You Season 4 brings us back to the old Joe, but is this the end of Penn Badgley’s character or will there be a You Season 5? Spoilers ahead.
You Season 4 flipped the world upside down on Joe, throwing him into the role of stalkee instead of stalker for the first time. The first five episodes of the season showed him trying to discover who the real killer is, while enduring threats from the mystery person — until he ultimately realized it was Rhys, someone many viewers suspected from the start.
You Season 4 Part 2 is now out on Netflix, and these five episodes bring Joe back around to the person he has been in the past, as he struggles to try to become a better person despite it all. Is this the end of Joe Goldberg or will there be a You Season 5? Let’s discuss.
Warning: You Season 4 Part 2 Spoilers Ahead!
You Season 4 Ending Explained
It doesn’t take long for You Season 4 to once again hurl a major twist at fans. While the theories were certainly swirling, the confirmation that Joe was actually the killer, and his obsession with Rhys, plus a bow to the head, caused him to split his personalities, is still a mind-blowing reveal. Especially once the details of the how and why of it all are laid out there.
We are walked through the major events of You Season 4 Part 1, this time seeing the truth of what happened, and learning that while Rhys exists, he never even knew who Joe was. It seems that Joe was so upset with himself and his actions, the whole kidnapping Marianne after promising her he wouldn’t, he forced his personalities apart. One in which he was the cold hearted killer he always has been, and one where he is a good person — or at least wants to be.
Kate and Joe make an interesting couple. The thing is, Kate is not the greatest of people either. So after Joe kills her father, and admits to her that he killed people, the two devise a plan so that he can come out as Joe Goldberg, but be squeaky clean. Claiming that he was in an abusive relationship with Love, and that is why he needed to flee, leaving his son with reliable people until he could return.
It is also revealed that since Nadia has figured out who Joe is, and what he has done, he had to punish her. He respects her at this point, and even thinks she is a good writer. He kills her boyfriend and frames her for the Eat the Rich killings. While she is arrested alive, she has refused to talk. Something that makes her smart, he says.
You Season 4 Review
With the first part of You Season 4 almost feeling like a completely different show, the second half ties it all together with some shocking and jaw-dropping reveals. Even with a few of them being a bit predictable, it is here that we get to discover the real Joe, and he gets to discover himself as well.
He is a coldblooded killer and seeing him come to terms with that is something that will send shivers down anyone’s spine. The two parts of the season work together extremely well, giving us something unique and entertaining, but that still has the feel of the previous seasons. Perhaps the best season yet, You season 4 explains exactly who Joe is and lets us know there is no stopping him. Not ever.
Will there be a You Season 5?
While this might feel like the perfect ending for Joe Goldberg, You season 3 felt the same. Joe has come to terms with his evil side, and feels that since he is in touch with his true self, he doesn’t need to have remorse over the bad things he does. Kate and Joe are deemed a power couple.
It might seem like things are wrapped up in a neat bow for the end of the franchise, but there is one hiccup in all of that. Marianne is still alive. Joe thinks she overdosed but viewers know she is actually alive thanks to a plan she devised with Nadia.
So will there be a You Season 5? Nothing has been announced yet, but if so, we can all but bet that it will involve the return and accusations of Marianne.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
NEXT: Netflix’s You Season 4 Review: Tables Turn On Joe
About You Season 4
New year, new country, new persona – and yet Joe can’t seem to shake off his past. Starting anew in London, Joe vows to bury the past and be his best self. But on the rocky road to redemption, a new obsession starts to take hold.
Season 4 is two parts:
- Part 1 – February 9, 2023 (Episodes 401-405)
- Part 2 – March 9, 2023 (Episodes 406-410)
