YOU Season 3 is a repetitive cycle of killings with marital issues added into the mix.
YOU Season 3 stars Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti. CREDIT: Netflix
This post for YOU Season 3 is spoiler-free.
After a relatively quiet Season 1 buzz and successful Season 2 (thanks to Netflix), YOU Season 3 (2021, developed by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti, based on the books by author Caroline Kepnes) returns almost two years later with Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) settling down into a fictional suburban hellhole known as Madre Linda. They now have a 6-month old baby named Henry Forty Quinn-Goldberg and are trying to keep their marriage alive, while fitting into a new community.
Season 3 was a disappointment to watch, only because it was that predictable. With Joe and Love being the perfect partners in crime, their only demise was the lack of trust in their relationship. They are both clever and batshit crazy, but one is always worse than the other. With YOU being Joe’s show, it is obvious to the viewer on who’s the triumphant one when he is pitted against someone else.
I can confirm that Season 1, set in New York, will always be my favourite season out of YOU. I’m pretty sure it’s Joe’s favourite too, as this stalker would never willingly subject himself to a life in the Californian suburbs, surrounded by a bunch of socialites who care about their town status more than anything else. As the crazy murderous couple navigate a new life in Madre Linda, in comes new supporting characters like Sherry (Shalita Grant) and Cary (Travis Van Winkle), who star as Madre Linda’s power couple. They are the greatest addition to Season 3, as their over the top personalities adds some flavour to this repetitive season. It’s also nice to see how another couple (aside to Joe and Love) find new ways to make their marriage more exciting.
The next door neighbours—husband and wife Matthew (Scott Speedman) and Natalie (Michaela McManus), plus their stepson Theo (Dylan Arnold)—to the Quinn-Goldberg’s are also a main focus of Season 3, but they only play an important role in progressing this season’s plot, otherwise there aren’t of much use at all. Theo, on the other hand, is a different story—one for you to watch it for yourself. Tati Gabrielle, who plays Joe’s boss at the library he works at, is also a delightful addition, but I also can’t say much without spoilers.
YOU has now become a formulaic murderous thriller that takes the same plot from past seasons to create havoc at a new town. With a Season 4 on the way, I can only hope that the new unannounced cast can give a breath of fresh air to this show. In any case, I will definitely still be watching, because YOU is a bingeable mess.
Rating: 3/5
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