Apparently we still love bad boys. Toxic traits that would send any sane person running for the hills are like catnip for TV viewers. We’ve followed the downward spiral of Don Draper in Mad Men, Walter White in Breaking Bad, Dexter Morgan in Dexter, and now Joe Goldberg in You. Fans, of which there are millions, will be happy to know that You season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
Well, the first part of the fourth season, anyway – the first five eps are now available, with the back five dropping on March 9. For those who came in late: based on the novel of the same name by author Caroline Kenpnes, You stars Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl) as Joe, aka Will Bettelheim, aka Jonathan Moore, a hunky bookstore manager who tends to get obsessive to the point of homicide with his love interests.
Following on from three seasons of US-based escapades and the odd execution, the fourth season finds Joe living in London under the name Professor Jonathan Moore, having foresworn his creepy ways, even though he knows and we know that his most recent object of obsession, Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) fled to Paris to start a new life after the events of season 3. However, our antihero/villain protagonist soon finds a new woman to fixate on: art gallery director Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie). You just know Joe is going to be back up to his old tricks again before too long…
It’s all very pulpy, erotic, and #problematic, which is why You is one of Netflix’s most popular shows, quickly garnering a devoted cult following after landing on the platform. It may be somewhat less erotic this season, though, with star Badgley requesting a moratorium on intimate scenes out of respect for his wife, Domino Kirke. Apparently she’s cool with all the stalking and murder, though, so it’s not all bad news.
