Netflix’s You has never been short of surprises, but it would be fair to say that Season 3 was just about chock-full of them at every turn. While Season 1 of You introduced us to the delusions of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and culminated with his murder of Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), Season 2 seemed to level the playing field with the introduction of Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) who harbored secrets just as dangerous as Joe. Before Season 4 Part 1 kicks off, it's time to dive back into the chaos that was Season 3 lest it has any bearing on Joe’s journey in the coming season.

Who Do Love and Joe Kill (and Why) in 'You' Season 3?

Love looking scared in YOU season 3.
Image via Netflix

Season 3 of You picked up where the sophomore season left off, with Joe driving off into suburbia with his murderous wife Love and their baby Henry. However, despite their best attempts to put their violent tendencies behind them, Season 3 quickly becomes a grand game of cat and mouse with the husband and wife duo trying to outwit each other. This is in part due to Joe’s constant infatuations with other women, the first being Natalie (Micheala McManus), and then Marienne (Tati Gabrielle). However, their growing tension is also due to Love's misguided attempts to protect her family as she gets over her brother Forty (James Scully)’s death, and begins a romance with Theo (Dylan Arnold), the neighbor’s son.

Upon discovering that Joe’s latest obsession is Natalie, Love lures the real estate agent into the basement of the bakery she’s bought and murders her — in the very first episode! This sets off a chain of events that eventually leads to an explosive season finale and the shocking death of Love Quinn (but we'll get there).

Natalie’s husband Matthew Engler (Scott Speedman) doesn’t take his wife’s disappearance too kindly and soon there’s a search party underway for Natalie. The Goldbergs tie Natalie’s disappearance with another one of Love’s murdered victims — this time Gil (Mackenzie Astin) an anti-vaxxer whose kids infected Henry with measles. The story they spin is that Natalie and Gil were having an affair and Gil killed Natalie and then himself. However, this isn’t convincing enough for Matthew, who begins to feel as if something is off about his neighbors. He begins to use extreme surveillance measures to try and figure out what happened to Natalie. Eventually he begins to realize that Love and Joe may have some connection to Natalie’s death.

As the tension in his home escalates, Joe finds himself drawn to his boss, Marienne. Despite the potential consequences, he begins an illicit affair with her. However, their relationship is not without its complications. Marienne is in the midst of a custody battle with her wealthy ex-partner, Ryan (Scott Michael Foster), who is determined to keep their daughter, Juliette, away from her. Marienne is a former drug addict who is trying to turn her life around and provide a better future for herself and her daughter. She confides in Joe that her ultimate dream is to relocate to Paris with Juliette and start a new life there. In order to pursue his relationship with Marienne, Joe takes drastic measures, ultimately killing Ryan in order to clear the way for their future together. Meanwhile, Love starts her own romance with Theo under the guise of getting intel on Matthew.

RELATED: 'You' Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know So Far

What Happens in the 'You' Season 3 Finale?

Love Quinn, played by Victoria Pedretti, looking upset as she sharpens her knife in the 'You' Season 3 finale.
Image via Netflix

The final episode of You Season 3 subsequently sees Love and Joe finally face each other. After Love insists she still wants to have another baby, Joe expedites his process of leaving her, ideally heading off with Marienne. However, upon finding out about his betrayal, Love confronts Joe and asks whether he is in love with her. After a heated argument, he suggests they should get a divorce. All of this is happening while Joe and Love have their meddling neighbors, influencers Sherry (Shalita Grant) and Cary Conrad (Travis Van Winkle) locked in their glass cage after the two overhear the Goldbergs having a heated argument in which they confess to Natalie's murder. Adding more tension is Theo discovering the two locked in the cage and subsequently getting thrown down the stairs by Love.

Joe's request for a divorce doesn't go well, seeing as how Love poisons Joe. As he collapses on the floor, Love decides that the only way to save their marriage is to confront Marienne and put an end to the affair. However, upon conversing with Marienne and seeing her little daughter Juliette, Love has a change of heart. Juliette's innocence and vulnerability causes Love to realize that Marienne is not the enemy, but rather a victim of Joe's manipulation and deceit. She has a heart-to-heart conversation with her, warning her about Joe's dangerous and murderous nature and revealing that he killed Ryan. At that moment, Love decides to spare Marienne and instead turns her attention back to Joe. Upon returning home, Love finds Joe lying on the floor, helpless and at her mercy. She pulls out a knife, ready to end his life. However, Joe, who had always been one step ahead, injects Love with the same drug she intended to use on him, paralyzing her and leaving her unable to move.

As Love sinks further into paralysis, she tells Joe that she thinks they are perfect for each other, but not good for their son Henry. Joe thus writes a note explaining why he is leaving his child and later that night, goes to his colleague Dante (Ben Mehl)'s house and leaves Henry there with Dante and his partner. Before leaving, Joe chooses to end things in an elaborate manner by creating a crime scene that makes Love's death appear to be an accident. He cuts off two of his toes to simulate a violent altercation between the couple and sets fire to the house, making it seem as though Love killed Joe and then took her own life.

The final episode of You Season 3 also shows Matthew and Theo rebuilding their relationship as Theo leaves the hospital in good health, thankfully surviving after Love pushes him down the stairs. Dante is shown to have gained custody of Henry. Sherry and Cary are released from their confinement and gain fame from the press coverage of their experience. The season then ends with Joe having moved to Paris, likely in search of Marienne. We know from the promos for Season 4 that he has moved to the UK, so clearly things don’t work out with Marienne, but it would be interesting to see how that plays out given Joe's extreme tendencies to fixate on a woman.

You Season 4 will air in two parts on Netflix. The first half lands on February 9, and the second on March 9. You can check out the trailer below.