“I still believe in the one. That the right person is out there for me.”
If you tried to explain You to the average person they might think you’re insane.
From rooting for a murderer to his addiction to stalking, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) isn’t your run-of-the-mill protagonist.
However, unsurprisingly another season of You treads into the same territory of previous seasons but ends up feeling like the most unique entry in the show thus far.
Overview
After Joe’s current girlfriend Love (Victoria Pedretti) viciously murders his ex they are forced to leave LA and move to the suburbs to avoid the media attention.
Joe & Love are married with a child while seemingly this is all Joe ever wanted. He now has a new goal to protect his child no matter what the cost may be.
Oh Well, I Didn’t Expect That…
My main concern for this season was that it would become monotonous. That fear is allayed in the first episode, which doesn’t spend any time getting down to business.
Normally You can be a bit of a slow burn. Quickly switching from being tame to bouncing off the walls.
I can easily say more now than ever they never lost my attention. Even though around halfway through the series the pace does begin to slow down more than usual.
A New Dynamic
Death usually accompanies Joe everywhere he goes. He’s spent the previous two seasons attempting to conceal this aspect of himself, but he’s never been with a woman who resembles him until now.
Love is a killer and understands Joe better than anyone. It makes their dynamic unique. He can completely be himself.
Like any marriage, they certainly have their issues but never before have a seen a marriage feel so genuine. There are moments filled with passion, rage, love, and others where you don’t understand how they could further their relationship.
They both make mistakes, and it’s fascinating to observe how their minds function. The narration as per usual spills our main character’s thoughts giving them added depth, and it pays off.
Too Much Dip on Your Chip
As opposed to other seasons of You this entry deals with a lot. They were very ambitious but that isn’t always a good thing.
There were a few characters I had hoped to see more of or have them interact with Joe & Love more. Instead, when they become relevant in the plot they’ll show up then get pushed to the sideline for the next couple of episodes.
Later in the season if we had been able to see how these characters bonded and just had seen more of them certain aspects of the show would have a larger payoff.
Conclusion
This may be the most distinctive season of You yet! The twists and payoffs are satisfactory but could’ve been more substantial.
Impressively the most recent season doesn’t come off as average they change up a formula that was beginning to feel repetitive.
Joe & Love mesh together so well and even though I shouldn’t like either one of these characters given the context of their lives I’m engaged.
They are similar in many respects, almost as if they are staring in a mirror, which complicates their relationship but ultimately adds to the show’s appeal.
One of the most significant flaws in this installment of the series is its attempt to focus on too many subjects. Like a carnival juggler who continues getting more and more stuff thrown at them, there’s a certain point where everything falls.
While I don’t believe this entire show suffers there are aspects that I believe could’ve been better if there was more focus and cut out what was unnecessary.
Three seasons in and You is still a show worth tuning into and with a 4th season on the way let’s hope the trend continues.
Verdict 8 out of 10 Stars
Now available on Netflix!
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