SPOILERS FOR LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE OF YOU AHEAD.
Well, we have one episode to go and things just got real. Over the course of You’s first season, we mostly just saw a lot of Joe kidnapping and killing people, while Beck obliviously fell for his charm. Last night, the veil was lifted, and Beck finally saw the real Joe. And if the reveals in last night’s episode were that juicy, I can’t wait to see what happens in the season finale. Here are seven of the biggest questions that need to be answered in the season finale of You.
1.What happened to Candace?
As little screen time as she received this season, Candace was a very important recurring character. She was the reason Peach (and that girl at the party, and Beck…) were suspicious of Joe. How is it that his ex-girlfriend just disappeared? While we mostly just saw flashes of Candace in Joe’s hallucinations last night, we were treated to multiple flashbacks and given the chance to see Joe and Candace in their prime. We saw their meet-cute, them exchanging holiday gifts and, of course, Joe’s jealousy over Candace’s relationship with her record exec. We know that Joe killed the record exec, and that Joe and Candace had a huge fight and…things end there. I think it is quite obvious that things did not end well for Candace (unless she actually is in Europe). The season finale could (read: should) finally give us answers as to what actually happened to Candace.
2.Will we learn more about how Joe became Joe?
We have seen little snippets of Joe’s past, learning that his relationship with his boss/mentor, Mr. Mooney, was volatile to say the least. Last night (and throughout the season), we saw that Joe has a jealous and possessive streak, but where did this come from? Did he sustain some sort of childhood trauma? Or was it the relationship with Candace that set Joe down this path? While there are no excuses for the fact that he has committed multiple murders, learning about his history could shed light on the reason why Joe can show compassion for Paco in one breath, and kill Benji in the next.
3. Is Joe going to be punished for his crimes?
We know that Joe killed the record exec, Benji, Peach, maybe Candace and goodness knows who else. So, when will he face the consequences of his actions? Peach’s family has hired a private investigator to look into her death, and Beck is investigating what happened to Candace. In a perfect world, the combination of these two investigations would result in Joe going away for life. But, this is You, so I have a hunch that Joe is going to (quite literally) get away with murder.
4. Is Dr. Nicky still a practicing therapist?
Since his introduction, Dr. Nicky has been an interesting character to say the least. He lights up during sessions with patients. He has an incredible response time (like, he immediately texts Joe back). Oh, and he was also having an affair with Beck, who, just as a reminder, is one of his patients. This crosses so many lines and it’s not cool. At all. Joe, in a jealous rage, irrationally decides that mugging Dr. Nicky to get proof of Beck’s infidelity is the best way to solve the problem. So, is Joe going to return to Dr. Nicky’s office next week for another therapy session? Or has Dr. Nicky (rightfully) lost his license?
5. Do any characters on this show have any common sense?
I understand this is a TV show, but I’m a little worried that none of the characters on this show have any sense. When Beck is going all True Detective and trying to find out what happened to Candace, she meets up with one of Candace’s former friends, who’s just kind of confused about where Candace is and why she stopped talking to her. Ok, I think I speak for most people when I say that if anyone I know just dropped off the face of the Earth, I would be a little concerned and reach out sooner, rather than later. Also, everyone is like “Candace went to Europe and we just, like, couldn’t contact her.” Ok, it’s 2018—talking to someone in Europe isn’t that hard. We have email, iMessage, WhatsApp, Snapchat, DMs on Insta and Twitter…the list goes on. It wouldn’t have taken a lot of effort to get in touch. Basically, what I’m saying is that Beck better hope that Blythe, Anneka and the rest of the crew have more sense than Candace’s friends, because Beck is going to need someone to free her from the book cage. Which brings us to our next question…
6. Is Beck going to survive the season?
In the final moments of last night’s episode, Beck found Joe’s box of souvenirs and finally realized that sweet little Joe isn’t as sweet as he seems. But now Joe knows that Beck knows, and Beck has been locked in the book cage. Based on the history of what has happened to those that inhabit the book cage, it doesn’t look promising for Beck (even though she is quite present in the promos for next week’s episode). If you’ve read the Caroline Kepnes novel You is based on, you know what happens to Beck, but my lips are sealed until next week’s finale.
7. Is Joe going to survive the season?
Beck may be in the book cage, but don’t think Joe is safe just yet. The teaser for next week shows Beck lunging at Joe with the ever-present wooden mallet, and we could only be so lucky if she were able to break free from this monster. Again, if you’ve read the Caroline Kepnes novel You is based on, you know what happens, but if you haven’t, you’ll just have to wait until next week.
The season finale of You airs next Sunday at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.