Snooping goes sideways when three billionaire suspects catch the trio and invite themselves over for an evening at Oliver's.
The fourth season featured a trio of characters who were paired with Charles, Oliver and Mabel in order to reflect the emotional journeys they were on. It was a transparent depiction of how the world sees them because it was the three actors cast to portray them in the film adaptation of the podcast. The new season appears to follow the same conceit as it introduces the prime suspects for Lester and Nicky's murders. The trio stumbled upon three billionaires hoping to gamble in the Velvet Room like they do every weekend. They must think quickly in order to escape without being noticed. They lure the suspects into a trap in the hopes of controlling the spread of information. They are ambushed by all three. They are each paired with a member of the central trio in stories that are relevant to their current personal struggles. The comparisons are obvious. Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger and Logan Lerman aren't portraying versions of themselves. Instead, the billionaires adapt to the situation. That lures everyone into a false sense of hope so that the rug can get pulled out in the end.
That's basically the right approach for detailing the internal lives of billionaires. It's all meant to be a projection of success. Bash, Camila and Jay are suppose to flaunt their wealth. They need to be aspirational. They need to have multiple projects burning at all times. They have to be known for a specific thing while branching out into new opportunities. It's also all fundamentally a game. That's the overall lesson they wish to leave everyone with. Nothing is real. They are superior in every way. As such, it's futile to treat them as kindred spirits to Charles, Oliver and Mabel. Their lives aren't similar in any way. The billionaires use that influence to crush the people who are investigating their recent activities. It demonstrates a guilty conscience to a certain extent. They have something to hide. It may not be connected to the murders though. That's a distinct possibility. It also requires the trio to be naive in their investigative prowess and professional lives to fall into the trap.
Charles, Oliver and Mabel reach out to partner with a major podcasting company. They fear becoming irrelevant. The algorithm is no longer pushing their content online. They have been replaced by something new. It still follows the basic premise of investigating a murder. But now, it's drunk sluts at the helm. That's the new hook everyone is obsessed with. The trio have a limited reach. They are fading from the headlines. People keep dying in the building though. It's up to them to honor Lester's life. They must shine a light on it. Otherwise, he will be completely lost to history. Bash suggests that the past is never truly gone. Everyone lives on through technology. That only increases the detached nature of reality. Bash exists as the most absurd character. No one knows how old he is. That's the central humor around him. Charles pries for information about that mystery instead of inquiring about Jay's missing finger. It's amusing to a certain extent. It's also a bit more hollow. Camila and Jay are more successful in the charm offense. The billionaires work effectively as a team. The podcast trio still figure out that someone else was in the Velvet Room when Lester and Nicky were killed. And so, the scope of the investigation widens further.
And yet, the trio are prevented from investigating the billionaires further because they sign an exclusivity contract with their new podcast company. They can't incriminate the owners in any way. Jay obtained information from Mabel about her insecure need to prove her success to Thé. He weaponized that against her. The trio make a major breakthrough during their first meeting at their new professional studio. Jay's missing finger isn't the one in Charles' freezer. Someone else is missing one of their digits. A cleaver was being swung wildly during the night of the murders. There was plenty of carnage flying around. That produces more questions. It's a rather ominous note. The trio are unlikely to heed the warning of these invaders into their lives. The billionaires are accustomed to getting what they want. They only pretend to present as normal humans. They are ruthless. They have collective ambitions amongst themselves. Their exploits in gambling are protected as they are only truly threatened by each other. The podcast is nothing more than a nuisance they have to put down before it goes any further. They are successful. It simply requires everyone to fall into the deceit through expecting a similar story structure as previous seasons.
