In Season 2 of one of the most popular television shows on Netflix, audiences were left shocked after they found out that Love, Joe’s latest love obsession, is also a psychopath who stalks their love interest. This ending was drastically different from that of Season 1, where Joe kills Guinevere Beck after she finds out he killed her best friend and on-and-off boyfriend in order to get closer to her. When Netflix announced Season 3, fans like myself were curious as to how the showrunners and writers would take on the plot.
I grew skeptical of the upcoming announcements because, in the past, many shows have announced another season only for it to fall flat. This has happened to other fan favorites such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Pretty Little Liars. In the beginning, both of these shows had three-dimensional characters and an interesting plot, only to be riddled with inconsistency and boring characters without any character development, season after season. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Season 3 of You. In Season 2, Love reveals herself to be like Joe — someone who is not above killing to “protect” who they love. The only reason Joe did not kill Love was because she was pregnant with his child. Ironically, Joe is appalled by the fact that he is stuck with a murderer.
The writers realistically paint this odd relationship by further developing Love and Joe’s characters. In a couple’s counseling session, Love and Joe both face the fact that their relationship is built on lies, murder and fear. Joe is constantly trying to be a better person and stop murdering people. However, he feels like Love’s impulsiveness will make this goal impossible. Love fears that if Joe does not love her anymore, then he will move on and discard her like Guinevere Beck. The writers break down the audience’s perception that Joe and Love are crazy and add another layer to them. Audiences see that behind these narcissistic and antisocial tendencies, they are people who have genuine fears and pain. Both of them fear that if people saw who they truly were, then they would leave. This fear of abandonment is what helps them bond and fix their relationship. This realistic take on both Love and Joe and their relationship are what, in my opinion, made this season enjoyable. It does not rehash the same plot of Joe being obsessed with a woman and doing whatever it takes to get closer to her. The writers took a deeper dive into who these characters are and what motivates them. We are growing with Love and Joe as their story moves forward.
Great characters also extend to side characters. One that caught my attention was Sherry Conrad, a mommy blogger who smiles constantly and is kind to you, but gossips behind your back. Her husband, Cary Conrad, is an enthusiastic gym rat who will try any biohack out there. In the beginning, their relationship seems superficial — just like Sherry’s blog posts. However, when they are held hostage by Love, Sherry and Cary have to face each other and what their relationship has become. They communicate with each other about how they felt the need to change for the other when they didn’t need to do that in the first place. Audiences get a view of who this couple really is if you strip down Sherry’s influencer role and Cary’s fitness obsession. Even if Sherry is obsessed with gossip, and Cary is a clueless meathead, there is much more to them than meets the eye.
All in all, I highly recommend the newest season of You. This season certainly holds up compared to the other two. It is full of well-developed characters, relationships and unexpected plots. The story explores what a healthy marriage looks like and what makes a person happy in one. Joe and Love’s journey through life takes many more twists and turns.