What Is the Story About?
Joe (Penn Badgley) is now married to Love (Victoria Pedretti), and together they have moved to Madre Linda, a suburb in California. They have a newborn kid, Henry, which has changed the ‘love’ dynamic between them.
As time passes, Joe is attracted to Natalie, a secretive woman in his neighbour. He holds his thoughts and actions, as he thinks it is not correct. Joe later sets sight on someone else. However, things don’t go as planned when Love gets to know about it. In a rage, she kills Natalie, creating a snowball effect on their (Joe-Love) personal and societal relationship. What happens in the end to them is the third’s season basic plot.
Performances?
Penn Badgley is the reason why one is hooked to You in the first place. He continues the same form in the third season. He lives that character, and his inner thoughts are why we go through the entire narrative. They are quirky, well-timed and land all the time. Penn Badgley somehow manages to pull off even the overstuffed with his deadpan delivery.
Besides the usual, there is a lot of scope for drama and romance. Penn Badgley does well on all counts, although. He enjoys the process, and it shows in how the character engages us, despite a lot of repetitiveness.
Analysis
Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble are the creators of the series. The latter is also the showrunner. Silver Tree, John Scott, Pete Chatmon, and Sasha Alexander direct season three.
The basic premise of the third season is fascinating. So, we have two psychos as a husband and wife, and they have a kid. What happens to them when they can’t control their natural urges is a scintillating premise. Unfortunately, we only get that impact in parts.
The beginning of the third season happens on a predictable note. However, things take an exciting turn when the ‘incident’ happens. The clash between Joe and Love provides a raw edge to the narrative, which is high for the entire three seasons. But, it isn’t sustained well.
The subplots involving social influencer mom (Sherry Conrad) and a reclusive techie CEO (Matthew) aren’t neatly blended into the main narrative. The direction in which Matthew track takes is a long drawn one connecting to the main plot. The step-son track is needlessly stretched.
After an engaging beginning, You 3 takes a long diversion in the middle segment. The narrative moves in circles without progressing much related to the main people. The whole thing feels bloated with a few not so surprising twists thrown in between.
The way the Conrads track progresses further makes the narrative convoluted. The Joe-Marienne thread, on the other hand, moves in a very predictable way. Still, the chemistry and the writing makes the whole thing passable, though.
The feeling that one gets with the different threads is that of an overdrawn narrative. In the end, each block gets to the right point. The problem is the narrative to reach there.
After a lot of unevenness, the narrative is finally on track and at its best towards the end. The final episode especially is terrific. It is what one has been expecting from the beginning, but only getting in parts.
In short, the best parts are when Joe and Love are together but working against one another. It gets more thrilling when Love dominates Joe, but we don’t have that enough.
Overall, You Season 3 has an exciting plot and characters, but a convoluted and overdrawn narrative doesn’t let it realise its full potential. Watch it if you have already seen the previous seasons and don’t mind the lead. If you find the ‘lead’ and his characterisation repetitive, stay away.
Other Artists?
Victoria Pedretti is superb, and also with Penn Badgley makes a killer couple, literally. They compliment each other. However, unlike Penn’s, Victoria’s role is a little sketchy regarding details. While Joe’ character seems overstuffed at times, Love feels underwritten and left out in the narrative. She is then suddenly brought into the proceedings intermittently to deliver a twist. It leads to a bumpy ride even though Victoria Pedretti is doing her best. This uncertainly adds a raw edge to the narrative, which is both its strength and weakness.
Tati Gabrielli looks fab and does her part clinically. Saffron Burrows and Shalita Grant are fine but overact many times. Scott Speedman feels underutilised both as a performer and the character, in general. Dylan Arnold is alright initially but gets irritating as the show progresses.
Music and Other Departments?
Blake Neely’s music is a perfect fit for the narrative without going overboard. It gives that smooth, classy, lively feel at the same time maintaining the suspense mood. The cinematography is consistently first-rate, but it has been better before. The editing is fine overall. The writing is one of the mainstays of the series. It is good here, as well.
Highlights?
Joe-Love Dynamic
The Beginning
The Ending
Exciting Characters
Drawbacks?
Convoluted Narrative
Bloated In Parts
Length
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, For The Most Part
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Little Reservation
You Season 3 Review by Binged Bureau
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