Does Natalie die in You season 3?

If there was one thing the first two seasons of You taught us, it was to expect the unexpected and that no character is ever safe from an untimely demise. This is, of course, part of the fun of the show as the writers never fail to keep us on our toes and trying to figure out which characters will survive the season.

With the arrival of each new season, the show essentially introduces a crop of potential victims for us to both fall in love with and then be left fearing for their safety with each passing episode.

Among the many new characters introduced in You season 3, is the mysterious neighbor who caught Joe’s attention in the season 2 finale: Natalie, a successful realtor played by The Vampire Diaries alum Michaela McManus.

Considering Natalie is the latest woman to catch Joe’s attention and things traditionally haven’t gone well for the women in Joe’s life, should we be concerned for her survival in season 3 or does she manage to make it out of the season alive?

Warning: If you haven’t yet had the chance to watch the third season of You, this might be a good time to bookmark this page and come back as spoilers are coming.

Does Natalie die in You?

If you’re a fan of Natalie, we have some back news for you. Natalie does not make it out of season 3 alive. In fact, she happens to be the first character killed off in season 3 and we have to admit we did not expect her death to come quite as early into the season as it did.

As fans will recall, Natalie’s arrival was teased in the season 2 finale when Joe’s new neighbor caught his eye upon moving into his and Love’s new suburban digs. Of course, at that time, the character hadn’t yet been cast nor had we officially been introduced to her; however, it seemed like she was going to play a major role in the third season.

Instead, she met an untimely demise in the season 3 premiere in what might have been one of the show’s most shocking moments.

Who killed Natalie in You season 3?

Although one might assume it was Joe who kills Natalie, it is actually Love who axes Natalie… quite literally.

In the season 3 premiere, Natalie immediately catches Joe’s eye which sends him down his usual path of taking up an unhealthy obsession with her. Much to Joe’s surprise, Natalie turns on her charm and engages in a bit of flirtatious banter with Joe which ends in her inviting him over for a drink.

Joe, of course, takes her up on this offer and the flirtation between the pair intensifies with Natalie and Joe sharing a passionate kiss and nearly going to bed with one another before Joe hits the brakes. He later tells Love about his visit — minus a few of the night’s more colorful details — which plants the seeds of worry in Love’s mind, seeds that blossom far sooner than we ever anticipated.

After catching Natalie in a lie about having Joe over for drinks and discovering Joe has begun building a collection of keepsakes of stolen items from Natalie, it’s clear that things are going to end well for Natalie.

While it at first looked as though Love was going to make nice after she turned to Natalie for help in finding a location to open a new bakery in town, things took a deadly turn when Love uses an ax found in the building’s storage unit to kill Natalie in the final part of the season 3 premiere.

You season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.