Wow, YOU Season 4 Episode 5—the mini-season finale to hold fans over until the remaining 5 episodes of the season premiere on March 9—really went off the deep end.
But now, it makes sense that the series has been split into two parts. “The Fox and the Hound” closed the chapter on the murder mystery as Joe finally learned the identity of you. And while he was utterly shocked that he didn’t crack the mystery or even consider the possibility while at Hampsie, the twist wasn’t as shocking as I hoped it to be. There were definitely many possibilities for the stalker/ murderer, but Rhys continuously topped my lists of suspects, so how did Joe, a natural-born stalker and killer, miss this one? Is he really that off his game? And is this the show’s way of throwing us off for several remaining episodes?
With the whodunnit in the rearview mirror, the second half of the season can focus on what Joe is going to do about it now that he knows the truth while everyone else continues buying into Rhys’ “man of the people” persona that he’s adopted for his mayoral run. Part 2 of YOU is going to be all about Joe’s revenge because if there’s one thing Joe despises, it’s someone threatening him and his European holiday. And Rhys did all of that—not to mention he left Joe to die in a blazing fire.
While the Rhys revelation wasn’t shocking, the rest of the episode was unhinged… in a good way. You really have no idea what these rich people are capable of, which provided a thrill ride from start to finish. Joe was running on a high of emotions—from helping Kate hide Gemma’s body to running through the wood being chased by a raging aristocratic lunatic that was keen on shooting and killing him. Absolutely nuts, and yet, still somehow grounded and believable. I can’t explain it, maybe it’s the way the episode was constructed, maybe we want to buy into what’s being sold, or maybe we’ve just boarded a similar yet completely different crazy train with Joe a few times before so we’re ready for anything to happen.
We also know, from past experiences, that he’ll always manage to find a way out of a bind. He’s been trapped in worse situations than this, so I have no doubt that this will end with Joe victorious once again.
The craziest thing about this revamped season is that Joe is semi-likable. And that might be the real danger of all. I don’t know what the series is trying to do by giving Joe a somewhat redeeming story arc—this is the same man that kept teeth from his victims, bashed Peach Salinger’s head while she was jogging simply because he didn’t like her, and kept people locked up in cages—so why am I rooting for him?
Joe’s “reformed,” which provides a complex situation because while he’s doing the right thing by trying to save Kate and her unworthy bunch of friends and setting his sights on the murderer, Rhys, it doesn’t suddenly make him a good person or absolve him of any of his past crimes. Joe is still a full-on murderer. The good thing about someone cracking his true identity, even someone like Rhys, is that it serves as a reminder that Jonathan is a facade. It forces us to look at/remember who Joe really is under the crafted persona—to dig into the real Joe, who we know will do just about anything to stop Rhys.
Will we get to see his true nature come on in the latter half of the season?
The one thing that separates Joe and Rhys is that the latter is honest about who he is—he’s openly and willingly murdering people because he believes they deserve it. Joe lives in denial about himself, always repressing those ugly parts and pretending that they don’t exist.
This season, Joe pales in comparison to Rhys, which is disturbing, problematic, confusing, and mostly, dangerous territory. Rhys reached out to Joe because he was impressed by him—he saw who Joe really was and was in awe of his past kills. It’s a sickening thought, and the only comforting thing is that it also seems to sicken Joe. So, while I don’t think Joe deserves to get away with all his past murders in the end, on the surface, at least Rhys is forcing him to acknowledge how messed up it all is. Maybe he’ll finally develop a conscious in the end.
The point of this season is to make audiences feel conflicted about Joe, and I’ll say they definitely succeeded.
You. (L to R) Charlotte Ritchie as Kate, Penn Badgley as Joe in episode 405 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
Joe has set his sights on Rhys, a man that has a platform and looks like a saint to most of the people in London. And if he doesn’t play his cards right, Rhys could expose Joe in a heartbeat. There’s no easy way to play this, especially because Rhys is such a wild card and was really hoping that he and Joe would be kindred spirits: some serial killing/slashing duo of sorts. In a way, I’m kind of proud that Joe has fought every single bad thought, temptation, and itch. He’s definitely got blood on his hands with Vic, but for the most part, he’s really trying to not screw up this time.
And he might not be alone in his quest for revenge as he’s built a kinship with Kate and Phoebe, and likely now has Roald on his side. Roald is problematic—as almost everyone in the group is—however, he’s likely grateful that Joe freed him from the cuffs and saved him from the fire.
Yes, Joe saved a man that old Joe would’ve likely left to die. The transformation and character growth are truly shocking at times, but I’m still expecting Joe to snap and kill Roald by the end of the season.
The fact that Roald saw firsthand that Joe was also trapped in the secret dungeon, proves to him he’s not the one behind the murders as everyone accused him to be. Of course, I don’t think Joe will outright tell everyone that he knows who did it yet as he doesn’t trust them, plus, a team doesn’t even suit Joe since he does his best work alone.
But where does that leave Joe and Kate? And Joe and the rest of the group?
In the final moments of the episode, Kate reached out to thank “Jonathan” for going the extra mile to fetch the necklace she lost when they moved Gemma’s body. We all know—as they both did—that she was offering much more, and she was hurt when Joe turned her down. It likely came as a shock as they bonded the night of Gemma’s death, confessing their innermost secrets, desires, and fears to each other, well, mostly. Joe didn’t exactly tell her that he killed his wife or his prior girlfriends, nor did he come clean about his obsessive nature, but he did open up in a way we’ve never seen before. He told her about being married to a wealthy woman who did bad things, said he stuck it out for family and explained that in the end, he had to run away and pay the ultimate price—losing his son. It was one of Joe’s most vulnerable moments, which means that he truly trusted Kate with some of his secrets. I do think part of it was Joe simply finding someone he can connect with, but it was also a story that allowed him to victimize himself, skirt any responsibility for the demise of his family, and manipulate Kate’s feelings. One step forward, two steps back.
However, in the end, he realized that his feelings for Kate, which were unexpected and caught him by surprise—again, a new one for Joe—were genuine and he couldn’t risk them interfering with the mission at stake: his relationship with Rhys.
Will she stay out of his orbit? Probably not. Especially since Joe needs to keep up appearances in order to remain in the circle and close to Rhys. They’ll cross paths eventually, and I’m sure it’ll lead to more destruction.
The elite group really only consists of Adam, Phoebe, Roald, and Kate as the other three–Sophie, Blessing and Connie—are so comical and unlikable, audiences could care less about them. They don’t serve a real purpose other than to be absolutely obnoxious and annoying.
I still can’t shake this feeling that Rhys and Nadia are somehow in cahoots. She said she was sleeping with Malcolm, so what’s to say she wasn’t in bed with Rhys as well, especially since she was such a huge fan of his novel? There’s just something about Nadia’s extremely likable character, who connected with Jonathan immediately, that I don’t trust.
Other Noteworthy Moments
- Penn Badgley and Charlotte Ritchie really sold their chemistry and their distrust of each other. The way they both considered, and were briefly convinced, that the other was a murderer was so well acted.
- I love that she questioned how he knew so much about disposing of a body. It would be concerning if she didn’t pick up on that. And I was genuinely surprised Joe told her about what happened with Malcolm. I guess it’s better than the alternative that he has a certain set of skills from years of experience.
- Adam and Phoebe’s storyline about his golden shower kink is odd. I don’t fully get the point of why we’re so focused on it, but maybe it will come into play in the second half of the season.
- I really thought Adam was going to die after Joe punched him because of all the cocaine coursing through his body, which would then actually make Joe a killer with Phoebe likely turning on him. I’m glad it didn’t pan out that way.
- Joe getting a taste of his own medicine all season long has also been quite fantastic. Joe used to lock people in glass cages and now, he’s the one being locked away in a soundproof room. Oh, how things have come full circle.
- Joe’s been so preoccupied, he probably forgot all about Marienne, but hopefully, we’ll get to revisit that in the second half.
- Also, I need more information about the photographer who has seemingly recognized Joe on several occasions while taking shots of the elite at their parties. Did Rhys tip her off or is she familiar with the Joe Goldberg? Will she become an ally or an enemy?
The second half of the season drops in exactly one month on March 9, 2023. What did you think of part 1?