When the Netflix series "You" premiered in 2018, audiences were captivated by the show’s anti-hero protagonist and the spiraling course of events that led him through a journey of jealousy, lies, and, ultimately, murder. The past 3 seasons have taken Joe from the glimmering city of  New York, to sunny Los Angeles, to the quiet suburbs of San Francisco. In each one of these locations, Joe has attempted to reinvent himself and escape his past. Despite Joe’s series of “fresh starts”, audiences learn quickly that it's not that easy to escape the past. 

In "You"’s 4th season, we find Joe taking refuge in London, England, recovering after he faked his own death in a gruesome house fire in San Francisco. Joe is living under a new alias, Jonathan Moore, and teaching literature at the University of Oxford to a group of Gen-Z students. Joe’s quiet life of refuge is shaken up when the dead body of his fellow Oxford professor, Malcolm Harding, turns up in Joe’s kitchen apartment after a night of reluctant partying. The 4th season flips the show’s premise on its head, as it is Joe’s turn to be stalked by the mysterious “Eat-the-Rich” Killer and try not to fall in love with Malcolm’s former girlfriend, the snobby and seductive Kate Galvin. Throughout the first half of the season, which premiered on February 9, Joe assumed the role of a pseudo-detective, as he received messages from the infamous killer that revealed that Joe’s past is not as far behind him as he thought. 

The first 5 episodes in the 4th season are packed with intrigue, drama, and, of course, the occasional murder. With the second-half of the season arriving on March 9, let’s dive into the biggest questions audiences have for the continuation of Season 4! (Spoiler alert for the first half of Season 4!)

(*Warning: Spoilers for Season 4 below!*)

1. Joe and Roald’s Rivalry

Throughout the show's first 3 seasons, one of "You"’s major staples is the steamy love triangles Joe finds himself in. From Benji & Beck to Love & Natalie, Joe often lets his murderous tendencies get the best of him when faced with a rival that vies for the heart of one of Joe’s love interests. In Season 4, it is revealed that there is a long history between the conceited character of Roald and the reserved Kate Galvin. This love triangle is established between Joe and Roald during a weekend getaway to the English countryside, where Joe is caught searching through Roald’s room, believing him to be the killer. Later in the episode, Roald catches Joe attempting to dispose of Gemma’s body and brings him to the rest of the aristocrats, believing Joe to be the killer. However, Joe shows Roald mercy by saving him from a house fire at the end of the episode, displaying Joe’s character growth from the jealous murderer he used to be. At the end of this climactic episode, audiences are left to wonder: Does Roald still plan on killing Joe and winning the heart of Kate? Has Joe truly changed from a jealous killer?

2. What’s Next for the Friend Group of Aristocrats? 

Joe spends a lot of his time, much to his chagrin, with a close friend group of wealthy London aristocrats. Things take a turn, however, as several of them begin to turn up dead as a result of the looming “Eat-the-Rich” Killer. The friend group consists of: Lady Phoebe, Adam, Sophie, Connie, Roald, and Blessing. Each member of the friend group wears their wealth with pride and openly voices their disdain for the lower classes, singling out Joe and his position as a simple college professor. However, in the last episode of the first half of the 4th season, it is revealed to the friend group that Joe was seen disposing of Gemma’s body, a deceased member of the friend group. This is presented to the group by the unhinged Roald, as he holds a gun to Joe’s head while accusing him of being the “Eat-the-Rich” Killer. The friend group ultimately agrees that Joe is the killer before Joe and Roald engage in a chase through the woods. With the second half of the season releasing next month, audiences are forced to wonder: Will the aristocratic friend group use their money and power to bring Joe to justice? 

3. Will Joe and Kate’s Romance Continue? 

Throughout the series, "You" has explored Joe’s obsessive tendencies that follow his romantic interests, with each new love interest driving him to the edge of his fractured sense of morality. Audiences have seen Joe murder ex-boyfriends, manipulate lovers, and even try his hand at becoming a father... all for his latest obsession. One of the larger lingering questions audiences are left with at the end of the 4th season’s 5th episode lies in Joe and Kate Galvin’s romantic connection. Throughout the 4th season, Kate and Joe begin with feelings of indifference that slowly turn to fleeting moments of romance in the later episodes. However, Joe has not obsessively pursued Kate like he has with love interests from past seasons, instead focusing on finding the identity of the elusive“Eat-the Rich” Killer. As the final episode ends, with Joe refusing to go out with Kate, audiences are left to wonder how their romance will be explored in the second-half of the season and if Joe will give in to his twisted sense of romance. 

4. Joe’s Showdown With the “Eat-the Rich” Killer

Possibly the biggest question audiences are left with at the end of the first half of this season revolves around Joe’s upcoming showdown with the “Eat-the Rich” Killer. Towards the end of the 5th episode, the killer is revealed to be the wealthy writer Rhys Montrose, a former friend of Joe’s. While holding Joe and an unconscious Roald in a dingy basement, Rhys reveals that he knows Joe’s past and explains that killing the rich elite is the only way to truly bring order to London. Joe refuses to comply and escapes a deadly house fire, reluctantly saving Roald in the process. At the end of this climactic finale, Joe seethes with anger while watching a news broadcast featuring Rhys announcing his run for mayor of London. The episode’s final moments follow Joe’s internal monologue as he promises to put an end to Rhys’s killing spree once and for all. With such a dramatic ending, we are left to anticipate Joe and Rhys’s face-off and wonder if Rhys will use his power and wealth to expose Joe for his past crimes...

Catch Season 4, Part 2 on Netflix on March 9!