Summary
This is the strongest episode of the season (and perhaps the series itself) as it finally forces viewers to look at Joe: no ifs, no buts, no rationalizing, and no witty voiceover. We truly face the kind of monster he is through his victim’s eyes.
A big part of You’s appeal is Joe’s Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) persona. Regardless of his actions, it’s hard not to root for the charming, mild-mannered bookworm. It probably helps that he always ends up surrounded by despicable individuals. This season, we saw a socialite use a staff member as a human garden decoration; it doesn’t get any more reprehensible than that.
And then there’s Season 4, Episode 8. This is the strongest episode of the season (and perhaps the series itself) as it finally forces viewers to really look at Joe: no ifs, no buts, no rationalizing, and no witty voiceover. We get to face the kind of monster he is through his victim’s eyes.
You Season 4 Episode 8 Recap
The first half of the episode follows Marienne’s (Tati Gabrielle) journey. In her own voiceover, she’s the Nightingale, Joe’s the Fox, and her daughter, Juliette, is the little chick Marienne desperately needs to get back to.
What really happened to Marienne?
While Joe lets Marienne go after tracking her down to the London art fair at the train station, he didn’t just steal her necklace. He slipped something in her coffee, and she blacked out and woke up tied to a chair in a shoddy apartment with Joe claiming he wants to “work” on their “relationship.” How Joe successfully dragged an unconscious woman away from a busy London train station is still unclear.
A tied-up Marienne tried talking to Joe, but he was too busy obsessively playing the audiobook of Rhys Montrose’s memoir on repeat to listen. He would feed her the same Indian meal from the same restaurant and drug her water so she couldn’t stay awake for too long.
Marienne did try to escape just before he put her in the glass cage, but Joe overpowered her and shoved her to the floor, breaking her hand in the process. In pain, Marienne started yelling at Joe, begging him to let her go. Unable to cope with the guilt from his actions, Joe loses his mind. He banged his head against the glass wall and denied being Joe.
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At first, not-Joe would bring Marienne food. He even got her painkillers for her broken arm (not a kindness, considering she’s a recovering heroin addict). She somehow stayed strong and didn’t take the pills. Eventually, not-Joe stopped visiting altogether. The water and crackers he left her had run out. She was losing her mind, and dreams of her daughter were the one thing keeping her sane. By the time Nadia found her, Marienne was on the brink of starvation.
Nadia wants to help but doesn’t know how. Marienne shuts down any talk of police because she knows about Joe’s uncanny ability to evade the law. But the young student does promise to come up with an idea and visit the following day.
Who is the real Eat the Rich Killer?
Back in Joe’s world, everything is falling apart. Yes, Joe was the Eat the Rich Killer all along. He killed Malcolm for insulting Marienne, Simon for taking advantage of young artists, and Gemma because she noticed the murders only started when Jonathan joined the group.
As the Rhys in his head explains, Joe’s been losing his mind for quite some time, specifically since he murdered his wife and abandoned his son. After kidnapping Marienne and breaking her hand, he snapped into two.
Did Joe and Rhys ever meet?
It turns out Joe was quite a fan of Rhys Montrose’s memoir. So much so that he started stalking the real Rhys and even stealing a couple of mementos, including his sweaty gym towel and a bag of nail clippings. The Indian restaurant he kept buying food from for his kidnapping victim was Rhys’s favorite. And the two never actually met.
All those meaningful conversations they shared were happening in Joe’s sick little head.
Is Lady Pheobe getting married?
On the bright side, the relationship between Joe and Kate is still going strong. She even considers him the “one sane person” in her life. But Kate is getting increasingly worried about Lady Pheobe. Adam and Pheobe invited Kate to their engagement party, but they’re skipping the engagement and jumping straight to the wedding.
READ: What happened in You Season 4 Part 2? (Detailed Recap)
From Kate’s conversation with Pheobe, it’s clear her ladyship’s mental state is frail. And Adam is taking full advantage of the situation. He even talked Pheobe out of getting a prenup. This is not going to end well.
You Season 4 Episode 8 Ending Explained
After finally accepting reality, Joe finds the key and heads to the general area where the abandoned building was. He is desperate to find Marienne before she starves to death. While outside the famed Indian restaurant, he makes his way towards the door, recognizes it, and the Rhys in his head confirms that he is at the right place.
The only problem here is Nadia. She is already downstairs with Marienne, and the two are devising an escape plan. Will Joe find his favorite student conspiring with his kidnapping victim? How will he react?
What did you think of You Season 4 Episode 8? Comment below.
