‘You’ Star Victoria Pedretti Shares Why She Thinks Fans Are So Tolerant of Joe: ‘Our Expectations for Men Are Extremely Low’
You Season 3 dropped on Netflix in October, picking up where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) left off. The two moved to the suburbs with their newborn baby at the tail end of You Season 2. However, Joe’s dwindling interest in his new wife promised to shake things up.
And season 3 delivered on that promise, with the two characters butting heads throughout the new episodes. Joe always seems to come out on top though — and Pedretti has a guess as to why.
Victoria Pedretti plays Joe’s wife and nemesis in ‘You’ Season 3
Pedretti’s character, Love, was introduced during You Season 2, but she spent most of the show’s sophomore season as Joe Goldberg’s latest obsession. Only during the final episodes did her true colors shine through, revealing that she was just as messed up as Joe. Of course, the realization that she was a killer caused Joe to press the brakes on his feelings for her. Unfortunately for him, she was already pregnant with his child.
You Season 3 opens with the two of them trying to live a normal, suburban life despite their history. But as much as they want what’s best for their new baby, the duo can’t shake their old habits. Pedretti’s character becomes Joe’s nemesis as much as his wife, an obstacle for him to overcome as the episodes progress.
And despite both characters being murderous and despicable, Love receives less empathy from her new neighbors. That’s also true for many viewers, who have tolerated Joe for three seasons but don’t necessarily feel the same way about Love. So, why does Joe Goldberg get so much slack on-screen and off?
Why do fans tolerate Joe? Victoria Pedretti weighs in
Joe Goldberg has walked away from three seasons of murders relatively unscathed, something that seems unbelievable at first glance. However, fans are still watching his story despite how despicable his character is. Much like the people who let him get away with things on-screen, viewers have a habit of putting up with Joe’s behavior.
During an interview with Teen Vogue, Pedretti hazarded a guess as to why that is. She pointed to Joe’s privilege as a white man, allowing him to get away with far more than his equally as problematic wife:
“The amount of tolerance we have for Joe’s less than ideal behavior is so high because our expectations for men are extremely low, which is probably a good way to stay not constantly angry in the world. But it’s still not fair, right? We don’t live in a fair world, and I think that is what all of this is meant to emphasize.”
If nothing else, each season of You has driven home exactly how unfair things are. Will Joe ever get what he deserves? It’s questionable.
Will Joe ever get his comeuppance in ‘You’?
With Joe seemingly able to scheme his way out of anything, fans have to wonder whether he’ll ever get his comeuppance. Every season of You has seen him escaping consequences by the skin of his teeth. With the Netflix series already renewed for season 4, there’s still a chance Joe could face punishment for what he’s done. But with where things left off in You Season 3, it’s seemingly less and less likely.
And as Pedretti points out, that might just be the point. While many fans would love to see Joe actually get caught, that narrative wouldn’t highlight the injustice of it all. Still, it would be nice to see justice prevail for a change. Maybe next season.
You Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix.
