You season 4 theory explains how Joe has already killed Marienne

1 March 2023, 12:27

Penn Badgley says he gets nauseous filming You’s gory scenes

By Sam Prance

Is Marienne dead in You season 4? Is Joe having hallucinations about Rhys? Here's what fans think.

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You fans have a theory that Joe Goldberg has killed Marienne in season 4 and that his interactions with Rhys are in his head.

You season 4 introduces fans to a very different Joe Goldberg. In Part 1, Joe is presented as an anti-hero hellbent on finding out who the Eat the Rich killer is. Not only that but when Marienne makes clear that she wants nothing to do with Joe, Joe lets her go back to Paris and refrains from kidnapping/harming her as he's done with women he's stalked in the past.

What if Joe's narration in Part 1 is incorrect though? Fans believe that Joe actually killed Marienne and he's lying to himself.

You season 4 theory explains how Joe has already killed Marienne. Picture: Netflix

In a new viral theory on Reddit, one fan wrote: "What if Marianne is already dead? We never saw the train leave with Marienne on it. Just his inner monologue that he would go on to say it wasn't true."

The fan then suggested that Joe is the real killer: "Once he became Jonathan, he could no longer process that he was Joe doing what Joe does."

Building on their theory, they argued that all of Joe's interactions with Rhys are a figment of his imagination and he's using his made-up version of Rhys to distract from his actions. They wrote: "Rhys is real but his alone interactions with Joe are not. When it's Johnathan and Rhys, Rhys is a reflection of Joe."

Agreeing, one viewer commented: "I believe Joe will find out somehow that Marienne is dead and he will have a massive epiphany it was him killing everyone all along and he did not 'let her go'". Another viewer added: "Yeah I find it hard to believe Joe just drops his tendencies and habits and becomes a new man."

You season 4 Marienne theory. Picture: @rawviews1818 via Reddit

You season 4 Marienne theory comments. Picture: @rawviews1818 via Reddit

As it stands, Netflix and the You cast and crew are yet to confirm whether or not any of the theories surrounding You season 4 are true. Others believe that Love is still alive and Joe is hallucinating everything. People also think that the photographer who keeps on popping up in the show could be a private investigator.

What do you think? Is Marienne dead? Has Joe really left his past behind him?