Well, this season of You was different.
After four years of watching Joe (Penn Badgley) stalking, kidnapping, and killing practically anyone he sets his eyes on, You Season 4 Part 1 dished out a new killer on a silver platter that Joe can’t knock over. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Joe’s finally gotten a taste of his own medicine, and it’s all thanks to Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers). The man, the myth, and the legend behind all of this season’s eat-the-rich themed killings, and the first person to outwit Joe in his own game (so far).
But who exactly is Rhys? And is he really the final boss that Joe can’t beat? Here’s everything we know about this season’s notorious eat-the-rich killer, and what his patterns reveal about where Part 2 might be headed.
Who is Rhys Montrose?
Credit: Netflix
We first hear of Rhys when one of Joe’s students, Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman), recommends his memoir and gives Joe her copy. Apparently, Rhys is a new author and his memoir about overcoming his rough childhood is taking London by storm. His story is resonating with practically everyone, including Joe, to the point where widespread public opinion is pushing him to run for mayor. We then finally meet Rhys at a fancy soirée hosted by Joe’s new elite circle of friends, where we learn that Rhys went to Oxford with the group, and Joe’s taken a liking to him.
But Rhys is not the man in his memoir. On the one hand, he quite literally fabricated chunks of his story. On the other, more pressing, hand, he’s the “eat the rich” killer targeting Joe’s friends and killing them off one by one. Rhys’ motive for murder is clear: the rich are “dancing while the world burns,” a proclamation he shares to Joe in Season 4’s first episode. Rhys is rationalizing his killings as a small footprint in his larger fight against the elite to make London a better place to live in. So, what’s he going to do next?
How does Part 1’s finale tease who Rhys might target next?
Credit: Netflix
So far, Rhys has killed off three members of London’s caviar-eating crew: Malcolm (Stephen Hagan), Simon (Aidan Cheng), and Gemma (Eve Austin). He’s also strung Joe along in the most chaotic game of cat-and-mouse, filled with constant taunts, threats, and attempted murder. Rhys’ streak of terror reaches its climax in Part 1’s finale, where he almost kills Joe by chaining him in a cellar in Lady Phoebe’s (Tilly Keeper) country house and setting everything on fire. Joe and his friends manage to escape despite their countryside vacation ending on a nicely smoked note, but Rhys is nowhere near done with his mission. Part 1 ends with Rhys announcing his mayoral candidacy, and Joe’s ready to do whatever it takes to put an end to him.
Based on Rhys’ behavior so far, it might be safe to assume that he’s going to be targeting Joe next by pinning all the murders on him. Why you may ask? Well, Rhys knows Joe’s actual identity, and with him running for mayor, he clearly has the resources to deflect blame onto Joe. He’s also hurt that Joe refused to help him on his R-rated Robin Hood ploy. So with Joe not having the cleanest record and Rhys’ vendetta against him as strong as ever, Rhys is sitting on a giant opportunity to frame Joe as the “true” puppet-master — which might be a good thing, as we’d finally get to see Joe dealing with the consequences of all his past crimes. But with Rhys still on the loose, is his insatiable revenge actually ending there?
He’s still a serial killer after all, and surely Joe (another self-proclaimed serial killer) wouldn’t let him win so easily. They’re twisted twin flames forever bonded over their horrible shared hobby, and as was prophesied for Harry Potter and Voldemort: “Neither can live while the other survives.” So I think You might be building up towards Joe’s ultimate face-off.
With five more episodes in store, there’ll probably be a whole lot more plot twists ahead of us. I’m neither team Rhys nor team Joe, and would actually like to see both of them in jail, but something’s telling me one of them is may still make it out unscathed.
You Season 4 Part 1 is streaming on Netflix.
