Season 3 of Netflix’s hit show You, picks up right where we left off from the previous season; a murder and a baby. Wow, those two things don’t sound like they go together huh? This is what this season sets up and has us question. Can Joe and Love make a marriage with a baby work? Things start off seemingly well right at the beginning of the season. Joe and Love move into a nice big suburban home together to raise their new baby boy. Joe starts falling into his same predatorial pattern when he starts eyeing up the neighbor from next door. How will his new life with Love now effect his sinister impulses? Minor spoilers from here on out.
Things aren’t at all what they seem. If you are returning for season 3 of You then you’ll know exactly what you’re in for, given what we’ve seen so far in the previous two seasons. A great, uncomfortable and intense psychological thriller. Only now, the character Love adds an interesting dynamic into the story. She has her own murder-ish tendencies (as witnessed by her killing off her brother Forty in the s2 finale), which brings a fresh new storytelling element into the mix. I love that when this season first starts out, it feels very close and reminiscent to how the previous two seasons start off. Only this time, the writers subvert our expectations fast and in a clever way. Instead of Joe straying off in his stalker like fantasies with other women, he doubles down in his bond with Love. What happens though when Love finds out that Joe started sinking back into his old ways? Well, let’s say lots of things start to pop off when she finds out, and none of them are good. It’s clear this is a toxic relationship. They try to do what’s best for their baby boy, but at what cost? They both know each other so well and what the other is capable of, but how far are they willing to go to make things work when they bring out the worst out of each other?
The cat and mouse like screenplay works so well for a series like this. Season 3 is no different, and I love that it’s less of a repeat than the previous two. Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti have so much chemistry with one another, and they really make this work. The added cast that surrounds them also do a fine job establishing the type of neighborhood Love and Joe finds themselves in, one in which they feel like they’re being judged constantly and one where they feel like they don’t fit in. What happens when they are tested and pushed to the edge? Well, you’ll have to watch and find out.
I want to praise the narration in this series since I think it works so well. We get to hear Joe’s inner thoughts (erratic and crazy at times) as he tries reasoning with certain situations. I usually hate when narration is used in media because I feel like it adds nothing to what we’re already seeing, but for this series, it works so well and amplifies the characterization of Joe. I also want to point out something here that I thought was interesting. This is the first scripted series I’ve watched so far that’s mentioned Covid multiple times. I do believe that when season 3 was being filmed, it was during the height of Covid and when the strict protocols where in play. I thought it was interesting how they blended the real world Covid pandemic story strand into what I assume is another story conflict they already had lined up and ready. Let’s just say another sickness momentarily threatens Love & Joe’s baby that sends them both down a dark path.
As a fan of the first two seasons of You, this one is my favorite so far. I loved the different story dynamics that were added into the plot. I think for a series like this to work, they got to make you feel enthralled, and I can definitely say this season did it for me. These characters are horrible people, and we shouldn’t actively be rooting for them. The situations we find them in are thrilling and fun to watch, seeing them try to navigate around being caught in multiple law breaking scenarios. Definitely catch this one if you’ve watched the first two. My only real critique is that in the latter half of the season, the story starts to drag a bit and there is some filler. Other than that, this season is in my opinion the best one so far and I love that they shake the status quo from previous seasons while at the same time, holding onto the parts the fans liked from the earlier seasons too.
‘You’ season 3 premieres on Netflix October 15th.
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