While Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) likes to think of himself as a good guy, the truth is that he’s an obsessive serial killer constantly on the run from law enforcement. As such, each season of You takes Joe to a different place, where he tries to rebuild his life by surrounding himself with new people. Season 4 is no different, as Joe goes to London to restart his life after brutally murdering Love (Victoria Pedretti). On the other side of the ocean, Joe takes up a new identity and is unwillingly dragged into a social circle composed mainly of entitled heirs. But who are the new characters in You Season 4? And how do they fit into Joe Goldberg’s story? Here’s a non-spoiler guide to the new gang.
Joe Becomes Professor Jonathan Moore
Before discussing You Season 4 new characters, first, we must address the bearded elephant in the room. For Season 4, Joe got a new look and name. He now goes by Jonathan Moore. Using a fake passport, Joe became a literature professor at a university, a dream job for our book-lover serial killer. However, while Joe will once again start a new season looking for a quiet life away from trouble, fate wants to punish him for his crimes and will force him to spend time with the most despicable group of friends ever.
The Oxford Circle
Almost every new character of You Season 4 belongs to the Oxford circle, a group of friends who started hanging out in the famous British university and have been all over each other’s lives ever since. All the members of the Oxford circle are filthy rich and spend their days drinking, using drugs, or having sexual affairs. They worry about things like fashion designers and top-brand products, and most of them think being rich makes them better human beings than everyone else. For that reason, the Oxford circle characters often humiliate staff members and mistake controversy for wisdom. In short, the Oxford circle represents everything Joe hates. Still, he will be forced to spend time with them.
Malcolm and Kate
The first person Professor Jonathan Moore meets in London is Malcolm (Stephen Hagan), another literature teacher at the college. While Malcolm is not originally part of the Oxford circle, everyone accepts his presence because he’s the boyfriend of Kate (Charlotte Ritchie). Kate is fierce, competent, and focused, making her the exact opposite of her lover. Kate is also the only member of the Oxford circle who seems to have built her fortune herself instead of inheriting it from wealthy parents. Malcolm helps Joe get an apartment when he arrives in London as a favor for a colleague. Joe’s new home is right next to Malcolm’s and Kate’s, and through his window, he can see everything the couple does in their place. That’s a dangerous setting for a stalker like Joe, made worse because Malcolm is determined to make friends with the killer.
Lady Phoebe and Adam
Another prominent member of the Oxford circle is Lady Phoebe (Tilly Keeper), an aristocrat who’s all about good vibes. Lady Phoebe might have the kindest heart of all members of her friend group, which usually leads her to take a liking to lost people like Joe. Lady Phoebe dates Adam Pratt (Lukas Gage), who’s not the brightest person in the bunch and frequently starts a new business with his father’s money, only to make them crash and burn after a few months. He’s also more welcoming than most to Joe.
Vic
Vic (Sean Pertwee) is Lady Phoebe's personal bodyguard, who also keeps an eye out for Adam. He soon realizes that Joe is hiding something and does whatever he can to protect Lady Phoebe from the heartbreak of dealing with a grifter.
Rhys
Among all the members of the Oxford circle, Rhys (Ed Speleers) is Joe’s favorite. Like Joe, Rhys grew up in poverty and had a tough childhood, which makes him sympathetic to human misery everywhere. He only became rich in his adulthood when he found out that he was an heir to a British Duke. Despite having a lot of money, Rhys’ life experience kept him humble. Rhys is also the author of one of the best autobiographies Joe has ever read. Whenever Joe has to spend time with the Oxford circle, he tries to stay close to Rhys, the only person with whom he can have an actual conversation.
Roald
From the minute he turns his gaze to Joe for the first time, Roald (Ben Wiggins) harbors a special hatred for the peasant who dares to mingle with the Oxford club. Roald knows Kate from before Oxford, making theirs the longest friendship of the group. Roald is quick to anger, violent, and believes with all his heart that the rich should force their will on everyone else.
Simon and Sophie
Simon (Aidan Cheng) and Sophie (Niccy Lin) are siblings who took utterly different life paths. Sophie used her family money to study marketing and administration, only to apply her knowledge to becoming an Instagram celebrity who makes a living by wearing other people’s brands. Simon, in his turn, likes to pretend he’s a tortured artist when it’s actually his father’s money that keeps him in the art galleries’ circuit.
Gemma, Blessing, and Connie
Rounding up the Oxford circle, we have Gemma (Eve Austin), Blessing (Ozioma Whenu), and Connie (Dario Coates). Gemma is the loudest and one of the most unbearable members of the friend group, who often thinks being racist and classist is just speaking truths that no one else dares. Blessing is a Nigerian Princess involved with pyramid schemes, who might be the dumbest person of a really dumb lot. Blessing believes in conspiracy theories and thinks her scams are actually based on knowledge worth having. Finally, Connie is usually too wasted to do anything more than lay down and smile. He loves horse racing, but there’s not much to say about his bland personality.
Nadia, the Teacher’s Pet
The only main character introduced in Part 1 of You Season 4 that doesn’t come from the Oxford circle is Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman). Nadia is bright, full of ideas, and passionate about literature. It’s no wonder she’ll become Joe’s favorite student while he disguises himself as Professor Jonathan Moore.
Part 1 of You Season 4 comes to Netflix on February 9. Part 2 hits the streamer on March 9. You can watch the trailer for Part 1 below.