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So Who Is the Real Killer in You Season 4 Part 2?


Ed Speleers as Rhys Montrose, Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You Season 4 Part 2
Credit: Netflix

Let this be a warning: *MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD*

Some things never change. And in You Season 4 Part 2, we come to realize this phrase to be true.

Case in point: just when we think Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) has changed, we get slapped across the face that he is, indeed, more insane and evil than before.

In You Season 4 Part 1, we get pulled into a classic whodunnit story where Joe tries to unveil the identity of the Eat the Rich killer. And in the final episode of You Season 4 Part 1, we discover that Joe was actually being stalked by author Rhys Montrose (played by Ed Speleers). Rhys has also been killing some of his friends and plans to pin the murders on Joe. But when he sees that Joe is able to handle himself despite the first murder, he gets curious at who Joe is. He then sends a series of text messages prompting Joe to do his evil deeds. Thus, we come to know Rhys as a monster in disguise.

But now that Netflix has released the remaining episodes of You Season 4, we discover that we've actually been played by Joe Goldberg.

So Who Is the Real Killer in You Season 4 Part 2?

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg/Jonathan Moore in You Season 4 Part 2
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Credit: Netflix

Yes, you guessed it: Joe Goldberg is still a serial killer in You Season 4. A previous post of ours actually revealed some clues based on what we observed from the first part of the show.

RELATED: You Season 4 Theory: Is Joe Just Imagining Rhys?

Throughout the show, it is slowly revealed that Joe's interactions with Rhys are actually all a figment of his imagination. Perhaps, the only time he managed to get near Rhys is at the park where he was speaking to the crowd. But that's that. Rhys is a real author and mayoral candidate, but he doesn't actually know who Joe or Jonathan Moore is.

Who Has Joe Been Talking to This Whole Time in You Season 4 Part 1?

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg/Jonathan Moore in You Season 4 Part 2
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Credit: Netflix

In reality, Joe has been projecting his most evil self onto Rhys. After reading Rhys' memoir, his childhood memories resurface and he feels a connection with the author. So all of those murders in You Season 4 Part 1 were actually committed by Joe, not Rhys, as we were led to believe.

Additionally, Joe has kidnapped Marienne (played by Tati Gabrielle) in a glass cage somewhere. He made himself believe that he could change but what really happened was worse. He left her to die, without having any memory of his own kidnapping.

Thankfully, his student, Nadia (played by Amy Leigh Hickman), had grown suspicious of his actions and followed him around. She finds where Marienne is and helps her escape by faking her death via overdose.

We'll leave the rest for another post but there goes our hope for Joe to change.

Why Is Joe Goldberg Still a Killer?

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg/Jonathan Moore in You Season 4 Part 2
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Credit: Netflix

Ever since the first season of You came out, Penn Badgley has been adamant in convincing people not to root or fall for his character in the show. He continues to prove that it's wrong to dream about a serial killer by explaining the big twist in You Season 4 Part 2 to RadioTimes.com:

“So, I think leading people to believe that he’s changed, it’s sort of like, ‘It’s season 4, he’s got to change somehow, right? Something’s got to change – something!'
"I think what we’ve done is rather than Joe changing, the whole show kind of contorts around him and changes its appearance and then reveals it’s the Joe you’ve known he is since day 1, A1."
“It’s the Joe you’ve known from season 1, he puts her in a box and kills her – tries to. I mean, come on, that’s Joe. He’s not going to stop – are you going to stop watching? That’s what the show’s basically asking. We’re going to contort and change genre to reveal Joe as he is, that’s actually a really fun exercise.”

And that's true, Joe won't stop killing. That's who he is. Despite knowing that, we're still looking forward for the show to return for a fifth season.


You Season 4 Part 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.

RELATED: Who Is Stalking Lady Phoebe in You Season 4 Part 2?


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