You Recap: The Me I’m Becoming Because Of You

This recap of Netflix Series You Season 2, Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad, & the Hendy” contains significant spoilers.

• Read the Season 2 review.
• Read the recap of Episode 5.
• Read the recap of the previous episode (3).
• Access the archive of all the episode recaps.

Episode 4 sells this idea that Joe (Penn Badgley) is eager to become a good person. And it’s easy to believe that, as there are signs he is changing, despite his overthinking, dark mind.

Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad, & the Hendy” opens up with a dream; he remembers when he was a kid listening to his mother and father argue. Joe, in the present day, wonders why he keeps dreaming about his childhood. He goes off on a mind-rant, talking about how Love makes him feel good. Forty rings during foreplay with Love and she talks to her brother while giving Joe a handjob — a bit strange. Joe was not bothered about the intrusion and that he feels like a better man.

It’s easy to be skeptical

Love gets out of bed and checks out Joe’s telescope, saying she can see her house. Joe makes a joke about the ability to spy on her, but ironically he is deadly serious. Forty texts Joe asking for help, but Love wants to keep it a secret. Forty needs Joe so the couple takes a rain check on their planned romantic trip.

Meanwhile in Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad & the Hendy”, Ellie tells Delilah that she isn’t going to Henderson’s house anymore — apparently, he drinks too much and it is embarrassing. Ellie tells her friend that she has spyware on her phone that she thinks her sister installed. Joe gets out Henderson’s jacktop — he’s desperate to make Ellie safe.

Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad, & the Hendy” sees Joe getting itchy about Will. He pays Will a visit to give him food. Joe asks Will what happens if he lets him out. Will says he can leave and forget about this forever. Joe says if Will can prove he won’t go to the police if he lets him out, he’ll let him out — I did wonder how on earth Will can prove this. What a conundrum. Joe asks Will to help disable the security in Henderson’s home.

Joe goes inside Henderson’s home and finds the sex dungeon in Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad, & the Hendy” — there’s also a mattress with cuffs. Joe finds a secret compartment with photos of underage girls in it, including Ellie. To try and spark a reaction to get Henderson in trouble, Joe posts the photos to Delilah.

I’m not sure why the writers decided to make Joe a vigilante against pedophiles, but it encourages you to support him.

Now that he feels he has dealt with Henderson, Joe joins Love’s friend for dinner for the first time. He finds them very “chill”. After a few awkward moments, he passes the test with her friends. Forty joins them, but he accuses Love and Joe of lying to him about hooking up — he gets irrationally angry and walks off.

Back at home, Love is worried about Forty, wondering if he is drinking — Joe believes the siblings need boundaries but keeps his mouth shut. Joe suggests including Forty in future social events to keep the peace. To be fair, Joe does seem to be changing.

Nearing the midway point of Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad & the Hendy”, Delilah opens up to her f–k buddy who is also a cop named Finch. She says she needs some professional advice regarding the photos she has been sent — she said one of the photos is her which will make her case crumble. Delilah gives the photos to Finch.

Joe has another dream; this time it shows his mother flirting with an older man who wants to take her out — she asks the young Joe to stay in the supermarket. Back in the present day, Forty apologizes for losing it but he suddenly becomes intrusive and wants to be a part of everything. Outside, Joe overhears that Ellie is going to Henderson’s and wonders if Delilah has done something with the photos yet. He confronts her;  she says she can’t do anything about the photos because Henderson is not in them and the police could only do something if they found the photos in his house.

Joe has problems mounting again; he goes to meet Forty about his script; he tries to get away by saying Forty’s script is genius and that he should pitch it. A flashback reveals a time when Joe’s father asks why it took his mother four hours to go to the supermarket — his mother claims Joe was playing hide and seek. Back in the present day, Will asks why Joe has got a rope. Joe explains he is going to force Henderson to confess. Will looks defeated, saying Joe will never let him go.

With Forty flying across the country, Love accuses Joe of trying to get her brother out of town. Joe apologies, trying to convince her that it was never the intention. It doesn’t matter anyway, as Love is off to join Forty to help him pitch his work. With nothing to do, Joe rushes to protect Ellie; she enters Henderson’s home after Henderson manipulates Ellie to make it feel like she chose to hang out with him. Henderson and Ellie watch her short film. Joe sees Henderson spike Ellie’s drink — Joe sneaks the same drugs in Henderson’s drink in the kitchen.

When Henderson wakes up, he is blindfolded and tied to a chair. Joe asks Henderson what he does in this room with underage girls. He begins torturing Henderson until he confesses about the photos. Joe puts on a mask and takes Henderson’s blindfold off. He begins recording Henderson on camera for the confession but he ends up talking about his childhood and when his stepfather touched him. Joe gets impatient with the talk of childhood, especially as he’s battling with his own demons at the moment; he breaks and takes off the mask — Henderson recognizes him.

Henderson tries to win him with over with words but Joe accidentally kills Henderson by throwing him down the stairs; he decides to make it look like a suicide. While trying to clean the crime scene, Ellie wakes up but Joe texts her acting like Delilah is angry and that she needs to go home immediately.

On the way home, police officer Finch (the same officer Delilah has sex with) pulls Joe over for illegal crossing and asks to look in the bag which has some bloody items in. Joe, thinking it is over, gives the officer the bag. The officer luckily only grabs the non-bloody headphones and recognizes them as limited edition; the officer takes them and drives off. Joe experiences a flashback — he describes his childhood and how he always felt powerless.

You Season 2, Episode 4, “The Good, the Bad, & the Hendy” closes with Joe making the decision to let Will free. Will is relieved, saying that Joe made the right decision. Joe goes to sleep believing he is the man he is meant to be and that the “bad” is behind him. Meanwhile, Forty tells Love he has met a woman he has an instant connection with while out pitching his work. A woman turns up — it’s Candace.

It’s going to get very interesting.

Disturbing Thoughts

• “Even your empathy is a turn-on”.
• “The me I’m becoming because of you”
• “Becoming a better person is way more aggravating than I thought”.