'You' Season 4, Part 2 Ending, Explained'

This story contains spoilers for You Season Four, Parts One and Two.

Just as we expected, Joe Goldberg's European vacation came crashing down. I mean, what else is a violent stalker to do other than, you know, violently stalk people? In the first episode of the new batch of Netflix episodes, Joe even admitted as much while reflecting on his past mistakes. “I can’t say I have the most impressive track record in the history of romantics,” said Joe, who is played by Penn Badgley. “But my heart is in the right place.” Well, as per usual, his heart and head were not aligned.

Joe’s whole bad-guy turned-good-guy facade came crashing down when he befriended a group of British socialites. One by one they were killed off, while Joe experienced a bout of stress-induced psychosis. The murderer was dubbed the “Eat the Rich” killer—and numerous people were accused of being said killer, before Joe realized it was himself all along. So much for trying to change! Oh, and Marienne? She was roped into the mess, too.

If that sounds like a lot to unpack, well, it was. But don’t worry, dear reader, we’ve done the hard work for you. Below is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the explosive finale of You Season Four.

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Joe and Kate Move to New York

Kate, a young aristocrat, is one of the first people Joe meets in Season Four. After her boyfriend is killed, she cozies up to Joe... which is never a good idea. To make a long story short? Joe ends up killing her dad. He then tells Kate the truth about his identity, and somehow, she’s fine with it?! Then, they move from London to New York. With Kate’s father out of the picture, she inherits all his money and power, and uses it to explain Joe’s existence. Everyone in America thinks he’s dead, remember?

The new story they’re working with reframes Joe as the victim. When he left for London, The Cut ran an article claiming that his ex-wife, Love, killed him in a murder-sucide. With a little reframing, and a bit of persuasion, Kate tells the press that Joe actually survived the attack, and moved to London under a new persona where they eventually met and fell in love. It’s a sweet story! Until you remember Joe actually fled the states because he murdered Love, not the other way around. During Joe’s press tour, the new couple tells a reporter that they’re now business partners—with plans to “change the world.” We’ll see how that works out.

Marienne Escapes

During Joe’s psychosis, he kidnaps Marienne and locks her in a giant box. One of his students eventually finds Marienne—and helps her fake her own death. After Joe disposes of her body, she wakes up, and flees to Paris to find her daughter. After a brief time jump, Marienne learns that Joe has moved back to New York without anyone catching him.

In an interview with InStyle, Tati Gabrielle, the actress who plays Marienne, explained why she thinks her character has sharp survival instincts. “Something that was very important for me from the jump was that Joe’s previous obsessions were a bit more oblivious to certain things, and I wanted to make sure that Marienne being a Black woman and stepping into this world, that the traits that come innately with being a Black woman still stood true,” she said.

About Joe's Kill Count...

By the time we reach the finale, Joe has murdered seven people. Which is a lot! Even for him. Let's close this out with a quick breakdown.

Malcolm: He’s the first to go. After a boozy night out, Joe stabs Malclom in his dining room.

Simon: After Simon's art gallery opens, he’s found dead with his ear cut off. (Like Van Gogh. Get it? Even someone as crazy as Joe can be a bit poetic.

Vic: Vic was Malcolm's bodyguard. When he suspects Joe killed his client, they get into an altercation and Vic ends up dead.

Gemma: Like Vic, Gemma was killed because she came too close to proving Joe was the killer.

Rhys: In a wild twist of events, Joe kills Rhys, a famous novelist, thinking he’d been torturing him all along. As it turns out, the “Rhys” Joe was arguing with was a figment of his imagination—and the real one reaped the consequences.

Kate’s Dad: After Kate opens up about her father's manipulative ways, Joe kills him in an act of “love.” Ugh.

A Student: In order to get out of London scot-free, Joe Kills one last student—and frames another for his crimes.

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