymore. "The trauma bond is strong but I think Oscar and I are both waiting for the 'Let's just be friends' text," she said in season 2.
Cara Delevingne's Alice
Mabel and Alice's romance started just as quickly as it ended. Delevingne joined season 2 as Mabel's love interest and an occasional suspect in Bunny Folger's (Jayne Houdyshell) murder. Alice ultimately helped Mabel trick the real killer into unmasking themselves but that didn't save their relationship.
"Does this become integrated into a new design?" Alice asked in the season 2 finale as they painted over Mabel's Arconia mural. "And do I?"
Mabel shut down the hope of a future with Alice and that was that. Offscreen, meanwhile, Hoffman made it sounds like it was never the plan to invest in Alice as a potential romantic contender for Mabel's heart.
"Alice's storyline [resolved itself] in a rather sweet way, with the beginning of a reparation in that friendship [with Mabel]," he told TVLine in 2022. "I like the chumminess that's there. But I don't think we're aiming towards any more of a love relationship."
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Jesse Williams' Tobert
How does that saying go again? Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence and three times is a pattern. Tobert was there for Mabel throughout season 3 as she tried to solve Ben Glenroy's (Paul Rudd) murder. He ended season 3 with plans to return to Los Angeles and while Mabel didn't say yes, OMITB decided to move the show there anyway for the fourth season.
Williams, however, confirmed before OMITB returned in 2024 that he wasn't involved. "No, I'm not on that show anymore," he told People in July 2024.
Luckily OMITB is filled to the brim with celebrity guest stars so surely there's someone new in season 4 that will catch Mabel's eye — but only briefly.
