Warning: The following article contains spoilers for You season four, part two.
Season four of Netflix’s You is one of the craziest and messiest in the show thus far. While attempting to rebuild his life as Professor Jonathan Moore, Joe Goldberg falls yet again into old patterns of stalking and murder — to no one’s surprise. Despite how much the protagonist tries to convince himself that he’s a good person, it just doesn’t seem to stick.
Part two of the show’s latest season presented both Joe and the viewers with a huge plot twist, reframing everything we witnessed in part one. The final episode of the season, in particular, took the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions, with Joe taking drastic measures in an attempt to keep Kate safe.
Warning: Spoilers to follow.
Is Joe Goldberg dead in You?
During part two of season four, viewers come to realize that Joe has been compartmentalizing his darkest impulses, by dissociating and slipping into a different identity when committing most acts of violence in part one. While many theorized something like this could be the case, it’s a tough pill for Joe to swallow. The realization throws Joe into a disarray of emotions and after one of his elaborate dreams about past victims, the protagonist makes a decision.
In what is likely the biggest plot twist in the show, Joe puts aside his denial and opts for putting an end to his pattern of violence. Instead of confessing his crimes and letting himself be arrested, though, he believes that the only way out is to take his own life. In his last moments of consciousness, Joe regrets this decision but is unable to save himself.
For a few moments, viewers are led to believe that this might actually be the end for Joe, but that isn’t the case. Later that day, Joe finds himself in a hospital room and is told by a nurse that, for a little bit, he actually died by suicide. However, some police officers on patrol found and revived Joe just in time.
With Kate back by his side, willing to overlook her lover’s past crimes, Joe decides to keep on living. The two make a pact to embrace a new life together, and keep each other good. In Joe’s case, that would include stopping his stalking and murder sprees, but with all of Kate’s money and power in his arsenal, this might prove quite difficult.
All seasons of You are available for streaming on Netflix.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.