Warning: Spoilers ahead.
I’m not going to rehash the plot because really you shouldn’t be reading this post if you haven’t watched all of Season 4 of You on Netflix. Anyway, I just wanted to jot down my thoughts as I just finished the final episode….
The characters who died early on I just felt like weren’t developed enough to begin with and aside from the first one being shocking the way Joe found him, the others who were murdered I just didn’t really care about. Which I guess was sort of the point with the “Eat the Rich Killer” plot, but the placement of emotions felt really disjointed this season and I hoped the second part of the season would remedy that. It did, once it was revealed one by one each of the reasons why Joe had done what he did under the guise of Rhys, however, I wish there was…I don’t really know what, but something else to keep part 1 on the same tone if that makes sense. Part 1 just felt a little disjointed, and while I did love the murder mystery aspect, part 2 just felt so much more cohesive and watchable.
I have to admit that when Marienne first came back, I kind of wished she did simply get away. We haven’t seen Joe’s love interests really get away and I liked the idea that she would be around to come into play for a later season. As part 2 continued though, and it became clear she would make it back to her daughter, I actually enjoyed what happened with her character (especially with the Plan B between her and Nadia.) I’m assuming she’ll be back and I can’t wait to see where that goes.
I did enjoy the inclusion of Joe’s past love interests, especially with Beck, where we really haven’t seen her in so long. Love’s scene was initially kind of a letdown after how it was teased in part 1 “if you don’t see a body, they might not be dead” rule you see in movies and TV, so her actually being dead was not what I expected. Victoria Pedretti is really just a fantastic actress, and I enjoyed her chemistry with Penn Badgley last season, especially the way the two characters’ traits worked against each other. It could have been an interesting twist to have her back in it, but I guess the season ended with multiple women alive (Marienne and Nadia) who know Joe’s past that Love wasn’t really necessary anymore for how I’d have envisioned it.
All of this being said, I did like the motif that money can’t save you this season. The “Eat the Rich Killer” setup was a little cringy in terms of writing, and if it were done more subtly it would have really been fascinating to watch. Still, if you agree with “Eat the Rich” regardless of the murder plots, there are some satisfying moments and it’s even spelled out in one of Adam’s final scenes when he’s told “Money can’t save you,” and Joe’s confrontation with Lockwood, where he says, “You think you can buy me?” after Lockwood offers to wipe his slate clean so he can go home as Joe Goldberg.
Nadia’s character arc was great, and I really hope we get to see more of her in future seasons. I know some early reviews of part 2 of Season 4 have expressed that this should be the final season, but I would really love to see what comes next for her character in the future; i.e. if she’s not in season 5 playing her detective role against Joe, I would probably be disappointed.
I LOVE Phoebe’s outcome for her, where the season ends with her living her best life away from the fame, publicity, and money, just doing something that makes her happy. Adam’s death sort of felt unnecessary, and while I get why it happened the way it did, it would have been empowering and perhaps a little more satisfying for Phoebe to leave him (in my opinion). I guess I’d have liked to see Adam live without Phoebe’s money over simply killing him off.
I know it’s what always happens on You, but I am interested in more of Joe and Kate and how she says they can keep each other good. I assume Joe will go back to his old ways as that’s just what happens and she’ll….I’m not sure how she’ll react. By the end of this season, it seems she should know all about Joe’s past, but at the same time, we’re not clear how much she actually knows. Joe’s issues with Love are the only connections the press seems to have made while there were obviously earlier murders in Season 1, and even implications from his relationship pre-Beck.
I feel like my overall enjoyment of part 2 is kind of an unpopular opinion, but I got what I wanted to get out of the show and will be back for season 5.
