How Many Murders is too Many?

After a year of fans wondering what had happened to Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), they were shocked to find out that he had made it to London under a new identity. On Feb 9., the infamous show “You” came out with the first five episodes of season four. Joe is living in a new country with new friends and is trying to forget all his old tactics. In the end, he is and always will be the same old Joe. The one big question, however, is does season four live up to all the excitement; the answer is not so much. 

The plot of the first part of season four was acceptable and had a great storyline, but overall it felt really dragged out. The director, John Scott tried to make this season kind of “Clue” themed but it felt very similar to the other seasons. The same storyline of Joe falling in love with a girl and trying to live under a new identity was very overplayed and was not that exciting to watch after four seasons. The good part, however, is that part one ended on a cliffhanger which did make fans a bit eager to watch part two and made the season a little more suspenseful. 

On a good note, the acting in “You” has always been great and part one of season 4 was no exception. All of the actors did a phenomenal job of making the show feel real and making all of the mysteries and murders exciting and nerve-racking. When watching season four, the main reason fans were able to get into watching the season was because of how realistic the acting was, not because of the plot.

On top of the acting, the setting of the show was pretty good as well. There was a huge mansion named the Knebworth House which was used for part of season four and was a perfect place for the uncovering of the murder mystery storyline. The mansion was very rustic and old money which helped give to the suspense of the show. Along with the mansion, Joe’s apartment and his life in London fit him very well. In every season, Joe lives a new life but each of these lives is a perfect fit. Every life revolves around books and every place he lives is very put together and gives a rustic feel. The setting of the show helped it feel more realistic and made it overall more enjoyable to watch.

Even though there were some good aspects of part one season four of “You” like the acting and the setting, the plot took over the review. Many times, by making too many seasons of a show, it makes it unenjoyable to watch and that’s exactly what happened to “You.” The plot in this season felt the exact same as the other seasons and the more fans watched season four, the more predictable it became. The cliffhanger at the end of part one did leave for redemption; however, despite the poor plot, fans still want to know what happens to Joe and his friends in part two.