You Season 3 Ending Explained, Recap and Review
by Hemalatha R
Updated Mar 10, 2023
Is You Season 3 Based on a Book?
Yes, You Season 3 is based on a book series written by Caroline Kepnes. However, the TV series is not based on the third book, "You Love Me," but rather a continuation of the second book, "Hidden Bodies." There are some significant differences between the TV series and the book. In the book, Joe doesn't move to Madre Linda and instead goes to a town called Bainbridge in Washington. Also, Love is not a murderer in the book, and Joe kills Candace and Delilah all by himself. In the TV series, Joe gets arrested for his connections to the murder of Peach Salinger in Season 1 while Love is pregnant, and he's kept in jail until Love gives birth. Furthermore, Joe and Love don't raise their son Henry together, and Joe is never able to meet or contact him.
You Season 3 doesn't entirely stick to the plot of the book series. While the TV series has many of the same characters as the books, there are some significant deviations in the plot and character development. In the book series, the married librarian that Joe meets in "Hidden Bodies" is named Mary Kay, not Marienne, and she doesn't deal with addiction issues; her husband does. The characters Sherry and Cary are not in the You book series. However, they seem to be inspired by another couple, Melanda and Seamus, although they don't last as long.
You Season 3 Ending Explained
You Season 3, despite facing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delivers a satisfying ending that explores some significant themes. The season features a group of influencers and health gurus led by the queen bee Sherry Conrad, who manipulates her followers to run the town. The show depicts the influencer phenomenon and the burden of constantly being flawless, as shown through Sherry's character. In the real world, social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram can turn anyone into a star, but it comes at a cost. The concept of a successful relationship is another important theme in You season 3. Love, played by Victoria Pedretti, is unhappy with her marriage to Joe, played by Penn Badgley, despite his attentiveness to her and their son's needs. Sherry advises Love to choose their partner every day and work for their happiness. In the case of Quinn-Goldbergs, it involves murder, cover-ups, and betrayal, reflecting the dark side of their relationship.
The show also explores the disparity between Joe's and Love's intentions for their murderous actions. Love argues that when Joe kills other characters, his intentions should be deemed noble, but when she does the same act, she is seen as crazy and impulsive. The show highlights the double standard and the fact that both Joe and Love are murdering for love, albeit not for each other. You season 3 also touches on the COVID-19 pandemic, which is first mentioned when Joe and Love attend a party at Sherry's house. The issue of vaccination and anti-vaxxers is discussed when Henry comes down with measles, and it is revealed that Joe has been unvaccinated due to negligent parenting. Love seeks revenge on Gil, who does not believe in vaccines, putting Henry in danger. The show's storylines reflect how the world has changed, or stayed the same, amidst the pandemic, spreading awareness and driving the audience towards real-life action. Overall, You season 3 tackles important themes such as the influencer phenomenon, successful relationships, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The show highlights the dark side of social media, the pressure to be perfect, and the consequences of negligence in parenting. The show's exploration of these themes provides valuable insights and lessons for the audience.
You Season 3 Recap and Review
Recap
"You" Season 3 has a lower body count than previous seasons, with a total of four deaths. The first is Natalie Engler, Joe and Love's neighbor, who Love murders after she realizes Joe is becoming obsessed with her. The couple disposes of the body together, setting off the season's events as the suburban town tries to find Natalie's killer. Natalie's husband, Matthew, is particularly determined to uncover the truth. The second death is that of Gil Brigham, a local teacher who gets on the wrong side of Love when he reveals that his anti-vax family is responsible for landing Henry, Love's son, in the hospital with a measles infection. In a fit of rage, Love attacks Gil with a rolling pin and imprisons him in Joe's glass cage. Joe tries to keep Gil alive, realizing they need leverage via blackmail to ensure he keeps quiet. They reveal that Gil's son is a serial sexual abuser, which leads to Gil's suicide in the glass cage. Ryan Goodwin is the third victim, killed by Joe after Joe becomes interested in local librarian Marienne. Marienne is a single mother with a history of substance addiction, and she's in a custody battle with her ex-husband, Ryan, who manipulates the courts to take back custody of their daughter, Juliette, despite his ongoing addiction. After a key custody hearing goes wrong, Joe decides to remove Ryan from the equation and stages his death as a mugging, pinning it on Love.
The final death of the season is that of Love, who dies at Joe's hand in the finale after she tries to kill him. Love discovers that Joe has a new object of fixation in Marrienne and plans to poison him during a sit-down dinner. Joe catches on and injects himself with the antidote just in time, before injecting Love with a lethal dose of her own poison and framing her for all the deaths in Madre Linda, including his own. In addition to these deaths, Joe fakes his own death by cutting off two toes and leaving them behind as evidence that he was murdered by Love. He takes on a new identity as London professor Jonathan Moore in Season 4. Overall, Season 3 has a lower body count than previous seasons, but it still manages to maintain the dark and twisted tone that fans have come to expect from the show. The deaths are all linked to the complex relationships between the characters, and they drive the season's plot forward, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
Review
Netflix’s popular thriller series You has returned with its third season, featuring Love (Victoria Pedretti) and Joe (Penn Badgley) as they move to the suburbs and become parents to a child, Henry. However, their relationship is fractured as Joe is busy stalking another woman, while Love is trying to raise their child. Despite their similarities, they are far from an idyllic suburban couple. The series has received mixed reviews, with some critics questioning how long audiences can continue watching a serial killer trying to evade being caught. Others praised the series for being fresh in its third installment, with the lead actors performing their roles with a delicate finesse despite the predictable and repetitive behavior of the lead character. The Independent commented that You becomes increasingly unbelievable with each new victim and that in the real world, Joe and Love’s combined body count would likely have attracted more attention by now. However, the show manages to suspend the audience’s disbelief through its entertaining and messed-up plot, as well as the characters’ world of trouble.
CNN reviewed the show, calling it a ‘latter-day Dexter’, and warned that the show may suffer from a bottomless supply of last-minute escapes. While season 3 doesn't disappoint, it's one of those shows where less might ultimately be more in contemplating the length of its run. However, the show has been criticized for its repetitive patterns, with the lead character repeating the same behavior to the point of exhausting predictability. The show has previously attempted to tackle weighty issues such as trauma, addiction, and domestic violence, but has not handled them well. Overall, You season 3 is an entertaining and thrilling watch but may suffer from a lack of originality and a predictable plot. The lead actors do a great job in their roles, but the show may need to take some risks and try something new to keep audiences engaged.
You Season 3 Ending Explained-FAQ
'You' is a thriller series on Netflix about a man named Joe who is a sly and murderous stalker. He becomes obsessed with different women and goes to great lengths to get close to them, often resorting to violence.
In Season 3, Joe and Love have moved to the suburbs and are now parents to a child named Henry. Joe is still obsessed with another woman, while Love is struggling to raise their child and deal with the consequences of their past actions.
Reviews for the show are mixed, with some praising its fresh take in the third installment, while others criticize its repetitive patterns and predictable behavior.
Critics generally agree that the lead actors, Victoria Pedretti and Penn Badgley, perform their roles with finesse and do as much as they can with the storyline.
The show is generally seen as a bit unrealistic and far-fetched, but also highly entertaining and addictive. Despite its flaws, many viewers enjoy the show for its thrilling and suspenseful moments.