You Series-Finale Recap: The Once and Future Lonely Boy

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How should Joe’s story and our series end? This question about an appropriate finale is posed repeatedly, hinting that whatever resolution we receive may not please us. Is it even possible to have a satisfying conclusion for his tale? Dying or escaping would be too simple or depressing, respectively. So, what events lead Joe to prison in the final episode?

In the closing scene, Joe finds himself fleeing with his partner beside him. She momentarily imagines herself pulling the trigger, but ultimately talks herself out of it: She yearns for explanations beforehand. She explains through a voice-over to emphasize her intentions, “How do I provide you with the ending you deserve?” This could be seen as a subtextual critique on the female-driven longing for “closure” at the end of an unhealthy relationship: the misconception that if questions are asked in a specific sequence, answers will magically appear. In reality, such closure is seldom, if ever, obtained, and insisting upon it or waiting for it may keep one bound to the relationship (mentally, if not physically). However, we’re led to hope for her success, even though she pursues her goal in an extremely ineffective manner. My apologies!

what was the intention behind this storyline? Also, Bronte didn’t tell Dom where she was going, which could be why she ended up alone. Kate and Nadia had a plan and each other’s support, but in this case, Bronte is left on her own due to her own actions.

In this story, even Joe has a confidant: his long-time friend William Bettleheim, also known as Robin Lord Taylor. Originally, Joe took William’s identity when he relocated to L.A., but due to William’s usefulness in creating a new persona for him, Joe let him continue living. It was William who orchestrated the staged boating accident involving Reagan; now he’s helping Joe and Louise create new passports with names derived from their vampire-themed erotica – Ezra and Ella. On top of that, he’s working on a plan to enable Joe to communicate with his son one last time.

At a gas station, Louise steps inside to purchase some snacks when she encounters a state trooper by chance. Instead of warning him about potential danger from another driver, she opts to buy a copy of Beck’s book, which surprisingly is for sale there. She also glances at one of the hot-pink self-defense rings for women as a precaution against potential threats. Afterwards, Louise and Joe travel to the vacation rental they plan on staying in without any formal permission, leaving its owners likely regretting their lack of enhanced security measures.

Louise gazes upon the master bedroom, foreseeing that her fiancé, who some might call a serial-killer, will want to engage in intimacy with her. However, she struggles to convincingly partake in even a simple kiss, thus deciding to put an end to this relationship tonight. Over a scrumptious dinner (Louise’s voiceover: “Perhaps he picked up this culinary skill from your first deceased spouse”), they engage in a conversation filled with subtext about how their respective stories will conclude. Louise suggests that Joe’s character might need to experience some form of retribution, which causes Joe to abandon the façade that they are discussing fictional characters. Isn’t the loss of his son and bookstore enough punishment for him? His aquarium was in there! Louise then changes the subject to her own concerns: Immortality is a myth. Does she survive in Joe’s tale?

Joe, captivated once more by the metaphorical “broken bird” that initially drew him in, is eager to console her. He proposes, “a glimpse of our future,” and invites her rowing. Cute, I suppose. Yet, she remains preoccupied with Beck. Are others finding these literal song references a bit too noticeable? The transition from “Guilty As Sin” to “Happier Than Ever”? Seems quite costly!

Upon returning home, Louise has a risky scheme: brandishing a gun while Joe is performing an intimate act on her. The question arises as to why she would do this so recklessly, considering it’s an incredibly vulnerable position for her. She insists that Joe reveals how he murdered Beck; then she throws Beck’s book at him and orders him to remove himself from it. This situation reminded me of being told to edit my draft, I thought to myself as Joe crossed out his cherished writing under threat of the gun. Hearing Joe say, “She wrote this one in the cage,” made me chuckle; it seemed like he was reminiscing about Beck’s time in captivity.

In a tense moment where Louise points a gun at him, Joe intuits her hidden affection for him. It’s puzzling why she chose to accompany him here instead of letting him perish in the fire. Joe suggests that it’s because she can’t bear to lose him: “No one else will ever love you as I do!” Indeed, she can only wish! Joe expresses his affection while Louise cries and I lose my mind. Then, Joe’s phone vibrates, and he begs for permission to answer it since it might be his son. And it is: Will, who managed to access Henry’s video game. It’s fortunate that your overly confident child was given some beneficial screen time, Joe!

Henry, who seems deeply affected by everything happening, tells us he’s at home with Uncle Teddy, who is conversing with U.S. Marshals. Henry inquires, “What did you do to Mommy?” This question catches Joe off guard, as he didn’t expect it. Henry then makes a heartbreaking comment about monsters in his room and accusing Joe of being the monster all along, which is typical of what kids might say. After that, he ends the call. At this moment, it would be ideal for Joe to kill Henry and make it look like suicide. Joe instead blames Henry’s mother, specifically referring to Love this time, not Kate. Interestingly, Love’s final words to Joe were that his son would understand Joe was a monster. Although Love Quinn wasn’t everyone’s favorite, she certainly knew what she was talking about.

Disregarding Maddie’s advice, Joe breaks down crying, exclaiming “I try to love, but it always crumbles!” Here, the passive voice is doing a lot of work. Ultimately, Joe comes to believe: “It’s me. I’m unworthy of love.” With the gun still trained on him, Louise states, “Joe, I’m not sure what you deserve,” but she loudly declares that he is “not the victim.” Eventually, she announces her intention to call the police. Joe cautions her that it won’t help; after all, he publicly murdered Clayton, yet he remains free. Because Louise insists on delivering a grand statement rather than simply shooting him in the leg to ensure her safety until the police arrive, she declares that she has betrayed him so the world can too. Consequently, Joe assaults her.

From my perspective, I found the intermittent illumination in this scene rather appealing, allowing us to avoid a direct, gruesome portrayal of that intense, unsettling altercation. The rest of the sequence adhered to my Sacred Rules of Screen Storytelling, particularly the rule about gunshots: No matter how grievously hurt someone appears, they’ll always manage to dash around and keep us on edge, while clearly articulating until their final moments. As Joe pursued Louise through the house, his voice-over confirmed my suspicions – he had indeed injured her ankle! Yet, despite what he said, “I never truly believed it would aid me in ending your life one day.

Louise successfully dialed 911 before losing her phone in the grass, though it seems to be still picking up sounds. A storm is approaching and the police are on their way. Just to clarify again, Louise refers to Joe as a “pathetic misogynist.” In response, Joe rushes at her and tackles her. With an eerie intensity in his eyes, he threatens to reveal how he murdered Beck. However, it’s Louise who stabs him with the weapon she found at the gas station. Joe pursues her into the pond, where she seemingly drowns; the sound of sirens grows louder as the police arrive. Tragically, Joe uses the same versatile tool from the gas station to kill the officer who finds him. This scene seems to be a clever advertisement for the multi-purpose items available at gas stations.

The way we endure a man like you is by fantasizing about you.” He pleads for death, but she denies him. Instead, she intends to condemn Joe to his vision of hell: a life spent in solitude, under constant scrutiny from the media due to his trial, exposed to the world as he truly is. It’s all quite messy and theatrical. In one final attempt, Joe charges at her, but she shoots him, and then…

As “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” begins to play, I can’t help but erupt in laughter once more. Could it be that these musical cues are meant to be humorous? Let’s discuss! In the meantime, we find ourselves in a courtroom setting. Joe is impeccably dressed in a suit, and although I understand Louise’s decision, I believe that people will adore him. He’s definitely destined for the “sexy psycho killer” spotlight. Interestingly enough, given the streaming service where this series unfolds, someone like Joe would undoubtedly be the focus of numerous Netflix documentaries.

What makes this [particular] standout – true to your signature style of being almost painfully literal yet fittingly so – is that Louise’s last bullet shot off Joe’s penis. After an entire season filled with lamenting feelings of emasculation, this twist is especially satisfying! If ever Joe regained his freedom, he would never be able to ‘dickmatize’ a woman again, and I find that outcome quite beautiful.

In Louise’s narration through voice-over, we discover that Joe was found guilty for the murders of Love and Beck, and later received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the killings of Benji and Peach. Additional convictions are pending, ensuring he stays in prison indefinitely. Dr. Nicky’s conviction has been overturned. Dom and Phoenix are touring podcast networks seeking their next Joe Goldberg, and it could be argued that the show glorifies internet detectives and true-crime enthusiasts. Nadia is resuming her writing career and now teaches English in correctional facilities for women. Harrison and Maddie have regained their freedom; she’s pregnant with twins. Gretchen exudes an unusual amount of happiness, but I can’t help but feel concerned about her well-being!

Kate lived through (!) a fire that was incorrectly labeled “Bronte’s Inferno” by the media. According to my cherished Unbreakable Guidelines of Television Health and Medicine, the burn marks from the fire left her stunning face untouched. She has returned to her role as gallerist, promoting the artwork of Marienne, who is no longer hiding. Teddy holds a CEO position within some Lockwood company; it will be entirely nonprofit. Aren’t you excited for him that his husband is real! How exciting. Kate also gained custody of Henry, so much for the fathers at Madre Linda, LOL. Joe’s input was removed from Beck’s book and the revised version is selling like hotcakes.

How about rephrasing it like this: “Fancy meeting up with Joe? He’s currently being held in a maximum-security facility. I recently spoke with Penn Badgley, not long after he wrapped up filming You, and I wondered if the bald look was for his character or post-series recovery. Interestingly enough, it turned out to be a prison haircut! Remarkably, we spend an unusually long period – approximately a minute – in complete silence during this show.

It makes sense that the show chooses to conclude with its distinctive narration by Joe, as he reads from ‘The Executioner’s Song’. One might wonder if there could be a book penned by a female author for this character to read instead. After all, Norman Mailer, who is infamous for having stabbed his wife and countless letters from admirers, may not be the best choice. It doesn’t surprise me that Joe is a popular target of prison pen pals. I had hoped to witness an influx of fan mail in the final scene, with the series ending on Joe composing a reply to one of these ardent fans, starting his letter with a casual “Hello, You.

Instead of expressing that Joe realizes his punishment exceeds his expectations, we could say he finds his predicament harsher than anticipated. He acknowledges that loneliness will be a constant companion for him throughout eternity (Full circle/Leo pointing moment!). Just before the song “Creep” by Radiohead begins to play, there’s another striking moment where Joe ponders whether perhaps society itself might be the culprit. Could it be possible that he isn’t the problem, but rather the rest of us? Might we be the ones causing the issue?

Alright, let’s keep an open mind during brainstorming, but Joe, I must admit, I’ve never attempted to build a human aquarium before. It seems rather delusional, doesn’t it? Eventually, you might look at the persistent idea that one can repair a person and wisely conclude, “No, that’s not feasible.

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2025-04-26 00:55