Netflix premiered the first volume of You season four in February. The second volume is scheduled for a March 9th, 2023, premiere. Created by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti, the show has a massive fan following due to Penn Badgley’s brilliant portrayal of the sociopathic and psychotic serial killer Joe Goldberg whose unhealthy obsession over women takes him down murderous routes.
After three gruesome and bloody seasons, Goldberg quits the American soil and looks for a fresh start during his “European holiday”, adopting the identity of Jonathan Moore, a professor in London. He soon finds himself associating with a group of obnoxious British elites who flaunt wealth and despise the poor. Disillusioned and disgusted, Goldberg barely reigns in his hatred for the rich when he finds himself in the midst of a pulpy whodunit where a killer on the loose targets only the wealthy.
Termed the Eat-the-Rich killer, the show reflects the current global socio-economic reality where the economic divide is more apparent than ever. With many other films like Glass Onion and Menu serving as a commentary on the wealth gap, You finds itself entering the “trope in the zeitgeist”, as echoed by creator Sera Gamble.
She says that Joe is still sceptical of the rich, and his judgement is not too far from what the people are like in the show. The fourth season sees the predator become the prey- Goldberg has a stalker who is essentially the Eat-the-Rich killer. The fourth season sees a unique dilemma where he agrees with the killer yet is driven crazy by the idea of not knowing who it is.
Talking about the creative process, Gamble said, “Part of the fun is to squeeze him and say, ‘You’re gonna philosophically agree with the Eat-the-Rich Killer, but your job is to save the rich, and not look the other way.’ So it all kind of evolved from there.”
The fourth season is very different from the first three in a variety of ways- there is a near-redemptive arc to Joe’s character. Tune in to find out.
