Rowdy Reviews: ‘You’ Season 4

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

Joe is doing the same thing except with a new name — and profession.

One of Netflix’s top love and crime shows is back just in time for Valentine’s Day. In this edition of Rowdy Reviews, I breakdown each episode while highlighting key points and not spoiling as much as possible. This season of “You” has Joe in a new environment with entirely new people and new challenges.

Episode One: ‘Joe

Takes a Holiday’ Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma.”

That’s the song that viewers were greeted with after the recap scene. It’s a song played during a scene highlighting the old-style London buildings, including London Bridge. The song ties directly into what everyone’s favorite stalker does during his day job. Joe is back.

He’s different, but only in appearance. New hairstyle, he grew a beard, his clothing style is slightly different and he’s also Jonathan Moore.

It’s about time his interest in literature got him a teaching job. It’s interesting seeing him teach his passion to the youth, and it’s not the first time he’s shown a soft spot when literature and kids are intertwined.

The preface of how Joe is doing and what he’s doing is short-lived before it gets directly into what could be the main conflict. He still has intrusive thoughts about Marienne, his most recent love interest and the main reason traveled overseas. However, Joe moved on from Beck. If he could do that, Marienne should soon be an afterthought. Which is wrong. He’s now on a quest to prove he’s not the man she thinks he is. That was before a dead body was on his kitchen table.

The first episode presents a unique situation that Joe has found himself in. The story certainly is different from the past three seasons and presents yet another wrinkle in the show, which is a credit to the writing development of the show. The first episode keeps you guessing and it keeps you intrigued to see what Joe does next as he seems to be more in a battle within his conscience more than any human entity.

Episode Two: ‘Portrait of the Artist’

It becomes evident that there is going to be a massive built-up of anticipation that will explode at some point in the show. Episode two is a changing of the guard, where the criminal becomes the detective, or even lawyer. Or both. Joe is on a quest to crack who is tormenting him and attempting to frame him for murder.

In his mind, Joe can do no wrong. So when he’s actually done nothing wrong and he’s now being framed for murder, his mind (already insane) goes insane attempting to find out who is trying to frame him. Considering he’s among a crowd of people of which he hates (rich people), he sees anyone as a true culprit, except for one: Kate.

He begins to do a process of elimination (as does the viewer, speaking from experience) which goes rather quickly. As he gets to know everyone, or hate, for that matter, he seemingly finds a diamond in the rough, Rhys Montrose, an author. He quickly befriends Montrose, who seems to have common ideologies and interests to Joe.

He also has enlisted the help of one of his students, who happens to be a fan of “whodunits.” Her advice, through years of reading such books, helps Joe channel his inner detective. It also gives him clues as to what could happen next in the saga he’s found himself amidst. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

The first suspect is often the second victim. Another murder occurs and it causes a wrinkle in Joe’s map to figuring out who is attempting to frame him. Meanwhile, the real killer and terrorizer has been trying to find out Joe’s identity, as they have a very true hunch that he’s not the Jonathan Moore he says he is. And at the end, he seemingly figures him out.