It would be fair to say that Joe Goldberg's (Penn Badgley) gripping story is all leading up to You season 4 episode 10, "The Death of Jonathan Moore." He says goodbye to his new identity, reveals his real name and what he has done in the past, and thinks about how to move forward.
While some parts of the season 4 finale of You are predictable, others are completely shocking, which sums up the season in general. No matter how fans feel about these 10 episodes, one thing is for sure: Joe is still a character with staying power who is impossible to look away from or stop thinking about, and Badgley delivers a memorable performance.
The final episode of season 4 of You is the darkest one yet, and while it's tough to watch at times, it paints a compelling portrait of Joe at a crossroads and it feels like everything in the entire series is leading up to this episode. Joe talks to his vision of Rhys Montrose (Ed Speeler) on a bridge in London and decides to jump into the water. As he does, Joe thinks, "All I've ever wanted is to love and be loved completely," which sums up why he is such a gripping and complicated character. On the one hand, it's easy to hate Joe since, of course, he has killed numerous people and he doesn't get punished for his actions. But on the other hand, Joe is searching for love and connection, and because his mother abandoned him, he isn't convinced that he deserves to be in a healthy relationship.
While Joe is as fun to watch and as memorable as the most original horror movie villains, he can be predictable, too. While some might say that his decision to kill Tom Lockwood (Greg Kinnear) is boring because it was obvious from the moment that they met that this is what would happen, it still works pretty well at showing that Joe is still Joe.
The best character in "The Death of Jonathan Moore" is Nadia Farran (Amy-Leigh Hickman), who figures out Joe's real nature and who is able to save Marienne. Episode 10 of season 4 reveals that Nadia and Marienne set Joe up and made him think that Marienne had died, but Joe never really texted Marienne's mother, and she is completely safe. It's hard to watch this scene without breathing a sigh of relief.
While You can be harsh, killing Marienne felt particularly brutal given the struggles that she has experienced. Nadia may fit into the trope of a girl playing detective, but she's smart and kind and a great contrast to Kate Galvin's (Charlotte Ritchie) awful friend group. But although Marienne's survival is a welcome surprise, the end of Nadia's arc is truly shocking and is one of the darkest and most disturbing moments of the entire series so far.
After it seems like Joe has turned over a new leaf for real as he and Kate are running her father's company and starting an arts foundation, it comes out that Joe set both Edward (Brad Alexander) and Nadia up. In a brutal scene that is complete proof that Joe can't be helped, he frames Edward for Rhys's murder and ensures that Nadia is in prison, making everyone think that she killed Edward after learning the truth. This is tough to watch and a reminder that no one is safe around Joe. Although Jenna Ortega couldn't be in You season 4, her presence still haunts Joe, as he tried to help Ellie and gave her money to run away. Joe could do the same for Nadia and allow her to live, but he feels that he can't take that risk, and it's heartbreaking to see Nadia's life get ruined because she figured out the truth.
It's the final scene of "The Death of Jonathan Moore" that will be most remembered, though. Just like season 3 of You concludes with a good twist, this season has its own stunning moment right at the very end. After Kate visits him in the hospital, Joe shares his real name and explains that he has murdered people. In an unforgettable moment, Kate shrugs this off. She honestly doesn't care that Joe is a killer and they agree to be a terrifying kind of power couple who keeps talking about doing good in the world. Kate helps Joe spin his story and they give a TV interview about Love Quinn, blaming it all on her and pretending that Joe is a good guy who got caught up with the wrong person.
This TV interview serves two smart purposes: it shares that Kate is just as evil as Joe and also that Joe has no intention of leaving his life of murder behind. Joe looks in the window and sees Rhys staring back at him and he thinks, "I get it now, love can be real, complete, if you are. The killing part is much easier now. I'm just honest about it."
Watching Joe and Kate together is fascinating, and it's easy to want to hear Kate's side of the story and what her inner dialogue is saying about the choices that they have made. While part one of season 4 of You dragged in many places, the season 4 finale is just what viewers have come to expect: surprising, dark, and well-crafted.
If there is a season 5 of You and it's the last season, it's easy to imagine that Joe and Kate will maybe even commit murders together, or Kate will use Joe to get rid of people who she thinks of as obstacles. Some might say that this is too similar to the season 2 twist that Love is a murderer just like Joe, and that's definitely a fair criticism. But seeing Kate in this new, darker and more gruesome light makes her more complex. Season 4 of You had some missteps, but a season 5 with Joe and Kate living this new life sounds like a lot of fun.