On Joe's final day in class, having already made the harrowing decision to end his life, he determinationly fulfills a few last duties, including imparting wisdom about Tobias Wolff's tale, "Bullet in the Brain," to his impressionable students (if you're curious about the narrative's trajectory). Notably absent from this poignant seminar is Nadia. The session is abruptly halted by the grim news of Rhys Montrose's lifeless body discovered amidst the woods.
Where was Nadia during this somber moment? She was preoccupied with reassuring Edward of his significance beyond a casual fling or a mere drug connection; he was her sole beacon of trust. To cement this trust, she unveils the article from The Cut detailing "The Murder/Suicide of Madre Linda" to him. (Curiously, the absence of Joe's photographs in that piece raises eyebrows.) Nadia leads Edward to the dilapidated basement, only to find that the eerie human aquarium—which she overlooked capturing on film—has vanished. Yet, Edward remains convinced by her narrative and her rationale for refraining from involving the police, fearing Joe's elusive prowess in evading justice once more.
Later, Edward presents a monumental gift: a USB drive containing his father's extensive files on the Eat-The-Rich murders and Rhys Montrose, crucial for apprehending "Professor Goldberg." Meanwhile, Joe pens a suicide note, his thoughts interrupted by Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe, who diverts his attention to another matter: Tom Lockwood, who desires Joe's absence and might well orchestrate a scenario pointing to Joe as Rhys's killer. (Technically not framing, given Joe's guilt, but merely steering suspicion in the right direction.) Amidst these contemplations, Joe receives a text from Kate: "Come over 999," a British euphemism for 911, prompting him to rush to her side.
Kate, unknowingly humorous, greets Joe with, "How much do you know about stalkers?" as she unravels her father's meddling in every facet of her life, down to maintaining a detailed file on "my menstrual cycle and every intimate encounter I've ever had." Joe and Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe, now acknowledging their unified essence as aspects of Joe, concur: Tom Lockwood must meet his demise.
Joe embraces the reality that Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe is indeed part of him; they are all facets of Joe! However, JOE—the one adopting the moniker Jonathan—asserts his dominance. With the hierarchy established, they unite. Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe, privy to Kate's passcode (Rothko's birthday), utilizes her phone to lure Lockwood to the workshop under Kate's guise.
Joe strides into the workshop, attired in his sinister best, fully intent on chloroforming Lockwood until his shoes' persistent squeaks pierce the silence. Swiftly thinking on his squeaky soles, he confesses to texting as Kate, for he couldn't exactly draft a message to Lockwood's assistant along the lines of, "Hey, need a hush-hush chat with Tom about the bloke I bumped off for him." It transpires that Rhys' body bears DNA evidence, though Lockwood reassures Joe that it's a mere hiccup. Joe, however, is skeptical—as is often the fate of those who cross paths with Joe Goldberg. Tom Lockwood, much like others before him, finds himself unconscious and shackled to a chair upon awakening.
Lockwood, aware of Kate's revelations about his, shall we say, hands-on parenting style, stands unflappable as Hugo, his lackey, enters the scene, leaving Joe with no choice but to commit a cold-blooded murder—a swift strike to the jugular with a knife. His hallucination of Rhys, or Shadow Joe, whispers suggestions of framing Hugo for Lockwood's demise. Lockwood, inexplicably calm given the recent throat-slashing spectacle, pitches Joe a deal—untold wealth in an instant—if only Joe would surrender his phone. Resorting to the timeless villain's plea, "You and I, we're cut from the same cloth," Lockwood tries to reach Joe's softer side, citing their shared humble beginnings. But to no avail. Joe silences him with a plastic bag and duct tape, earning the silent approval of his hallucinatory doppelgänger.
Joe, privy to Lockwood's fascination with codes and ciphers, cracks his banking information with astonishing swiftness. He orchestrates a setup, making it appear as though Hugo stole $2 million from Lockwood, lost his head in the heat of the moment, killed him, and vanished into thin air. As Joe inters Hugo's body, he vows to himself that this will be his final corpse. Seriously, this time he means it.
While I'm not one for murderous spectacles as a rule, this episode's sequence felt like the peak of a season that, unfortunately, fell short of its potential. Nine episodes were spent watching Joe chase his own tail, shrouded in ignorance, and missing his mark at every turn. It's far more entertaining to see Joe in his element, in full command. Ahead lies his cruel and delicious treatment of Nadia—that swagger that defines him as a great villain returns in full force. His torment lacks the compelling allure of his badass antics. A protagonist/antihero/focal character lost in confusion makes for a tedious, irksome narrative indeed.
Joe finds himself by the banks of the Thames (or perhaps some other significant aquatic landmark, but let's stick with the iconic one for now), where, in a moment of dramatic resolve, he plunges his phone into the water rather than answer a call from Kate. His heart is heavy with the conclusion that he and Kate share no foreseeable future, an epiphany fueled by a harrowing realization—he believes he is destined to harm her. "Every attempt I make to perfect things is never enough," he laments. He now views Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe, an aspect of his own psyche, with a mix of disdain and affection, branding him "a pile of hollow promises" yet delivering the critique with a touch of warmth. Hurt by Joe's disdain, which is also self-directed, Hallucination Rhys/Shadow Joe is rejected with a hug that swiftly turns into an act of casting him into the waters, followed by Joe's own leap—a decision he immediately regrets. Why abandon Kate, a woman as innocent of his true nature as she is deserving of better, who would likely revile him if she knew the truth—that he mirrors her abusive father, who has reduced her life to shambles? Joe wishes he had battled harder for her affection!
Elsewhere, Nadia and Edward share a tender moment in the library, where they vow their undying affection, sealing their secret with a solemn promise from Edward to keep it hidden. Nadia confides in Edward, revealing their ingenious plan B to extricate Marienne from Joe's clutches: she had saved her own contact under the alias Beatrice in Marienne's phone, ensuring that Joe's texts meant for Juliette's sitter actually reached Nadia. Marienne, armed with a bogus suicide note and beta blockers to slow her heartbeat dramatically, played her part in staging her apparent overdose on a park bench. Nadia followed Joe's departure, completing the charade until Joe was out of sight, then administered a revivifying dose of—ketamine, perhaps, or some other potion beyond my scientific expertise—to Marienne, who awoke safely. The women's strategy was clear: if Joe couldn't be killed, convincing him of Marienne's death was the next best solution to free her from his grip. In time, Marienne is reunited with her daughter, living discreetly in the aftermath of her ordeal. Edward praises Nadia as a "superhero," but she remains wary; Joe, she insists, is relentless. "He's obsessive."
Personally, I'd have seized the victory and fled at this juncture. Yet, brave Nadia and Edward opt to confront Joe's darkness head-on, venturing back to his flat in search of tangible evidence—souvenirs from his victims—to nail his monstrosity shut.
Joe slowly regains consciousness in the sterile confines of a hospital room, only to realize he had briefly slipped away into the realm of the deceased beneath the water's cold embrace, before the police's timely rescue pulled him back to life. The specter of Hallucination Rhys, or Shadow Joe, has vanished without a trace, but Kate stands by his bedside, her expression a mixture of astonishment and dread. Joe confesses, yet again, that he didn't fall but jumped, disclosing with a weary sigh, "I've committed horrors beyond imagining." Finally prodded by Kate for specifics, he utters the chilling words, "I've killed people." To Joe's astonishment, Kate receives this revelation with a remarkably placid demeanor, a stark contrast to her vehement disapproval of Phoebe's hasty marriage to Adam. Considering her father was recently slain, one would expect a more astute reaction from her. Really, Kate—connect the dots!
Kate is aware that Joe slaughtered Rhys under Lockwood's malevolent influence and took it upon herself to tamper with the crime scene, rendering the DNA evidence inconclusive. Her father has bequeathed her everything, and she clings to Joe as a moral beacon, believing that as long as he's by her side, she can't possibly be evil. Despite spending her entire adulthood fleeing the restrictive cage her father crafted for her, and her father's death presenting her with an unprecedented chance to break free, Kate decides to seize control of the family company, with Joe by her side. Joe's delight knows no bounds; his girlfriend, who aids in concealing murders, and he, a serial killer, can supposedly keep each other in check. She inquires about the specifics of his past to move forward, prompting him to reveal his true identity from the very beginning.
Meanwhile, Nadia stumbles upon Joe's mysterious box while Edward keeps vigilant watch. Edward instructs her to document everything with photographs and leave promptly. Part of me wishes she'd think to send these images to him digitally, but alas, she doesn't. When she heads to the car to meet him, she's greeted by Joe instead. He seizes her phone, erases the incriminating evidence, and assures her of his benevolence. Now endowed with resources, Joe believes he can manipulate events to everyone's advantage. But instead of offering Nadia a reasonable deal, she encounters Edward's lifeless body. Joe emphasizes that what matters isn't his past misdeeds but the ever-present opportunity for redemption. He hands Nadia the very knife he used to slit her boyfriend's abdomen and, with a cheerily maniacal tone, says, "Tell them all about me. No one will believe you."
Joe plans to stash Rhys' belongings in Nadia's bedroom, and an anonymous tipster—revealed later to be Edward—will frame her, leading Joe to explain, "Which is why you killed him." He praises her potential, "You have so many gifts. I'm eager to see what you'll do next." As the season draws to a close, Nadia sits in prison, having uttered not a word in her defense, to Joe's approval. And I must say: Ugh, how delightfully twisted! This dark detour is infinitely more entertaining than the nine hours we spent watching Joe grapple with his goodness, feeling conflicted and bewildered when we could've relished his Jack-the-Ripper-esque rampage through London, seeking redemption through a trail of carnage.
In case you're curious about the fates of those characters we conveniently overlooked all season: Blessing and Sophie have taken ownership of Sundry House, while Roald's hunting trip took a grim turn when he accidentally shot a friend. Connie, despite his best intentions, slipped back into old habits within a week, though he persists in his meditation practice. Phoebe, bidding farewell to her London life and fame, has embarked on a new journey, teaching English to children in Thailand. And speaking of unresolved mysteries, we're still left in the dark about what Joe whispered to her during the season premiere – a dangling thread designed solely to tantalize our eager minds!
Joe has emerged, not just as Joe Goldberg, but as a rebranded version accompanied by Kate and a battery of PR experts at his beck and call. They spin his tale of "it's complicated, but hear me out": his troubled ex-love, Love, made abandoning their son the ultimate act of kindness for him. (Side note: Even in his "redeemed" state, Joe shows zero inclination to reclaim parental duties, which is quite amusing given the context.) Joe and Kate now parade as a philanthropic power couple, with Joe owning a bookstore and both residing back in America. Sorry to report, but Joe's clean-shaven look and shorter hair add to his new image. He's thrilled to wield the tools necessary to better the world – one of which, ironically, is murder. Yet, his newfound wealth and power seem redundant, given he never required them before to pursue his dark designs.
As of this writing, the ultimate fate of "You" remains a mystery (including the number of seasons planned), but given our return to America and the narrative's seemingly dwindling steam, I'd like to pitch a potential series finale: though Jenna Ortega's schedule is undoubtedly packed, I believe it would be deeply gratifying to see Ellie emerge victorious over Joe, perhaps with the aid of some beloved supporting characters like Sherry from Madre Linda and Ethan from the bookstore. What are your predictions, hopes, dreams, or fears regarding the show's future? Are you all set to follow this stalker until his final chapter unfolds?
