Hello … you.
Episode 2 claimed another victim in Simon while Joe continued his research into his new friend group in the hopes to uncover his stalker’s identity before his stalker can identify the real him. His efforts are to no avail — the episode closed with the stalker revealing he does know “Jonathan’s” true identity and all of the naughty things Joe Goldberg has gotten up to in the past few years of his life.
This article containers spoilers for You season 4, episode 3 “Eat the Rich.”
To say Joe is beginning to be frantic would be an understatement. He is clamoring to remove the posters, pictures, and news articles tapped to his flat walls by his stalker, who has uncovered “Jonathan’s” true identity — Joe Goldberg. He’s also increasingly angry now, because he really wanted this new life to work for him, to prove that he is still a good man.
“Am I right?
Are all those articles about you?”
“My name is Jonathan Moore”
“Come on, Joe.
Tell me the truth.”
Joe throws his phone after the most recent string of taunting texts, before going full-paranoia: changing the locks and ultimately deciding to ghost the stalker.
“Are you ignoring me?
You’re hurting my feelings, Joe.
Are you there??”
While trying to carry on with his “normal” life by showing up to teach his class at the university, the stalker — now known as the “Eat the Rich Killer” (ETRK) — has also mailed Malcolm’s missing finger to the police. This is obviously an attempt to scare Joe, which works.
“Now do I have your attention?”
“What do you want?”
“Admit you’re Joe Golberg.”
“I’m not.
But if I was…what would you want from me?”
“For starters:
Why’d you kill ALL those people?
Should mention…still have Simon’s ear.
Shall I sent with a note signed “Jonathan Moore”?”
“If I had done these things, it could only have been because I had no other options.”
“Ah. It was life or death.”
Joe wants to be there for Nadia, who he still suspects was sleeping with Malcolm, but he cannot focus his attention properly on her while also waiting to hear from the ETRK again. In the meantime, he sees Kate being questioned by the police … only for said police to end up in his flat, which is the last thing our lead needs. The police initially conclude that “Jonathan” is the last person to have seen Malcolm alive, but he throws them off the trail by directing them toward Blue, the gallery-crasher from episode two.
“That bitch sent the police straight to you.
Kate’s a threat
Life or death, one might say
You should take care of her.”
“Kate won’t be a problem.”
Joe decides that if his stalker wants Kate dead, if he follows Kate he will surely run into the killer. Instead, he finds Nadia procuring the spare key to Malcolm’s flat because she wrote Malcolm a letter that will publicly destroy her if it gets out. Taking on the role of the white knight once again, he says he will use his friendship with Kate (haha) to get the letter back for her.
Joe continues to hate the individuals in this friend group more and more — seemingly suspicious of everyone still alive in the group other than Lady Phoebe. The funeral reveals who is paranoid about the killer and who isn’t, and also that Roald is very protective of Kate. After the funeral, Vic continues to be highly suspicious of “Jonathan.”
“Why haven’t you killed Kate yet?”
Joe follows Kate to a pub where she is seeking reprieve from the emotions of the wake, and she continues to be perfectly coy and sarcastic with him while he is insistent on keeping her safe and ensuring she’s not alone. The pair have their first real connection when she asks if he was an emotional child, revealing that she had a rough upbringing herself — her mother forbade her from crying no matter what the situation was.
Kate has Joe follow her to a spot she used to share with Malcolm — a secret garden in the middle of the city — where the two have sex for the first time. Vic is standing in the garden watching the entire time which is highly yucky and suspicious.
Joe wakes in Malcolm and Kate’s flat and immediately starts digging around — doing what he does best — to find the letter Nadia wrote to Malcolm. Kate discovers what he’s doing and indicates a moment of insecurity, asking if he only came back home with her to sneak around. She, of course, kicks him out … and she’s completely in the right to do so.
“Been watching you … “protect” her.
I’ve figured you out.
I think you kill to protect the things you love.
…but she did help me see your pattern.
You like it.
How it feels. To kill.
The life going out of their eyes. The power.
Bet it makes your dick hard.
Bet it’s hard right now, just thinking of it.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’ll show you.”
Distracted by the newest string of texts, Joe misses Kate pull away after being inside all day. He follows her to a crypt with only one way in or out where she is talking to Malcolm — his finger, at least. When Kate leaves, Vic emerges from behind Joe, pulling a gun on him and searching him. He finds Malcolm’s ring in one of his pockets and Joe tries to state someone is framing him.
Vic threatens to expose him as the murderer and the two enter a physical altercation, ultimately leading to Joe murdering the man. Joe mentally insists he hated committing the murder and that he’s nothing like his stalker, but later remarks how he’s “gotten too good at this” when it comes to disposing of bodies.
“I was right, wasn’t I?
You liked it.”
“The only thing you’ve accomplished is making me determined to end you. I may not enjoy it but the world will be better and no one will y -“
Joe stops typing before he can send that draft of the message, coming to a mental revelation — the murderer is lonely and is searching for a friend, a kindred spirit. He quickly deletes the message to attempt a new angle.
“You were right.
That was exhilarating.”
Now it’s time for the murderer to ghost Joe, who is still at some peace knowing Kate has returned home safe.
Joe is continuing to spy on Kate through the windows while she begins to mourn in her own way, burning a portrait of Malcolm. She sees him watching her and doesn’t seem to mind based on her expression. The moment is interrupted by a text from Phoebe summoning him to Sundry House. Before leaving, he is visited by Nadia who he returns the letter to, giving her advice on how to deal with losing someone you love care for.
“I think it’s time for us to meet.”
“One condition. Leave Kate alone. She’s mine.”
“There’s the Joe I’ve been looking for.”
“When and where?”
“Details soon…”
When Joe arrives at the Sundry House, he is met with the living group members staring him down, and the same detectives from before asking for a moment of his time.
If you need to catch up on recaps for the season, you’ll be able to find them here. You season 4 part 1 is available to stream now on Netflix.
