Episode 9 of season 4 of Netflix’s thrillerYou,“She’s Not There,” tells a compelling story of what happens to Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle), but goes off the rails a little bit when focusing on the wedding of Kate Galvin’s (Charlotte Ritchie) friends. The penultimate episode of season 4 is much more entertaining than some of the duller entries earlier on, but still gets bogged down by the large cast of characters who aren’t as memorable or exciting as minor characters in previous seasons.
Still, the conclusion of episode 9 sets up what is sure to be an excellent season finale, with Joe shocked by his actions and realizing that he can’t forget about who he really is, no matter how hard he tries.
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There are two main storylines in season 4 episode 9 ofYou, one of which is more compelling than the other, which makes it feel a bit less intriguing than the past few episodes. It’s fascinating watching Joe try to figure out a way to deal with the fact that he has Marienne locked in a cage, as this is a reminder of his real nature and the fact that he hasn’t changed. But when Joe attends Phoebe (Tilly Keeper) and Adam Pratt’s (Lukas Gage) engagement party/surprise wedding, this plotline serves as a distraction from the predicament that Joe finds himself in.
The bestNetflix thrillers likeYouare great at twists and turns, and while it’s clear from “She’s Not There” that the season 4 finale will be just what fans are looking for, episode 9 spends too much time focused on Phoebe and Adam. It’s clear from the moment that they get engaged that they shouldn’t get married and shouldn’t even stay together. This plotline could have been wrapped up much earlier, and watching Adam marry Phoebe for her family’s money is yet another reminder of how terrible these characters are. The episode should have focused on Joe and Marienne and cut this couple’s screentime.
The end ofseason 3 ofYouis both gross and shocking, and the second half of season 4 does a solid job of proving that Joe is still as horrible as ever. Episode 9 proves this with the reveal that Marienne is dead, as Joe put peanut oil in the coffee that he gave her. She didn’t feel that she had anything to live for, as Joe texts her mother and finds out that Marienne will lose custody of her daughter because it seems like she has relapsed. Once again, the scenes of Marienne in the cage are the most powerful of season 4, as they serve as an important reminder of who Joe is. But these moments are tragic and disturbing as well, as Joe has hurt Marienne deeply.
Besides the lackluster scenes at Phoebe and Adam’s wedding, however, this episode does two things well: shares another plot twist about Kate’s father Tom Lockwood (Greg Kinnear) and changes up the narrative structure a bit with Joe seeing visions of some of his most memorable victims. Tom explains that he has been controlling Kate’s life ever since she quit his company and has ensured that lawsuits against her artist clients have gone away and that she has received only positive press.
This is further proof thatthe thriller genre can learn fromYouas just when it seems like the show is becoming a little predictable, a huge reveal comes out of nowhere and ensures that the series is bingeworthy. Tom is definitely the best new character in season 4, as he’s just as evil and dark as Joe, and watching the two banter is great. Tom also makes Kate more riveting, as without him, she’s a spoiled rich girl kind of character who doesn’t have that much depth. But Tom’s presence in Kate’s life keeps her on her toes and shows that she wants to create her own life away from his power and influence.
Youteased Love Quinn’s returnand Joe has a vision of Beck (Elizabeth Lail) readingBluebeard’s Castle.They have a brief but powerful conversation, with her asking him “What did you do this time?” and him replying “I’m trying to save my past mistakes.” Love shows up then, letting Joe know that he has messed up. The important thing about these visions is that instead of denying who he is or saying that Beck and Love are wrong, Joe agrees with them that he has done terrible things and that he needs to be punished for them. He isn’t hiding from himself anymore and it seems clear that he is getting ready for something big.
Youhas often played with Joe’s sense of reality, as he sometimes sees the people he has murdered. In season 2, he sees Beck, who shows him the bruises on her neck, which explains how he killed her. While these hallucinations in episode 9 of season 4 are brief, they are meaningful and speak to the greater theme of the season: Joe wants to know if he can change.
Youseason 4 needed to answer some questions, and one of them is the status of Joe and Marienne’s relationship. While of course fans hoped that they wouldn’t get back together as Joe is so evil, it’s terrifying and heartbreaking seeing Marienne dead in the cage. It’s awful that another one of his love interests has met this fate, but it also feels inevitable, which has been the tone ofYouso far. Now that there is just one episode left in the season, one question remains: will Joe leave behind his life of murder, or is he unable to change who is at his core? It definitely seems clear that he can’t just turn around and live a regular life, and the last episode needs to wrap up an uneven but still powerful season.
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