It all comes up Joe Goldberg…. yet again. But are we even surprised at this point?
How is it that men like Joe continue to find ways to get away with murder? And not only did he get away with it—he flourished. Joe is untouchable now, and that kind of power and protection in the hands of a soulless monster is more dangerous than anything we’ve ever seen before.
Joe went through plenty of emotions during YOU Season 4 Episode 10, and honestly, part of me wishes that when he jumped into the water, convinced that the only way to break the cycle is to kill himself, he succeeded. There’s no other way to stop someone like Joe—and that became clear to everyone around him, including himself. The devil on his shoulder, personified by Rhys, kept trying to convince Joe that he wasn’t the problem, but when he found Marienne lifeless in the glass cage because of what he’d done to her, he realized that there was no reality in which he could protect the women he loved. Eventually, a woman’s body was going to end up in his trunk.
It was actually big of Joe to come to the realization considering his constant desire for self-preservation. He was ready to do the one thing that was necessary to make the world a better place… and then he got a second chance. From a writing perspective, it makes sense. If there’s no Joe, there’s no YOU. And while the series has become pretty far-fetched and wholly unbelievable, I’m watching to see how far the creative forces—and Joe—can take this thing. I’m on board till the very end. How many twists can they conjure up that will leave audiences in a state of sheer shock?
Despite Joe’s problematic actions and behaviors, audiences still found themselves continuing to root for the antihero (thanks a lot, Taylor Swift) simply to see how far Joe can actually go.
The Love Quinn twist was undoubtedly the best one, but season 4, though not as enjoyable, did redeem itself in the second half with some unexpected bombshell reveals that made my head spin. We, and Joe, know he’s the problem, but I never imagined that Kate would turn out to be so problematic—she’s an enabler, turning a blind eye to Joe’s crimes because of her need for love and her desire for power.
She made a pact with Joe that they would keep each other on the right path and accountable, but I don’t think she realized she was making a literal deal with the devil. And this coming from the woman who thought her dad was bad. She flat-out said she likes broken and tortured souls, and her willing alliance with Joe proves it.
Joe went from a suicidal murderer to a hero in the eyes of the public in a matter of minutes, and with Kate by his side, they became a power couple. While it’s absolutely cringeworthy, it presents so many opportunities for coming seasons.
For starters, how much does Kate really know? How much did Joe confide in her?
Surely, she can put two and two together and figure out that her father was murdered right before her boyfriend confessed to being a murderer, right? And when he later framed Nadia for Edward’s death, faking the DNA results found on Rhys’ body which linked back to him, did she know she was framing an innocent girl? Or is she just that naive and desperate to believe that this relationship is what she wants it to be?
What’s even viler is that Joe came out to the public claiming to be a victim when he killed so many innocent women because of his obsessive tendencies. And what’s to say he won’t do it the same to Kate eventually? Though honestly, that’s on her at this point.
Following his failed suicide attempt, there was a turning point for Joe. He didn’t kill himself, but he killed Rhys, or rather, embraced himself fully—he’s no longer hiding and running from those dark parts, nor is he actively trying not to murder people.
Since the first season, we learned that Joe has always wanted acceptance—to love and to be loved—and he got that wholeheartedly with and from Kate. He opened up to her, divulged his deepest darkest secrets, and it brought them closer together, thus making him feel as though he wasn’t a bad person for his desire to murder. He fought so hard against them, but unfortunately, the inner battle was for nothing as, in the end, he’s just accepting and coming to terms with the fact that he is a murderer. And as mentioned before, and briefly seen in action, with Kate’s protections in place, it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier to get away with his crimes.
In what’s seemingly a full-circle moment this season, Joe shot up the ranks and became one of the elites that he so passionately despised.
However, that’s not even the most shocking part of the episode.
First off is the fact that Marienne is very much alive as she and Nadia somehow managed to pull one over on Joe. That’s a first… and likely a last.
Marienne was lucky in the sense that Joe cared about her deeply, so when he saw that she overdosed on pills, he was so distraught and immediately assumed the worst. His brain wouldn’t even let him consider another possible as the guilt washed over him.
While he was definitely onto Nadia in the end, I don’t think he ever pieced it together that Nadia helped Marienne devise an insane escape plane. The two of the pulled it off after realizing that if they can’t kill Joe, they have to kill Marienne. When Joe found her unconscious, she swallowed enough beta-blockers to slow her heart rate down and make it look convincing. And then once Joe moved her body to a park bench, Nadia ran up and gave her a dose of what I’m assuming was adrenaline to wake her up.
The moral of the story is that Marienne may be one of the few women to have escaped Joe! Though, I have no idea why she didn’t move far away with her daughter once she was finally free. What if Joe decided to check in on Juliette randomly and saw Marienne, realizing that she is, somehow, alive and well? Why risk it now?
Marienne and Nadia’s bond was so strong, I’m hoping that Marienne returns the favor and attempts to help Nadia in some way now that the poor girl fell victim to Joe, who forced her to take the fall for Edward’s death and Rhys’ demise.
The truth is, Nadia should’ve stopped while she was ahead because, as she said herself, Joe was an obsessive. It’s not entirely clear how he caught onto her—though she was super jumpy around him toward the end—though I’d guess it probably had something to do with the secret camera he placed in his apartment. Or maybe she just misplaced a few items which alerted him to an intruder.
Either way, Nadia’s caring nature got the best of her as she’s now spending life in prison. And there’s nothing she can say to plead her case as no one is going to believe a word she says about Joe, especially after he planted evidence—damning proof—in her apartment and became an international hero.
No matter what, Joe always finds a way to nab a clean slate.
He lives to see another day—but who will be his next victim?
We briefly touched upon what happened to Phoebe, and it turns out Adam’s death may have been the best thing for her as she moved away to teach and lived a fulfilled life. We don’t know what happened to Roald, and I’m kind of disappointed he didn’t play a larger role in the second half of the season considering the hell he created for Joe in the first half.
Did you enjoy YOU Season 4? Did you like the revamped vibe? Are you happy that we’ll see more of Joe’s shenanigans in the future or do you think the series should just end? Do you think we will see Nadia and Marienne again in the future? And are you more or less excited about the future now that he has Kate as a sidekick?