You Season 4 Part 1 was released on Netflix just a few days ago and we already have so many questions in mind. Apart from the entirely new cast, we can't help but wonder who among these new faces will be Joe Goldberg's (played by Penn Badgley) next quest.
As it turns out, the format for this season is a lot different compared to the previous ones. In Joe's own words, he is trapped in a murder mystery. And instead of stalking someone, Joe (or Professor Jonathan Moore, rather) becomes the one who is being stalked by an anonymous killer. As the show progresses, Joe tries to uncover the identity of his mysterious texter who has been sending him disappearing messages on the Evanesce app.
But do we know who this person is? We sure do! And before we unveil his identity, let this be a reminder that this post contains spoilers.
Who Is Sending Joe an Anonymous Text in You Season 4 Part 1?
In his move to London, Joe assumed a new identity given to him by the supposed Quinn family hitman, Elliot Tannerburg (played by Adam James). Joe becomes Jonathan Moore, who lands a job as a Literature professor at a university. Part of his deal with Elliot was that he would lie low and start a new life with no more killing.
But after an intoxicated night out partying with London's elite, one of Joe's associates end up dead in his own dining table. Joe thinks he managed to kill someone while he was drunk but can't completely remember the events of the previous night. Normal people would usually call the cops after seeing a dead body on his table, even though they had nothing to do with it. But instead, Joe decides to get rid of Malcolm's (played by Stephen Hagan) body by chopping it up in pieces and throwing it in the River Thames.
After doing so, however, Joe starts receiving vanishing text messages from an anonymous person via the Evanesce app. The texter applauds Joe for handling the murder so well and piques his interest in uncovering his real identity.
Sadly for Joe, the texter manages to dig up his dirt and threaten to expose him. He blackmails Joe into helping him kill the elite, of whom he has a vendetta against.
The show quickly turns into a murder mystery, with Joe trying to identify who the real killer is. And later in the series, it turns out that Rhys Montrose (played by Ed Speleers) is the person Joe is looking for.
Who Is Rhys Montrose in You Season 4?
It doesn't really come as a shock that the real killer turned out to be Rhys Montrose. After all, he is the only one from the Oxford Circle who Joe managed to form a deep connection with. But who is Rhys Montrose and why does he kill his own friends?
The first time Joe meets Rhys is at the Sundry House Party where Malcolm and Kate (played by Charlotte Ritchie) bring Joe as a guest. He meets all their friends, who he instantly dislikes because of their shallow and petty minds. As he sits in a corner, however, he meets Rhys Montrose, a writer that Joe related to.
Prior to meeting Rhys, Joe read his memoir entitled A Good Man in a Cruel World. The book shares Rhys' childhood, where he was raised by a single mother in poverty. His life, however, turns around when he discovers he is actually the son of the Duke of Kinston-upon-Hull. Joe instantly likes Rhys and says it was "one of the best memoirs he read."
Despite the short meeting between the two, Joe finds Rhys fascinating as he is the only one at the party he was able to have a decent conversation with. The two share similar thoughts about the group, yet feel like they have no choice but to live along with the rest of them.
When Joe discovers that Rhys is the Eat the Rich killer, he feels betrayed. But Joe vows to stop him before he can kill anyone else, even if that meant blowing his cover as Professor Jonathan Moore.
Since You Season 4 Part 1 ended with Rhys announcing his candidacy as the Mayor of London, the big question is how will Joe stop this monster. We'll find out more when the second part of You Season 4 returns in March 9, 2023.
Check out this character introduction of Rhys Montrose:
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