When You arrived in 2019, everyone fell in love with Joe Goldberg and his stalkerish ways. Not in love ‘love’, but more in a can’t-look-away-from-a-snake-swallowing-a-pig kind of way. The second season shook things up just enough that fatigue didn’t set in, making some surprising changes to the books and ending the season in a noticeably different place. With season three, You had the challenge of keeping things fresh while working on a wholly original story, as the third book hadn’t been written yet at the time of filming.
Joe (Penn Badgley) is trapped in domestic hell as he tries to be a dutiful father and husband even though he doesn’t really feel a connection with his newborn son (who he had desperately wished to be a daughter). Love catches onto the fact that his mind isn’t into it, and once she discovers that Joe has been stalking their neighbor, Natalie (Michaela McManus), she gives into her anger and does something that jeopardises the bliss and safety of their family. As the couple deal with their marital problems and try to outsmart the police, they settle into a dynamic that’s both exciting and unstable.
The best thing You season three does is spruce things up with making Joe and Love a murderous couple. Love isn’t just the same as Joe: she is driven by her emotions, and when he snaps, she lashes out as compared to Joe’s more calculated approach. There are some ridiculous yet entertaining scenarios that the two get into, such as hiding a body and later in the season, apprehending a couple from the neighborhood after they overhear Love spill a dangerous secret. Even the requisite couples’ therapy scene is handled in an entertaining, over-the-top manner.
As always, the supporting cast is made up of some obnoxious characters, such as Sherry (Shalita Grant), the mom influencer and her husband, Cary (Travis Van Winkle), the ripped wilderness nut. Some of the other characters, like Theo (Dylan Arnold), Natalie’s stepson who falls for Love, and Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), Joe’s current librarian boss, are frustratingly stupid.
The one thing that does feel a bit egregious at this point is how Joe goes back to his old ways multiple times in the season, especially in the second half. It makes sense for his character, but in terms of viewing pleasure it can get old pretty fast.
You has never been a masterpiece of sharp, clever writing, but it revels in its schlockiness and absurdity.
It can be frustrating at times, but thankfully, the third season is mostly entertaining throughout the length of its ten episodes. However, maybe You’s mileage is starting to run out. Can the showrunner and writers really keep this going for a few more seasons? They might certainly try, but if Netflix has good sense, it will hopefully wrap things up in a season or two. Of course, that also depends on author Caroline Kepnes’ intentions for her book series, which at the moment shows no signs of slowing down.
