You have to give some credit to Netflix- they took what appeared as a dreary, disconnected first half of season 4 and turned things around for the better. If you recall, we witness as Joe (now known as Jonathan Moore) is framed for the murders of his aristocrat friends. The first half of the season is spent chasing leads while trying to run from his past. But things were not as they appeared. Whereas we were dead-set on blaming Rhys Montrose, the charismatic mayoral candidate for the murders, everything quickly comes undone at the end of Episode 7, “Good Man, Cruel World.” Here, our world gets flipped upside down.
Joe Goldberg, Party of Two
Upon finally confronting Rhys, we watch as Joe brutally tortures and eventually kills off the former murder suspect. But here’s the thing: Rhys was innocent all along. Where we think the chase finally ends is where it actually all begins. Rhys appears again, a figment of Joe’s imagination. He’d hyper-fixated on the man, drawn in by their paralleling desire for change and rough upbringing. So much so, that he morphed Rhys into his own alternate, killer personality.
So where does this leave us? Well, to put it simply: Joe is a man chasing redemption. Jonathan is a man after vengeance. And they coexist. We see Jonathan build The Box again, housing Marienne for weeks on end. Joe has to helplessly scramble and catch up to his alternate persona in attempts to save Marienne. All the while, sharp university student Nadia is on his tail, picking up the murder mystery clues that Professor Jonathan Moore had taught her in the first place. No longer were we dealing with a “who dun it?” scenario, but a sick take on M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’.
All’s Well That Ends Well For YOU
There’s so much to discuss in the second half of season 4, but let’s end off with a few facts. Marienne got away with the help of Nadia and her boyfriend, Edward. Unfortunately, the latter ended up as another victim of Jonathan Moore. As for Nadia- her snooping led to her demise, and the Eat The Rich Killer was ultimately pinned on her. And Joe? Well, our favorite killer has gotten away with it yet again. Only now, with the help of rich girlfriend Kate, he is able to reclaim his story in his favor. He shares to the world that he survived the terrors of Love Quinn and re-enters the world as Joe Goldberg once more. It seems that this season was trying to teach us a valuable lesson: money is a finite resource, and the root of all evil.
It’s too soon to speak on season 5, but there’s speculation on the next season being the last. Even Tati Gabrielle, who plays Marienne, is hoping for an end to Joe’s killing sprees. After all, hiding behind money can only get you so far. Even if you’re Joe Goldberg.
