You Season 4’s Big Twist Isn’t as Interesting as it Wants to Be

Warning: This review contains major spoilers for You Season 4 Part 2.

It’s one thing to deliver a shocking twist. It’s another to trick your audience. That’s what happens with You Season 4 Part 2, and while it still makes for interesting television, the series fails to make it work as well as it should.

Part of the problem, I think, also lies in the way You Season 4 was released by Netflix. Unlike other seasons, You Season 4 was split into two parts — not because the story warranted it, but simply because that’s how Netflix wanted it done. 

Watching it that way, the first half feels like incredible character development for Joe Goldberg. He’s trying to do better, to prove he’s not a murderer, and he’s suddenly the one being stalked.

In Part 2, we learn that Joe has actually started to lose his mind and that he was Rhys — and the “Eat the Rich Killer” all along. 

That doesn’t necessarily negate the character development we see in Part 1, considering that Joe is legitimately unaware that he hasn’t been speaking to Rhys all this time. It does, thankfully, make a lot of the most intriguing parts of Part 1 feel superficial. 

The Fight Club-style twist also feels like a bit of a reach at times. Consider the scene where Joe and Roald are locked up by Rhys, for example.

The series doesn’t take the time it should when it comes to revealing the moments where Joe thought he was talking to Rhys, and some of the most interesting stuff in that regard is glossed over.

However, the twist does allow for some incredible scenes between Joe and “Rhys” as his alter-ego.

Joe spirals as he realizes what’s been happening to him. Penn Badgley does some of his best work in these final episodes — there are so many layers of emotion, desperation, and evil that come out of him at once. It’s impeccable acting, which at this point is no surprise.

Ed Speleers also has a chance to shine, playing a different version of himself as Joe’s other personality, and the interactions between the two actors are brilliant. 

It does make sense that Joe would have been the “Eat the Rich Killer” all along. Actually, it makes more sense for him than what we were initially led to believe. And it makes sense that no, he didn’t just let Marienne go.

She’s been locked up in a cage all along. 

It’s heartbreaking seeing her there, and poor Nadia is the one who finds her. She’s desperate to help, but Marienne knows it’s best if she doesn’t call the cops. That puts Nadia in a position of trying to help Marienne kill Joe.

Marienne is obviously willing to do that, but their plan isn’t exactly easy to pull off. Her situation is also worsened by the fact that Joe hasn’t even been fully aware that he’d been holding Marienne captive. Because he does love her, in the way that Joe loves, anyway.

Now that he’s fully snapped, though, he doesn’t have the control over the situation that he usually does. 

Both Love and Beck also return to haunt Joe, which is a fun surprise and a chance to bring things full circle a bit. Plus, it’s nice for the audience to see Victoria Pedretti and Elizabeth Lail on screen again.

If we’re still to root for Joe for any reason, this look inside his mind makes quite a difference. 

He does also seem to feel genuine remorse at being responsible for Marienne losing his daughter. And then to see that she’s taken her own life.

Except that none of that is actually true. It’s yet another trick on the audience, but more importantly, it’s a bit of Victory of Joe Goldberg. Seeing Marienne come out of this on top is extraordinarily satisfying — and with the help of Nadia too.

It’s too bad Nadia doesn’t wind up with a happy ending. What he does to her somehow feels more evil than anything else this season. 

Which brings me to Joe’s relationship with Kate. Kate has her own baggage, including a strained relationship with a controlling father.

She’s really a fascinating character, though she doesn’t quite get the development she deserves over the course of the season. I’d argue less time could have been spent on the rich group of friends an more time spent on her and the relationship she develops with Joe / Jonathan. 

While she doesn’t fully understand what she’s getting herself into with Joe, I have a feeling Kate can hold her own. For now, they have the perfect setup.

She’s used her resources to help Joe change his entire narrative, and they’re building an empire. It’s sickening and yet satisfying to see Joe come out of this on top. 

Of course, he also has no idea that Marienne is alive. His time has got to come sooner or later. 

Other thoughts:

• Phoebe’s stalker storyline is definitely a surprise. It had become clear the photographer was up to something, but that isn’t what I would have expected. 
• Speaking of Phoebe, there is something really pure about how her story ends. Of all of the people in that group of friends, she’s the one who deserved a happy ending — especially since it involved a real change in values for her.

What did you think of this season of You? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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You is currently streaming on Netflix.

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