Hello, You (again)
Warning: You Spoilers Ahead!
Once again, we say hello to Netflix’s hit show, You. On February 9, Netflix released the first half of the show’s newest season. You follows serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) as he obsesses over a woman, subsequently killing everyone important in her life and eventually her. The series is narrated by Joe, letting the viewers into his mind and understanding his reasoning for his actions. Even as he kills multiple people per season, Joe is an unusually charismatic narrator, making his audience fall for him and ultimately support his crimes.
Unlike past seasons of You, Joe is working on himself this season. He is committed, or wants to be, to bettering himself and not killing anyone (a surprisingly difficult goal). As a way to escape his past and have a fresh start, Joe moves himself out of the US and to London. Working as a professor, Joe finds himself befriended by a colleague, Malcolm Harding (Stephen Hagan). Malcolm introduces Joe to his friends: London’s elite upper class. Despite not matching their financial status, Joe is continuously invited to parties and events with the friend group, even though he would rather lay low in his new town. Quickly after joining the group, Malcolm is killed and found dead on Joe’s kitchen table. With the night before being a drunken blur, Joe has no memory of killing Malcom, nor is murder part of his current life philosophy. Slipping briefly into old habits (for the sake of self-preservation), Joe quickly disposes of the body so that it cannot be traced back to him. Soon enough, though, Joe receives an anonymous message discussing how he handled Malcom’s dead body. Instead of being the watcher like he has been in past seasons, Joe is now being watched – and blackmailed.
The shift in focus in the newest season of You has brought new life into the show. In the first season, Joe falls in love with and obsesses over a woman, kills the people in her circle (especially those who are suspicious of him), and eventually kills her. In the second season, Joe falls in love with and obsesses over a woman, kills people he views are dangerous in her life, but ends up marrying her. In the third season, we find out that Joe’s wife is the same level of crazy as him. As a newlywed, Joe finds a new woman to obsess over, his wife kills her, he finds a new woman, his wife scares her away, and Joe eventually kills his wife. Although each season has its unique quirks and surprises, the general storyline stayed the same. In order to keep the show alive and entertaining, Netflix had to switch this season’s focus. There’s still murder and suspense, but the focus is on Joe’s stalker, not Joe as the stalker. This season brings a whole different set of issues for Joe, none of which seem to be his fault. As a viewer, we are inclined to fall for Joe even more as we watch his character grow and become not-a-murderer (yay!).
Continuing with the theme of being different, Netflix split this season into two parts. The first half of the season was released on February 9, and the second half will be released on March 9. Although this is the first time You has been split into two parts, this method of releasing shows has become common practice for Netflix. The streaming service has released other shows like Stranger Things, Ozark, and Money Heist in two parts rather than all at once. Releasing seasons in segments keeps customers subscribed to Netflix for a longer period of time and generates more buzz around the series. Popular shows like HBO Max’s Euphoria and The Last of Us find themselves in the social media spotlight for a long time because their episodes are released once a week. Netflix, however, cannot drag out series through weekly episodes. As the creator of binge-watching, they are forced to release at least a couple hours worth of content at a time. But whatever attention a show receives, it comes and goes as quickly as its viewers watch it. Despite their attempts, Netflix is unable to match the energy of Twitter’s #EuphoriaSunday.
Having already approached becoming a tired concept with a short media lifespan, the future of You is questionable. However, seeing as Netflix has not advertised the newest season of You to be its last, it is likely that there is a plan for its future. Whether it be Joe’s happy life as a normal person or the more likely outcome of him returning to his serial killer ways, You is not over yet.
