Prepare for lots of Proust and Dumas references when You returns for Season 4, because Joe is officially in Paris (for now at least). After spending an entire season trapped in a suburban purgatory, it seems the bookish serial killer is now on the hunt for Marienne — and he's willing to go to the ends of the earth to find her. But things are never that simple on You, and I suspect Season 4 has more than a few twists in store for the show's fans.
Given how much Season 3 diverged from author Caroline Kepnes' third You book, You Love Me, it seems unlikely the show will directly correspond with whatever she has cooked up for the fourth installment of her book series, which has yet to be released. Instead, You the Netflix series is very much doing its own thing in terms of storytelling now, which means anything can and will happen. But where can a show go after serving up Joe's toe pie?
I have a few theories about what You Season 4 might have in store for viewers, but trust me, nothing I come up with could ever compare to the bonkers twists this show manages to pull off every year. Still, let's take a look at what Joe could get up to next, based on the clues offered up in Season 3.
1.Joe Finds A New Obsession In Paris
Joe is so determined to find Marienne that he went to Paris just in case she made good on her promise to take Juliette there. For Marienne's sake, I hope she went somewhere her obsessive stalker would never expect, which would leave Joe to find a new person to fall in love with — or perhaps he could become enchanted by the city itself. With its rich history full of art and history, Paris could be Joe's personal paradise.
It would be interesting to see him settled into a somewhat normal routine in a new city, living under his new name before he begins fixating on another woman. There's no doubt he will find another woman to focus all of his unrealistic expectations on, but the show has a real opportunity to see what kind of trouble can find Joe when he's not actively looking for it in Season 4.
2. Ellie Finally Comes Looking For Joe
Speaking of which, it's about time Ellie and Joe reunite. Throughout Season 3, he continues to send her money, as promised, but now that he's staged his own death is he really just going to cut her off? Joe feels a sense of responsibility where Ellie is concerned, and it seems likely he'll continue trying to support her from afar, which in turn could tip her off about his whereabouts.
Having Ellie reenter his life — especially when he's trying to establish a new identity — would put Joe in a deliciously prickly situation. Joe is all about keeping the past in the past as much as possible, but having his former neighbor show up to confront him about what really happened to her big sister is the sort of complication that could leave him spiraling.
3. Marcia Cross Returns, Because She Was Totally Wasted In Season 3
You went and cast the incomparable Marcia Cross as a brilliant, no-nonsense lawyer in Season 3, and then only had her appear in two episodes. That's just not cool, show. In order to right this wrong, Cross needs to return and continue digging into the whole Love and Joe Madre Linda drama after Matthew becomes certain there's more to the story.
Just imagine Cross' character coming into Joe's life as a glamorous older woman who instantly intrigues him, when unbeknownst to him, she's trying to bring him to justice. Seriously, I need to see that scenario play out in Season 4, even if does end badly for the fabulous lawyer.
4. Joe Meets His Little Brother & They Have A LOT In Common
There's no way Joe's little brother isn't going to show up again at some point, so why not in Season 4? My dream scenario for these two meeting is for his brother to have a seemingly perfect life — kids, a loving partner — basically, the normal family Joe craves. But just when it seems like the guy is leading the charmed life Joe might have had if his mother hadn't given up on him, it's revealed his little brother is even more dangerous than he is.
In turn, the stage would be set for Joe to be the only one who could stop his brother, all while dealing with some of the emotional childhood trauma that shaped him into the monster he is today.
5. You Goes Full Dexter By Moving The Action To Florida
If You doesn't have Paris money for Season 4, the show could take a page out Kepnes' third book and send Joe down to Florida. Of course, this would give the show even more Dexter vibes than it already has, but there's no way Joe is going to settle in Miami like his TV serial killer predecessor. Instead, he would head straight for Key West to get the full Ernest Hemingway experience complete with adopting a six-toed cat (while also falling for one of the locals, because Joe's gotta Joe).
6. Marienne Becomes The Final Girl Who Takes Down Joe
I have no idea how long Netflix plans on keeping You going, but if Season 4 is the last season, then Marienne needs to be the show's proverbial final girl. Every season of the show seems to take on a new genre: Season 1 was very Lifetime stalker drama (totally appropriate since the show was on Lifetime at the time), Season 2 was a Los Angeles noir, and Season 3 was a domestic thriller. By that logic, Season 4 could end up being pure horror as Marienne vows to do whatever it takes to keep Joe away from her and her daughter.
Marienne and Joe have so much in common, it makes perfect sense that he sees them as soulmates. But in reality, Marienne is proof that Joe's crappy childhood didn't make him a monster. Her situation was just as bad, but she's still a good person — and the kind of survivor who could finally stop Joe from hurting any more women.
The possibilities for Season 4 are endless, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for storylines that force Joe to confront his past transgressions, even as he's determined to start a new life.
Images: John P. Fleenor/Netflix; Beth Dubber/Netflix; Netflix