At the end of Netflix’s You season 4 part 1, I was pleasantly surprised. The series had managed to reinvent itself once again giving us a dark comedy a la Clue. Having the tables turned on Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) was a great choice to help continue to make the series fresh and new. However, the new “twists” and turns of Part 2 have me scratching my head wondering, “WTF happened?”

YOU SEASON 4, PART 1 CLIFFHANGER

At the end of You Season 4 Part 1, Joe discovers that Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers), London’s Mayor candidate is killing all the rich socialites, as well as sending him all those text messages. In a panic over this reveal, Joe decides to end his “relationship” with Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) in order to protect her from Rhys.

In an interview with showrunner Sera Gamble, she mentions that part 2 of season 4 is going to be very different than part 1. It’s no longer a whodunit. 

“The second half of the season is now going to be very much about the relationship between Joe and Rhys. We shift into a different gear when they can finally just sit down and have a long conversation about what’s really going on.”

And she is not lying. We have gone from a fun, dark comedy with a hint of gossip girl to something…I don’t actually care for.

WHAT HAPPENS IN PART 2?

— THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE — 

Very quickly into You season 4 part 2, we learn that everything we know about Joe’s time in London is a lie. However, it’s not just a lie…it’s all in his head. That’s right. This amazing buddy murder friendship that has been built up by all of part 1 never existed in the first place. 

Apparently, Joe has been brainwashed (?), or possibly disassociated. It’s honestly not very clear what happened here. But, Joe actually did kidnap Marianne (Tati Gabrielle), and Rhys being his buddy in murder is a figment of his imagination or a new personality? Again, not clear.

As soon as this moment is revealed I was out. Is Joe insane? 100%.  However, this choice feels incredibly lazy, uninspired, and boring. What an insult to the character of Joe Goldberg. So, now we have Joe fighting against himself? In his mind? Lame.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MARIANNE? 

If you remember from You Season 4, Part 1, Joe runs into Marianne but lets her go. However, that’s apparently not what happens at all. Instead, “Rhys” kidnaps her leading her family to believe she’s relapsed and run away. He locks her in the cage basically leaving her for dead until the real Joe remembers she’s there and gives in to his true nature. Are your eyes rolling as hard as mine?

That said, I would LOVE an entire spinoff with Marienne. I think she’s a fantastic character, and the actress is brilliant. I do like the plot to free her from the cage, tricking Joe into believing she died at his hand…on accident.

WHAT HAPPENS TO JOE?

Throughout You season 4, we see Joe fighting his nature, and his blackouts into “Rhys”, in order to be the good guy he dreams of. We get to meet Kate’s father played by Greg Kinnear who knows Joe’s real identity. The two have the best scene together in the entire series. 

In the end, Joe is Joe. People die. People live. And in the end, Joe is free to live his life with the latest woman he “loves”. If You gets a season 5, I feel it has to be the last. We are set up with a free Marianne who is pissed that Joe is now rich, and living his best life. 

I would love it if we were to get a team up with Jenna Ortega’s character, Ellie and Marianne, to finally take down Joe once and for all. That said, Joe getting a weird happy ending I’m okay with too. 

You season 4, part 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Give it a watch and let me know what you think in the comments below!