At some point, this unbelievable escape act of Joe Goldberg’s has got to come to an end inYou. With Season 4 out,Youadded some new twist-and-turns to a story that has seen a dozen murders, multiple aliases, and a soon-to-be third location in this wild goose chase. Yet, this isn’t the typical bad guy running from the law; in fact, the show barely ever brings in any authority figure to apprehend the wrongdoings. WhatYoudoes is set forth a story of a man running from himself and a grim past that mostly is of his own doing.
Based on the books byCaroline Kepnes,what this series has done to this point is give the audience the story from inside the mind of Joe (Penn Badgley). With so many dark turns and brutal endings for many of the surrounding cast, it brings forth the question of what exactly the endgame looks like for Badgley’s damaged character. There’s likely another season coming after this new release and maybe even more after that; after all, Kepnes continues to produce books within this series. With a premise that is tethering closer to being a carbon copy than bringing new angles to the table, this season ofYouisvery important in differentiating itselffrom what we’ve seen so far. With each escape by Joe, it starts to become hard to believe he can continue on with his everyday life, even if he changes his locale. This begs the question: how can this series give its audience a satisfying ending, whenever that may be?
Is it Possible for Joe to Ever be Happy in Life?
It’s highly unlikely this show reaches its end and Joe finds himself happy. What does being happy even look like for him? That’s honestly the major flaw of his character. Whenever he should be content in life, he moves on to the next shiny toy he has access to. Not even a wife and a kid could entertain him long enough. Because of that, there’s no reason to believe Joe will discover this bliss, even if he has a new budding romance with Kate (Charlotte Ritchie). For Joe to reach this epiphany moment, there’s really nothing anyone can offer him. The show has clearly indicated this to be the case, whether it be Beck (Elizabeth Lail) or Love (Victoria Pedretti), the latter even knowing his deepest secrets andLove’s acceptance of him still not being enough.
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The ending that would fulfill Joe would be an open-ending one. This isn’t necessarily one that leaves the audience hanging on the edge likeThe Sopranoswith no answer to ever come. This one would more so be Joe doing what he does best: moving on to another life. Whenever the final season may come, there’s a possibility that the series opts to give the man who provided the narrative from the first episode his happy ending, which in this case, would be one that sees him unchained and moving in another direction.
Would that be satisfying to the audience? For some, maybe, but ultimately this could come across as a disservice to the premise. Seeing someone leave this much damage and take so many lives, only for the story to end, and they’re presumed to be carrying on in the same manner, would be a tough sell. This was similar to whatDexter, a show that exhibits some strangely similar mannerisms in its main characters, did with its original series finale,only to see the reboot try another endingand one thatYoucould look to for inspiration.
Putting an End to Joe Seems the Logical Choice
The way forYouto end would seem best served seeingJoe’s menacing ways reach its final victim. There are obviously two routes for this to occur. The series could do what theDexterreboot did and use the series finale to see the main character meet his maker. Would that be the satisfying ending the fans want? By going that route, the show could risk rushing to a conclusion with this complex and calculated character. Despite all of his egregious actions and downright abusive and deadly sins, he actually has viewers understanding the motives he has and how he rationalizes these behaviors, making this path a bit complicated.
Ultimately, one of these two ways makes the most sense in a story like this, with the second option seeing Joe apprehended by the law (finally) and having to face his worst fear: being trapped. After all, he’s someone who enjoys the freedom of being able to do whatever he wants. He knows no boundaries. A life sentence behind bars would make for an ending that is well-deserved and fits with the narrative. It would also be a clever way of reflecting the glass box he has trapped so many of his victims in and how he used it as a mechanism to take people away from their lives and eventually out of them altogether. He’s cleverly concocted ways of throwing the law off his scent, but at some point, he has to slip up. There does seem to be a step lost by Joe in how sloppy he has gotten. Season 3 saw him murder a man right out front of his gym about 10 feet from the entrance. There are only so many escapes he can have from the law and another misstep like that could be all it takes to nab Joe.
When it comes down to it, every series faces this daunting task. In an age where social media allows for an instant reaction, there’s hardly any show that can nail the perfect ending.Youhas been an entertaining watch for much of its three seasons and shouldn’t feel the pressure of having to find this perfect conclusion, because quite frankly, a journey like this doesn’t lend itself to having any one way to neatly tie a bow on it. That’s what has made this such a compelling series after all. Joe isn’t a typical character and the way this show has carried outits premise is anything but the norm. Whether it be a Season 4 or sometime after that, whenever the end comes for Joe Goldberg and theYouseries, all the viewers can ask for is that it’s well thought out and fits the narrative.
