You Season 4’s Story Hints At A Genius New Twist That Can Save It

Netflix’s You is going into its fourth season, and just when it could be thought to have lost its edge, season 4 hints at a brilliant new twist that could revitalize the show. You, thus far, has placed antagonist Joe (Penn Badgley) at the center of its story. Joe believes himself to be a true romantic, but in actuality, he is a crazed stalker and frequent murderer (although there is a theory that Peach is alive.) Even worse, he has a talent for covering up his crimes, meaning for the past three seasons he has literally gotten away with bloody murder, but the new twist might foil his plans.

You season 3 left off with Joe killing his wife Love, who was, ironically, his psychological mirror image. He then upped and left, even leaving his baby son, and was last seen in Paris where he is trying to find Marienne, his latest obsession. Left unscathed – apart from two missing toes, which he butchered off his foot himself – he seems to be living the most idealized and romantic life in the city of love. However, You season 4 might finally see Joe get his comeuppance.

Charlotte Ritchie (known for her role in Ghosts,) has been cast in You season 4, and her character is precisely what the show needs to shake things up. Described via Deadline as ”smart, independent, suspicious, misses nothing” means that her character, Kate, could finally turn the tables on Joe and dethrone him, providing a well-needed twist to the newest season of the show. She apparently immediately dislikes Joe, and more than that, is also immediately wary of him. Thus, these suspicions might lead her on a path to uncover Joe’s dark history, making the formidable stalker now the one potentially about to be hunted down.

Whilst Joe has come close to being caught before (and there are many people who know Joe’s crimes,) Kate feels distinctly different, and the twist of her stalking him would finally provide an imbalance to Joe’s power and control. Ritchie is described as a co-lead in You and there is no mention of her as a possible love interest to him, which suggests that she has a good deal of power that no other women in the show have had. Love, indeed, did have a certain level of influence on the show, but her fragile mental state meant that she didn’t always see clearly and frequently was overruled by her own emotions. Kate, however, has no stakes with Joe and no personal history with him, meaning she could see right through the facade he likes to put up and turn his own tricks against him. Kate naturally seems very stoic and determined, and her reluctance to fawn over Joe’s perfect fake niceties will surely irritate him and provide a challenge for him. Her as a co-lead, attempting to sniff out the truth about Joe and sharing his spotlight, could displace his dominance in You and as a result, make him crumble like he hasn’t before.

As long as Kate doesn’t appear too obvious in her snooping of Joe, she could be the one to finally crack down on him. The new twist of Joe being the one looked into, rather than Joe prying into others, could provide the show with a new lease of life, as audiences can soon tire of Joe winning the day every single time. Especially after how unlikable he made himself after season 3, throwing away his only redeeming factor by forgetting about Ellie, Kate’s co-lead presence in You could twist Joe’s methods back onto himself and finally see his downfall.

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