Whoever is writing this season of YOU is truly a murder mystery fanatic because I feel like I, and Joe Goldberg, have just been dropped into a massive game of Clue… on designer drugs.
The latest installment, YOU Season 4 Episode 4, takes us on a getaway trip to “Hampsie” where the elite bunch aims to lay low while avoiding the “eat the rich” killer. Of course, locking away a bunch of vapid, egotistical, and privileged psychos in one very large castle is a recipe for disaster—and that’s what made this one of the best episodes of the season thus far.
Joe went into the trip with one goal in mind—to figure out which one of them is you a.k.a his stalker and the murderer—but he found himself uncovering much more than he bargained for in the murder mystery within a murder mystery dinner. No, I’m serious, these people thought it was a good idea to have a murder mystery dinner while there’s a murderer on the loose. It’s so on the nose, it actually makes sense.
Joe also got closer to Kate than he ever expected, while Roald shot straight to the top of the suspect list. Not to mention the episode ended with a murder, but that wasn’t nearly as shocking as the reveal of the person wielding the murder weapon.
But let’s back it up just a bit because the episode starts with Joe being questioned by the police… again. While it definitely seemed as though the elite bunch hoped that Jonathan would get caught up, the police were pretty much smitten by his charming personality and the fact that the tip he gave them proved to be fruitful. He’s not off the hook just yet, but he’s definitely not their top priority, which works in his favor for now.
He was pretty shocked to snag an invite to the country home, but it was Phoebe asking, so it wasn’t that out of the ordinary. We already know she has a soft spot for Joe. However, he later learned that it wasn’t a pity invite from Phoebe but rather a suggestion by Roald, who seems to have adopted the “keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer” mindset when it comes to “Jonathan.”
While there are some redeeming members of the elite bunch, the majority of them are absolutely dreadful and downright terrible people. The privilege oozes from them as they truly believe that they are better than the rest of the world because of their unearned wealth. Gemma, particularly, thinks that being wealthy gives her a pass to treat the staff as her personal maids, as we saw her belittling them at every corner. It was sickening to watch, but it also proved that there’s no shortage of people who would want them—and her—dead. Thus, when she was the next one to turn up gutted with a knife, it wasn’t shocking in the slightest.
Roald’s attitude and behavior weren’t as extreme as Gemma’s, and much of it could be chalked up to jealousy. He didn’t want much to do with Joe, brushing him off like some kind of lost mutt that the group adopted and couldn’t shake, but with time, we learned that his hatred stemmed from his obsession with Kate. The obsession ran so deep, in fact, that Joe even found the pics of her on his camera to be especially creepy. I’ll reiterate—Joe was disturbed by someone else’s stalker-ish nature.
You. (L to R) Tilly Keeper as Lady Phoebe, Charlotte Ritchie as Kate in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
At this point, Roald ticks off way too many boxes—not only does he have the stalker thing down, but he’s got motive and opportunity, and we know he’s dangerous and capable as he took his shot at Joe not once but twice.
The first time, he aimed a hunting gun at the back of Joe’s head but was interrupted by Kate, who seemed pretty shaken up. I don’t think he would’ve taken the shot, but she certainly didn’t believe it was possible, which was further proof that he isn’t above considering killing someone. The thought has definitely crossed his mind and that’s half the battle.
The second time, when he found Joe snooping around his room, Roald actually committed a violent act by pushing him out of a second-story window—which means he’s definitely capable of killing. He didn’t even check on Joe to see the extent of the damage.
Joe survived, thankfully (and yes, I do realize that I’m cheering Joe on this season but honestly, how can you not?), but it riled him. Before he could even begin to process the chain of events, he heard a scream and went to search for Kate. There’s an unspoken chemistry between Joe and Kate, which definitely took them both by surprise. I guess there truly is a fine line between love and hate… and it’s possible that he may have found his true soulmate because she was the one holding the bloody knife and standing over Gemma’s lifeless body.
Here we go again, folks. Maybe? Possibly.
As I mentioned before, Gemma’s death wasn’t the least bit shocking, but Kate’s possible involvement kicks things into high gear. There are a million ways that this can unfold, however, and like the cliffhanger from the episode before, my guess is that it’s a red herring situation again. I don’t think Kate is the next Love because that wouldn’t be very exciting now would it? It’s more plausible that Kate found Gemma already dead and picked up the murder weapon right as Joe walked in rather than the theory that Kate actually committed the crime.
But there’s no denying that it doesn’t look good for her.
And Joe has to play this smart because he can’t divulge that he knows exactly what to do to cover it up and clean up the body as that would reveal way too much about him.
If you think about it, they are playing this cat-and-mouse game because neither of them has been completely honest with the other about who they are.
Kate is different from the other women Joe has dated or even fallen in love with. The attraction wasn’t there immediately, nor did he pursue Kate in hopes of finding romance. He hasn’t even obsessed over her in the same way he did with the others. This season, amongst all the crazies, Joe actually seems normal, and that’s a scary thought. It’s so easy to forget all of the sins of his past, so in a way, it’s good that you is out there keeping him somewhat accountable.
Kate has a darkness and coldness to her, yet she’s still shrouded in so much mystery. We think we know that she’s innocent, but we don’t actually know what she’s capable of, only that she’s trying to become a better person and terribly ashamed of the fact that her father is one of the richest men on the planet who has made his profits off of the backs of innocent people.
They are also similar in the damage they’ve endured, and they both want to do better while finding themselves being pulled deeper into this chaotic world.
You. (L to R) Penn Bedgley as Joe, Lukas Gage as Adam in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
The only reason we learned the truth about Kate was because of Roald, who took pleasure in outing her “real identity” to Joe, or at least hinting at there being more to the story. Honestly, it’s not surprising that she despises him so much and wants nothing to do with him romantically. Why would Roald ever think a strong-willed woman like that would be with someone who doesn’t value or respect her? If he really knew Kate as well as he says he does, he would’ve figured that out by now. She doesn’t want to be like the others in the group—she doesn’t want her family’s wealth to define her.
All of this will play into what happens next between Joe, Kate, and Gemma’s body. And I have no doubt it’ll be beyond entertaining.
Gemma’s death will likely send our characters into a downward spiral and steal the spotlight from the other storylines, including Phoebe’s discovery that Adam was cheating on her. She stumbled upon his conversation with one of the staff members who seemingly indulged in Adam’s sexual kinks in the past. I’m actually surprised isn’t the next victim as it would’ve tracked with the “eat the rich” killer taking out the people who are harboring dark secrets and desires.
Rhys didn’t attend the country getaway, but it’s not impossible for him to have trailed them all there. Joe anticipated that the killer would be in tow, but given all the security, it would be impossible for someone to sneak in unless they knew their way around the getaway home, which confirms that it’s definitely someone from within.
We still don’t have much to go off in terms of the suspect, but we do know that the three people who have died—Malcolm, Simon, and now, Gemma—have all wronged Kate in some way. Kate is the center, she’s the focal point, and it’s entirely possible that these deaths are occurring because of someone’s love for her.
Roald is the obvious choice because of his obsession, even referring to Malcolm and Simon’s deaths as “lucky,” but no one would ever suspect Nadia. And I can’t shake the feeling that she’s involved in this somehow. Why else would she get so much screen time as an outsider? Unless she’s crucial to the second half of the season, I feel like there’s a reason they’ve introduced her and made us, and Joe, trust her.
We know she had a relationship with Malcolm, so there’s a chance that maybe she was using him to get to Kate. Or maybe she’s Kate’s long-lost sister? The story of Kate’s family makes me think that there are siblings that we’re not considering in this scenario.
Plus, there’s Nadia’s love letter to Malcolm that Joe fetched but didn’t read. We thought it was Joe being a decent gentleman and respecting her privacy, but what if it would have revealed her sinister thoughts?
She was the one who put Joe onto Rhys, so maybe she’s in cahoots with him this whole time?
It may be a stretch, but at this point, the game is more than halfway in and all of Joe’s “working theories” have fallen apart as quickly as he’s put them together.
Then again, maybe the twist is that it has been Kate all along and she’s just taking out the people who have scorned her one bye one—she always said she never needed a man to save her since she’s no damsel in distress, so maybe this is her way of taking matters into her own hands.
What do you think? What are your working theories? Are you finding yourself siding with and championing Joe this season or is that just me? Share them in our comment section below!