‘You’: Penn Badgley Knew Love Was Going to Die Before Season 3

Fans of You on Netflix understand that characters don’t last very long once they come into contact with Joe Goldberg. Even as Joe’s wife, Love Quinn couldn’t avoid her husband’s violent outbursts and met an untimely death by the end of season 3. Like many viewers, Penn Badgley knew his onscreen wife, played by Victoria Pedretti, would ultimately meet her demise. 

Penn Badgley knew Love wouldn’t kill Joe

Badgley recently participated in a WIRED Autocomplete Interview, where he answered the internet’s most searched questions about himself. One question led him to share some insight on last season’s ending. 

“I always knew that Love was gonna die,” he said. “I did not think she was gonna kill [Joe]. I knew that the show had too long left to go.” 

Most viewers also predicted Love’s death, as her volatile relationship with Joe had gotten to the point where one of them had to die. So unless showrunners decided to replace Badgley’s character with Pedretti, her death was inevitable. 

Badgley clarified who Joe Goldberg loves

The internet question that inspired Badgley to share his thoughts on Love’s death was, “Who does Joe Goldberg love?” According to the actor, Joe doesn’t love anyone. 

“Joe Goldberg doesn’t even love himself,” he told WIRED. “This is the thing. Some people might say, like, you know, ‘Men are trash,’ the self-centered, narcissistic thing. Narcissists don’t love themselves. They can’t love themselves, and therefore they can’t love anybody.”

Playing a narcissist doesn’t come without drawbacks, though. 

Badgley said playing a serial killer is intense

It comes as no surprise that playing a character like Joe Goldberg is sometimes intense. While he enjoys the role, Badgley compared it to an unpleasant workout likely to end with a lengthy trip to the bathroom. 

“Playing Joe has been very enriching,” Badgley shared. “I do like it. I like it the way you like going to the gym when you know you might throw up. You ever done CrossFit? I haven’t, but you know, I know of that. It can be intense. It’s a little bit like that.”

Perhaps it’s all the voiceover work he has to do on top of his scenes that adds to the intensity of his work. 

Penn Badgley shared his ideas for the show’s ending

Goodbye… YOU. Joe Goldberg will return for the fifth and final season of YOU in 2024. pic.twitter.com/1PIP0pRizK

— YOU (@YouNetflix) March 24, 2023

After being renewed for its fifth and final season, fans have speculated what will become of Joe Goldberg in season 5 of You. Badgley has his own ideas on what should happen to his character. In an interview with NME, the actor shared that he hopes to see some kind of justice. 

“What if there was, like, a torturous sequence where we finally get to see Joe suffer?” he considered. “But actually, we [already] get to see Joe suffer constantly. He’s constantly bloodied and battered; he’s fumbling, he’s bumbling. He nearly dies all the time. He’s been paralyzed … But if Joe gets murdered by someone, that person is brought [down] to his level — is that justice? And prison for Joe is somehow not satisfying.”

Badgley also shared that writers have already pitched him an ending! While he can’t share it with the public, he revealed that the pitch addresses the question: What is justice?

Season 4 of You is now streaming on Netflix.