Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn. Two names that the internet has become very familiar with over the last couple of years and for great (ish) reasons. They are the relatable couple next door but with a sinister secret. This review has been sitting in my drafts for a long time, and I thought it’s time to post it now ahead of the upcoming fifth and final season.
The first season of You came out in 2018 and followed Joe Goldberg’s obsession with Beck. He was enamoured by her and would do anything to keep her protected, even if that meant hurting people along the way. Sadly, season one ended in her demise. Then came along Love Quinn, the ‘Beck’ of Season 2. We see Joe falling into old patterns but this time, Love is completely different to Beck, which in itself makes an interesting season. We also have Candace, who was Joe’s first victim, coming back to make him pay for his crimes. By the end of Season Two, we learn that Love is just like Joe… So what does that leave for Season Three?
We start off by seeing Joe and Love in their “perfect” suburban lifestyle. Joe has left his old ways in the past in order to be a better man for his family. Quickly though, we see the cracks in Joe and Love’s relationship. There is tension and Joe has to hide his true feelings since Love revealed what she is capable of.
Joe’s new neighbour however, is igniting that old spark in Joe and thus, the problems begin. Although Joe is trying to control his urges, Love finds out and takes matters into her own hands. Season 3 of You centres around Joe and Love trying to get out of this predicament that they brought upon themselves.
Personally, I loved this season. By changing the setting, it felt like a new story which is surprising given that it’s the same concept as the previous seasons. We have plenty of new characters around the main two who also provide a different feeling to the previous seasons although to some extent, there were always wealthier people.
The entire season felt unpredictable because of this unfamiliar setting. Love’s relationship with Theo developed in an interesting way and Joe found himself more isolated than ever trying to fit into this new, suburban lifestyle.
Another interesting dynamic was Joe and Love’s sessions with a marriage counsellor. Joe started to be more honest and then so did Love which helped them work through issues with honesty (which is surprising considering they have so much to hide). What was interesting though was to see the parallels between this almost unbelievable scenario of two serial killers together and other normal married couples. We had been a part of their romantic journey from beginning to end.
One of my favourite parts was towards the end of the series where it was almost impossible to tell who had the upper hand. Joe had developed a moral conscious and was determined to help people as much as he could but that also left us (the viewer) assuming he is more vulnerable than Love.
The ending was perfectly tied up with no loose-ends. Some people were upset with it, but for me, it seemed quite fitting given everything that had happened prior. The only open question is who will Joe fixate on next?
My rating - 9/10