You ~ Season 4 Review: Joe Flees the Country But Still Can’t Escape His Dark Past (UPDATE 3/28/23)

**Warning** Do not read this if you have not watched previous seasons of You. It is a spoiler free review of SEASON 4 but does contain information from prior seasons.

When we last saw Joe in Season 3 he had killed his wife, Love, and framed her for some of his crimes including his own “death”. He left his son to be raised by another couple he trusted and moved to London hoping to find his obsession, Marienne.

Joe has a new identity

Season 4 begins with a whole new life for Joe. In fact, Joe isn’t even his name anymore. He has a new identity as Jonathan Moore, college professor in London. Some things are still the same. Books are still his thing, he’s still a bit stalker-y, very observant, and narrates frequently with that wit and sarcasm we’ve all grown to love.

A lot of change this season

But so much has changed in Season 4. Typically I don’t like change and I was a little resistant but I have to say I think the changes were mostly exciting. There are so many new characters. They are mostly unlikeable with a couple of exceptions but that is by design. It is a little distracting trying to keep up with all of them. But the main change is that the basic plot is different. Usually, Joe sets his sights on someone and obsesses and stalks them and chaos ensues. That is not the case this season. His role is different which is actually pretty interesting. It’s a little odd at times. Joe is almost portrayed as a sympathetic character this season. He is always shown as somewhat charming and likable which is confusing enough. But this season kind of turns the tables on him. I suppose it is up to the audience to decide how they feel about it.

Twists and surprises

Netflix has only released the first five episodes of Season 4 so far. The remaining episodes will be released on March 9th, 2023. These first few were exciting with twists and surprises and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

UPDATE 3/28/23

Well ok then! I really loved where they took these last five episodes. Episode 8 especially blew my mind in the best way. I have to say that as much as I appreciated the writers trying something new in the first half of the season, I wasn’t convinced that I would still be as much of a fan of the show with all the changes. But I was wrong. The second half was full of fun surprises and stayed true to the original feel of You. It ended on a creepy note, as it should. And apparently we get to enjoy one more season of Joe and his misguided affections.

Good Stuff: Fun twists, changes in plot, great second half

Bad Stuff: Too many new characters

Where to Watch: Netflix