‘You’: Penn Badgley Says Joe and Kate ‘Have a Friendship,’ What This Could Mean for Season 5
Season 4 of You felt different to watch for multiple reasons. One is that Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) had a different type of relationship. Badgley explained why things feel so different with Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie).
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from the You Season 4 Part 2.]
Penn Badgley says Joe and Kate have a friendship
Season 4 shows Joe living as professor Jonathan Moore in England. The first few episodes show Joe stalking Kate more out of necessity to find a killer than because of his own affection. But the season ends with them sharing their deepest secrets with each other.
Kate inherits her father’s wealth and uses it to protect Joe. They are supposedly going to focus on philanthropy.
“Kate is interesting because there’s a different side to Joe coming out,” Badgley said on Podcrushed. “So let’s–so in the world where neither of them are evil. They’re both protagonists like they actually have a friendship that is different I think, from all the other relationships somehow, right? It’s like somehow more of a pure…not sure how that works, but it is.”
He agreed that Joe seemed more like himself at the end of the season with her. We do see glimpses of the season 1 Joe with a shaven face, and we hear that he owns a bookstore now.
Joe and Kate could have an open relationship in ‘You’ Season 5
Where Joe struggled to stay faithful in his monogamous marriage in season 3 with Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), he might have more freedom with Kate. In season 4, Kate grows to have affection for Joe. But if their friendship is more a bond over moving forward from harming others in the past, that might mean they’ll be open to finding romance elsewhere.
No matter what, Joe’s relationships will look different next season. He accepted the darkest part of himself at the end of season 4, and he has more resources than ever before.
So whoever he sets his eyes on next season will be in great danger. Of course, he will want to keep Kate happy if he wants to continue to be rich and powerful.
Why Joe and Kate won’t last
It was clear Joe and Kate were incompatible in multiple ways. Kate realized he was uncomfortable because he liked to “make love” the first time they had sex.
The wealthy daughter is also determined to prove her independence. Joe loves perceiving women as people who need to be saved. This led to them being at odds for most of season 4.
He did help her by killing her overbearing father. Joe might lose interest fast now that she has her biggest obstacle out of the way.
Netflix hasn’t announced a season five. However, Badgley seems confident the show will be back in his interview. So fans will have to wait and see where this “friendship” goes.
