Your favorite stalker is back, but only this time, he is the one being stalked. When the first season of the now very popular Netflix series You was released, we were convinced that there would be maybe one or two seasons, because how much more can the creators twist and turn the same concept to try and churn out something new for their audiences? Well, turns out, we were incredibly wrong.
What started off as a series following a unique sociopathic serial killer has turned into something completely different, and we all have certain feelings about it. You Season 4 Part 1 hasn’t been out for too long, so the jury still has to decide whether this was a hit or a flop, but don’t you worry, because we have some of our thoughts summed up for you.
When You Season 4 was first announced, we were told it would be divided into two parts, which in itself is something unique for this Netflix series. Things felt even more different when certain hints and teasers about the upcoming season were revealed and audiences wondered if You would be able to retain the stalker charm because, by the looks of it, the series had taken a completely different route.
Now that You Season 4 Part 1 we can tell you whether the new route has worked in their favor or not so much. So, keep reading this article to see for yourself whether You Season 4 Part 1 is worth your time or not. There will be some spoilers in this review, but we will try to be as careful as possible. So, happy stalking!
You Season 4 Part 1: A Classic Whodunit or A Failed Murder Mystery?
As we mentioned before, You Season 4 Part 1 was different and unique compared to the previous seasons. The general idea of this Netflix series revolves around Joe Goldberg who seems like a romantic and perfect boyfriend at first glance but is actually a serial killer who will kill anyone who comes in the way of him and love, even if that means killing the person he loves in the very end.
The previous season of You was extremely explosive and towards the end, Joe was dead, but not literally. To his neighborhood and the media, Joe and his wife died a tragic death, leaving behind their son. After all the madness, Joe decided he needed a sense of calm, and of course, he needed to change his murderous ways, and turn over a new leaf, and that’s what You Season 4 Part 1 is all about it.
In this review, we will address Joe as Jonathan Moore, because that is the name he has taken up all the way across the pond, in London. Or well, it was the name given to him, but going into a deep dive would ruin a little aspect, so we might let you watch You Season 4 Part 1 to fully understand that. Right now, the center of attention is Jonathan Moore and his new life.
He is now a professor who teaches literature, which seems more than appropriate given his love for books in the previous seasons. In the first few minutes, we realize that Jonathan Moore might not be the biggest jerk of You Season 4 Part 1. Jonathan tries his level best to keep to himself.
He works, teaches his students, answers their questions, tries to shape brilliant minds, and comes home to his apartment with a nice fireplace where he can curl up with a book and a bottle of wine. But, that doesn’t stick for too long and Jonathan’s life is turned upside down when he becomes a part of a toxic friendship group.
In this case, by toxic friendship group, we don’t just mean cheaters or backstabbers, although there are plenty of those too. This set of so-called friends are some of the richest folks in London, and you wouldn’t meet a spoilt bunch like this one. Jonathan of course feels incredibly out of place, and they don’t miss an opportunity to make him feel that way either.
What should have been a one-time appearance at a party, turns into his inclusion in the group. All Jonathan wants is to keep a low profile and not get into any trouble, but that changes when he wakes up hungover to find a dead neighbor, who was also the man who invited him to the party, to begin with, lying dead on his kitchen table.
Jonathan has no memory of it, but he is a seasoned murderer so he wonders if this was his doing. However, it isn’t long after that that his suspicions of his own possible doing are put to rest when he receives an anonymous text. From there, it is all downhill for Jonathan Moore.
Jonathan is now part of a murder mystery as some of his rich new friends begin to drop dead and his anonymous texter figures out just who Jonathan is, including his previous rendezvous back in the USA. Jonathan realizes he has far too much at stake and he needs to play along and try and find the killer, even if that means killing a few along the way. Well, we have to give him some credit for at least trying to turn over a new leaf.
You Season 4 Part 1 is essentially a murder mystery where someone is killing rich people and Jonathan or Joe is at the center of it all. It is a classic whodunit, but maybe that’s the reason you won’t enjoy this season as much as the previous seasons.
If we wanted to watch a whodunit, we would turn on Netflix and go watch Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery or wait for Murder Mystery 2 to release. You has a unique story going on for it and the main character, which has completely changed, making it feel like a new show altogether.
We believe that You Season 4 Part 1 would have worked better as a spin-off series, or even just a different series. Also, since You Season 4 has been divided into two parts, we were expecting a major jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the end of You Season 4 Part 1, but that never happened. Instead, the killer was revealed, followed by Joe’s intentions for him in You Season 4 Part 2.
In terms of setting and characters, You Season 4 Part 1 was fairly adequate. While most characters tried very hard to stand out, none of them really did. The one character we wished to have seen more of was Nadia, Jonathan’s student, who actually helped him try and figure out the mystery without even knowing there was one, to begin with. Most characters including Malcolm, Lady Phoebe, Adam Pratt, Roald, Simon, Sophie, and even Kate seemed to be trying too hard for all of You Season 4 Part 1, and it just wasn’t fun.
The mystery was mediocre at best, and the plot twist was extremely underwhelming too. If you are a fan of the series in general, we say watching You Season 4 Part 1 would make sense because you want to keep up, but it wouldn’t hurt if you skipped it.
There were a few good things about You Season 4 Part 1 too, for example, for all the serial killer show fans, there are some brilliant murderous scenes in store for you, and for those who don’t enjoy that, it might make you flinch just a little. Jonathan or Joe’s character arc and thirst for redemption go through their highs and lows throughout You Season 4 Part 1, and it will be interesting to see how it all ends in You Season 4 Part 2.
Conclusion
We had higher hopes for You Season 4 Part 1 but we would love to know in the comments what you thought about the new season and if you will be watching the second part, which is due to release next month!
Deepti is a prolific content writer for OpenMediaHub who specializes in movies, tv shows, and web series, along with occasional reviews. Her interests lie in watching different genres and reading comics books, although her main passion is writing for as long as she remembers.
