Does Joe die in You season 4 part 2?

After what felt like the longest month ever, the second half of You season 4 is finally streaming on Netflix! If you thought the first five episodes of the season were a wild ride, just wait until you see what’s ahead in the final five episodes of the season which bring about a number of shocking twists that we honestly never saw coming!

Much like in the first part of the season, Part 2 contains a number of unexpected twists and turns including a handful of shocking new murders that are sure to leave fans shocked. Of course, if you’ve made it this far, chances are you’re currently watching the final episodes of season 4 and are beginning to grow concerned about whether Joe’s actions will finally catch up to him — and understandably so.

Joe is a complex and multifaceted character that has garnered a massive following among fans of the show. Despite his actions, which include stalking, manipulation, and even murder, many viewers can’t help but love him.

Part of Joe’s appeal is his charm and wit, which make him an intriguing character to watch. His inner struggle between his desire for love and his tendency towards obsession and violence. This often creates tension and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, eager to see how Joe will navigate the situations he finds himself in.

In the first part of You season 4, we see Joe begin to be backed into a corner by the Eat the Rich Killler, Rhys Montrose, which creates an intriguing series of events. It also leads to some concern among audiences regarding what Part 2 might hold for Joe.

Warning: You season 4 part 2 spoilers ahead! 

Does Joe die in You season 4?

You season 4 part 2 is quite a wild ride for Joe and brings about some shocking developments including the death of Joe Goldberg — well sort of.

The biggest development that comes in the second part of season 4 is that Joe has suffered from some sort of psychological break and has been imagining Rhys the whole time. Let’s start at the very beginning. It turns out Joe didn’t let Marienne go following their encounter at the beginning of the season. Instead, he drugged her, took her back to his place, and finally put her in one of his signature glass cages hidden away in a building in town.

While he’s figuring out what to do with Marienne, we see him begin to develop an obsession with Rhys which ultimately would lead to him manifesting as a figment of Joe’s imagination across the season. These hallucinations seem to be triggered when Joe locks Marienne in the cage. You see after he puts her in the cage, she pleads with him to be let go which is when he suddenly slams his head on the cage and then tells her he’s not Joe.

It seems at this moment, a new persona may have emerged as Marienne mentions how when Joe comes back to bring her food, he’s not the same and even sounds different. At the time this persona emerged, it seems Joe began hallucinating Rhys which means all of their interactions in the season’s earlier episodes were Joe’s brain playing tricks on him — a revelation we discover after Joe kills the real Rhys.

As it’s explained later in the season, Rhys is essentially a manifestation of Joe’s inner dark side and was created to help block out Joe’s dark actions across the season including his status as the Eat the Rich Killer.

How does Joe die in You season 4?

Once Joe realizes what he’s done, he is able to work his way backward in order to find the place where his dark persona has locked Marienne away. This is when things start to really spiral for Joe.

Marienne ends up faking her death which leads Joe to the realization that the only way to stop himself from hurting those he “loves” is by taking his own life. After killing Kate’s dad, Joe takes a stroll to a closed bridge where he “kills” Rhys aka his inner dark side before jumping off the bridge to what seems to be his death. As he struggles in the water, it looks as though Joe’s story is coming to an end. However, this is You and a major twist follows.

While Joe does technically die in the You season 4 finale, the police are able to pull him from the waters and the paramedics are able to revive him — thus saving Joe’s life. When he comes to, he’s in a hospital room where he confesses all of his actions to Kate and the pair basically make a pact to help keep each other good because surely that will end well.

So as season 4 comes to an end, Joe has managed to once again cheat death and is very much alive and well as the season comes to a close. The move isn’t shocking given a fifth season is expected to be ordered at Netflix and it’d be hard to have another season of the show without its central character.

Watch You season 4 part 2 on Netflix now!