YOU Season 4 Review: Turning Joe Goldberg Into A Victim Pays Off For This Schlocky Story

HELLO, You. It's been a while. Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, who is a serial killer with a love for baseball caps and highbrow books has returned for a fresh season of the Netflix show You, but with a different name, location and goal. Interestingly, and thankfully, his latest target is not a woman who is unaware of his intentions.

Plot

The conclusion of season 3 showed Joe fleeing after he murdered his wife Love (played by Victoria Pedretti) and faked his own death, leaving their newborn son behind. The beginning of season 4 has Joe in London with a fresh identity: Professor Jonathan Moore, a college teacher of American short stories. He is now surrounded by a new set of unique characters, a group of friends who all attended Oxford University together. The Oxford crowd is everything that Joe despises - wealthy individuals who were born into fame and wealth without having to work for it.

For this season of You, Joe finds himself in a defensive position as he desperately tries to uncover the identity of the "Eat the Rich" murderer. This mysterious individual is responsible for taking out members of a group of wealthy and haughty people from Oxford whom Joe is now surrounded with. To make matters worse, the killer is aware of Joe's true identity and his entire history of murder. Joe's plan for a peaceful vacation in the UK has quickly taken a turn for the worse.

Cast:

One of the new supporting cast members, Charlotte Ritchie, brings a lot of depth to her character, Kate. Although she is part of the wealthy class, she has an emotional background that balances her initial portrayal as an "ice queen."

Tilly Keeper shines as Lady Phoebe, a member of royalty who lacks the harshness and cruelty of her wealthy peers. Keeper's comedic timing is impeccable, but like Ritchie, she adds a unique emotional aspect to the character as someone who, despite her wealth, feels isolated and misunderstood.

Ed Speleers also delivers a fantastic performance as Rhys Montrose, an author who is an unexpected member of the Oxford group because he grew up impoverished.

What doesn't work for the series?

Despite still being creepy, full of twists, and featuring Penn Badgley's captivating yet unsettling portrayal of Joe, the first five episodes of Season 4 of Netflix's You do not seem to have the same level of intensity as its earlier seasons.

The new supporting cast effectively contrasts with Joe, but sometimes goes a bit too far into being exaggerated. Indeed, You has always featured an excessive cast of characters, but there might be a limit to how much can be done with royalty before it becomes less humorous. The Oxford group isn't as memorable as the likes of Sherry and Cary Conrad from Season 3 or even Benji from Season 1.

And, of course, there is no character like Love Quinn. Pedretti's chilling performance as Love revitalised You, so when she was abruptly killed off last season, it was difficult to envision how the show would continue without her. The reality is that You lost its central character with Love's departure and her absence is palpable in Season 4. However, despite this, Season 4 has demonstrated that the show can still be enjoyable because of one crucial factor: it finally broke away from its established formula.

What works for the series?

Based on the Season 4 trailer that depicted Joe pursuing Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) in a new city, it was reasonable to assume that the show would return to its roots. Would Marienne be another Beck (though more stylish and less irritating)? Was Season 4 going to consist of Joe repeatedly stalking the same woman in every episode?

Season 4 offers a new twist to the formula by making Joe the one being targeted. This not only provides a new take on the familiar pattern seen in the previous three seasons but also gives us a deeper look into Joe's distorted self-image.

Throughout the first half of the season, he is upset by the actions of the "Eat the Rich" killer, seeing himself as morally superior, even though the killer is doing the same thing that Joe has done in the past. Joe's anger at the stranger's audacity highlights his delusion and his distorted view of himself as a "tragic hero" who only acts out of "love".

Final verdict:

Although it's enjoyable to see Joe struggling to uncover the identity of his stalker, it lacks the excitement that made previous seasons so captivating.

Watch the trailer here: