YOU Season 2’s Best Twist Was Not Killing [SPOILER]

Netflix’s YOU season 2 served up a whole range of shocking twists – but, arguably, the best of them was the less murderous one centered on Will Bettelheim. Starring Penn Badgley, YOU follows the self-narrated journey of Joe Goldberg as he attempts to find true love – by any means necessary. Season 1 saw Joe focus that goal on aspiring author Guinevere Beck. Subverting traditional rom-com tropes, Joe resorted to stalking and even murder in pursuit of ‘Beck’. Events inevitably took an even darker turn when Beck uncovered the toxic depths of Joe’s devotion. Unable to convince Beck to share his delusional way of thinking, Joe imprisoned and then ultimately murdered her. Immediately turning his attentions upon a new target, Joe’s world was upended by the cliffhanger reveal that his seemingly dead ex-girlfriend, Candace, was still alive.

To escape Candace’s desire for retribution, YOU season 2 saw Joe flee to Los Angeles. Once there, Joe enlisted the services of hacker and identity forger, Will Bettelheim, so that he may more efficiently disappear. Unfortunately for Will, Joe was unwilling to dedicate the time necessary to construct an airtight new persona. As a result, Joe took Will captive and opted to simply steal Will’s own carefully cultivated identity. Will remained Joe’s hostage for multiple episodes – as the former manipulated his way into a new job, a new living situation, and a new romance with Love Quinn.

Joe’s obsession with Love served as the central plot of YOU season 2 and saw him resort to some familiar habits. In the final few episodes, it was revealed that Love had more than her own fair share of secrets and murderous impulses. That surprising development understandably dominated public reactions and audience conversations. An earlier, overlooked twist, however, was easily on par with Love Quinn’s true nature – if not, arguably, even more so. In YOU season 2, episode 4, “The Good, The Bad, and The Hendy”, Joe actually lets Will walk free rather than kill to protect his secrets. Equally, Will remained true to his vow to not report Joe to the authorities. As a result, YOU season 2 produced one of the show’s most interesting dynamics.

Over the course of Will’s captivity, he and Joe developed an odd kind of friendship. Despite being trapped in a cage, the pair bonded over meals and games of Hangman. Joe even went as far as to get Will medication he sorely needed. Equally, Will often acted as a sounding board and offered pearls of wisdom regarding Joe’s issues. Will also utilized his technological skills to help Joe deal with the famous comedian and sexual predator Henderson. Most surprisingly of all, that dynamic continued even after Will had been released. Will frequently reached out to Joe with postcards. Similarly, Joe continued to turn to Will for guidance. Though the dynamic could be chalked up to Stockholm Syndrome, it never entirely felt that way. In fact, it seemed in large part to stem from Will’s self-awareness – and the fact he’d clearly dealt with his own mental health issues in a much more fruitful manner. As such, he was able to see the best in people, no matter how deluded. Equally, Joe was smart enough to realize how much he could learn from a friend like Will – even if, ultimately, Joe will always fall back on those aforementioned delusions.

As already widely noted, YOU shares many similarities with Dexter. This particular dynamic in particular even harkens to one between Dexter Morgan and Doakes. In Dexter season 2, Doakes discovered Dexter’s secrets and was similarly held captive. The situation even led to many frank and honest conversations between the pair. Conversations that shed light on Dexter’s past and true nature in a likewise fashion. Ultimately, however, Dexter neglected to explore that dynamic further and potentially evolve Dexter and Doakes’ relationship. Instead, Dexter merely killed off Doakes to maintain Dexter’s increasingly rote status quo. By going the opposite way and subverting such predictable expectations, YOU was able to set itself somewhat apart. Equally, it gave fans a truly unique and fascinating dynamic that will hopefully be further touched upon if and when YOU season 3 is officially released.

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