YOU: Season 4, Part One – Series Review
By Luis Sanchez
Luis!
One of the most famous psychological thriller television series has returned. With season 1 released in 2018, You became an engaging and suspenseful Netflix series filled with plot twists and dark psychological themes. For those unaware of You, it stars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg who is a bookstore manager who falls in love with a woman. He intends to insert himself into her life, and his progressions become obsessive and disturbing which leads to a gripping and suspenseful plot.
Over the course of three seasons we witness Joe Goldberg making his way through love and life as obstacles get in his way and distract him. Now season 4 has arrived, and more Joe adventures await us. We’ve always heard of “new and improved,” but I’m here to say that “new” may not always have been improved. That is not to say it is bad, but I’m only afraid that this season may be the beginning of You’s plateau or end. I should make it clear, though, that this is only given the first part of the season; we still have a complete other half to watch – and I am excited for it.
It will be difficult to talk about this season without spoilers because only five episodes have been released, but I’m here to provide a review on it. Joe has moved to London and is now a professor at a university with the name Jonathan Moore. From what we have been exposed to, it seems as if this new season of You will attempt to face the theme of wealth and privilege. There are brand new characters all under the same belief: money can get you anything. Those characters are exactly how you think they would be: one dimensional, stubborn and rude. This only allows for Johnathan (Joe) to further stand out from the crowd. After a night out, the crew and Johnathan are now part of a whodunit. I enjoy reading and watching many movies that all undertake the whodunit plot, but I find that whodunits are gambles. They are either really good or really bad. However, You has proved to me that there can be a middle. Despite its lousy revelation and non-supporting characters, I do agree that with the entire context of the show and where this show comes from, it’s evident that the writers are attempting to do something new, and I will forever applaud that. Whether good or not, entertaining or boring, if a writer/director has tried to make something new with a show or movie that has an already established theme, I admire it. This is because there is a high risk with doing so. If it fails, so does the rest of the series. The negative effects would not even be up to opinions, the director knows that the reason why it was not well-perceived was because of their decision. That risk taking is what I admire.
I labeled the supporting characters as “non-supporting” because evidently, they don’t do much to drive the story forward. I have yet to wonder what was the point of having some of the characters there besides filling up space so people are less likely to guess the killer. If a character can be thrown away and the plot density does not change, then that character is worthless. I feel that way towards some of the characters here. Like I mentioned previously, though, there are a few that I enjoyed learning more about.
Many things that we witness Joe learning in past seasons are used in this new season, so it’s a nice little callback to see him do what he does. His wisdom and self-control have improved. If we were to talk about character development, I think that Joe’s is the most smooth and intriguing to witness. There is a specific decision that Joe takes in this new season that had me standing up and clapping at him.
In terms of plot and production, I can say that the producers of the show have done great in making each episode feel different than the last. There is a small portion of the show where the whodunit is pushed to the side as a shift in the plot puts Joe in a claustrophobic setting. Does this help him because he is closer and can find out more, or may this have just put him in the lion’s den? I will always enjoy it when a show makes me question something, but that was quite literally the only question that I came up with because the show became slow. During this point in the series I was starting to fall asleep. I found myself wanting to skip scenes. All of sudden we are kicked back to reality and the show ramps up. The only fault during the show’s last push was the revelation of the whodunit. The motive is understandable, but it was something seen from a mile away.
For those active readers of my columns you know that I recently reviewed Wednesday with a similar outcome. I am here to say that You season 4 part 1 falls victim to the same problem: trying to make the predictable unpredictable. After that, I once again became intrigued and finished part 1 of season 4 with a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
This isn’t the end of Joe, and I hope this isn’t the end for You. So far, I would rate it a 5/10, and if you can wait for the next part to come out then I would suggest doing so. Watching the second part immediately after would be like watching a bow being tied up giving you a sense of closure, preventing any time wasted, and enhancing your viewing experience as you follow Joe navigating his new environment. All this relies on is the second part not disappointing.