The hit Netflix thrillerYoupremiered season three last year. The third season of the series changed a few things plot-wise, and some fans were pleased and others not so much. Regardless, the show received great ratings (with all three seasons certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and was at the top of the most-watched Netflix shows for a while.
The stalker-centered show is based on the book series by Caroline Kepnes, who is a producer on the show.Youtells the story of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a solitary man that works in a bookstore. Joe seems too good to be true: he is romantic, sweet, loves literature, and always seems to be there when you need him; it turns out, he is too good to be true. A stalker with tendencies to commit murder every time something goes wrong, the audience follows him closely — so close that they are even being able to hear his thoughts.
The fourth season ofYouis highly awaited by fans who are genuinely curious to see where this show will go, especially considering how much has changed since season one. Here is how the story of a hopeless romantic, a man who is even eager to kill to create his delusional love story, evolved as the seasons progressed.
Season 1 of You
Season one set the tone for the show, introducing the characters and the storytelling devices that would later become a statement for the series. These include the ominous andimportant voiceover narrationof Joe’s thoughts, his inclination to kill in the name of his obsessions, and the transparent cage the protagonist keeps in the basement. The first season of the series did a great job at establishing what type of story this was (almost an anti-romance) while also surprising the viewers at every turn. Like its fast-paced New York setting, this story leaves no room to breathe and builds up to the point that the audience is completely hooked.
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The first season follows Joe and his journey to be in a relationship with, Guinevere Beck (a great Elizabeth Lail), whom he thinks is the love of his life. In season one, Joe’s true nature is revealed, as well as some things about his past. But beware: not everything is what it seems — and some things only become clear in later seasons.
Season 2 of You
Season two’s first episode deceives the audience: it appears that Joe has finally changed and left his old (and murderous) habits behind in New York. Now in the city of angels, things appear to finally be moving in his favor: he got a job, an apartment, a new identity, and met a new woman, Love (Victoria Pedretti, onethe best modern scream queens).Youseems to have actually changed, until the way Joe got all these things is revealed, and the audience realizes that Joe is very far from changing.
This season had the danger of becoming repetitive and tiring after the first episode if it followed the same formula as season one. Because the viewer knows that Joe is a stalker and how he operates, the thrill of watching him stalking his victim loses power quite quickly.The psychopath to changebut ultimately fails, just like in season one. When the season was starting to get extremely close to a predictable storyline, with Joe hiding his true self from his girlfriend and his facade falling to pieces, everything changed: Love is revealed to be a psychopath (in a nice bit of symbolism, suggesting that love is inherently psychotic).
That turn was so well executed that everything in the series transformed: the stakes were higher, and the characters were placed in a new dynamic that had not been seen thus far. Now, Joe has a partner in crime (literally) who is willing to kill for him. It would appear to be a match made in heaven until the character surprises the audience once again: he thinks she is a monster. As quickly as he fell for her, Joe falls out of love with Love. But he can’t just leave: she is pregnant with his child.
Season 3 of You
Season 3 was highly anticipated due to the new environment, interesting possibilities for plot lines, and of course, the love for the characters, especially Love. In the third season of the show, the now newlywed psychopath couple moved to a suburb in San Francisco, a big house with a white fence for Joe and Love to raise their family. The recently born baby combined with a couple that seems like a ticking bomb about to explode at any minute creates a new level of intensity that adds a lot to the story.
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One of the reasons why it was so effective is that the dynamics between the characters changed drastically. Because Love kills people impulsively, very differently from her husband (who plans every detail), the fear the audience usually has towards Joe’s actions is targeted towards her: there is no way of knowing what she will do. For the first time, Joe has to clean the messes that he didn’t make - and there are quite a few of them. They reach an ultimate impasse, and the long-awaited confrontation between these two ends: in a twisted and surprising way that could only happen in this show. The creators ofYou(who also worked onthe great fantasy showSupernatural) made a bold but wise decision to go in a very different direction this season, but one which prevents stagnancy and actually grows its characters.
Season 4 of You
Season four began filming in March 2022. There is still no release date, but fans cannot wait to see Joe in the city of love, Paris, searching for his newly acquired obsession, Marianne (Tati Gabrielle). The showrunner of the show, Sera Gamble,stated thatthe writing team thought about where they could place Joe that he has never been before, combined with thinking about new ways he might get into trouble. There is no limit tothe possible angles the showmight take and what this character might do to get his happy ending, and fans are eagerly awaiting his new killer love conquest to begin.
