NINA BANKS
campus editor
nina.banks@my.tccd.edu

Netflix’s favorite serial monogamist serial killer Joe Goldberg has returned for a fourth season. And this time he’s back with a vengeance — and a beard.

Goldberg has once again evaded arrest, and two of his toes after faking his death in the suburb of Madre Linda. Watch a widowed Joe navigate life as Jonathon Moore, a professor in London, as he interacts with a cast of eccentric rich Brits. 

Like every other season, Goldberg swears off of women, yet to no avail. Kate Galvin is Goldberg’s neighbor and love interest. She’s an art gallery director with a “taking no orders” attitude. Marienne, Goldberg’s love interest in Madre Linda, also returns this season, and is the reason why he is in Europe. Meanwhile, the rest of the outlandishly wealthy cast have their own quirks and kinks — both literally and figuratively.

The season has been broken into two parts, with the second being released on Mar. 9. The first part features a storyline that completely flips the narrative of the story on its head.

Joe becomes the stalkee instead of the stalker. After being settled into his new alias, Goldberg then receives a series of texts anonymously with knowledge of his true identity. This anonymous person then begins to frame Goldberg for murders within his new friend group, which thwarts Goldberg into a mission of self-righteousness to go and protect his peers.

Goldberg’s delusion is at an all time high this season. He is so far in denial that when Galvin opens up to Goldberg about her shame of being the daughter of an activist investor who routinely wipes the record clean of a CEO’s misconduct, Goldberg equates the murders of 10 plus people to a case of unfortunate nepotism.

Now more than ever does Goldberg draw parallels to his actor’s previous work in Gossip Girl as Dan Humphrey. His delusion of not understanding the rich and being constantly irked by them is odd, when all he has done for the past two seasons is surround himself with the grossly wealthy. Dan Humphrey is simply Goldberg if he had a proclivity to homicide.

Though I do love the show, many plot points and some dialogue do feel slightly off putting and rushed. The setting certainly opens a dialogue for anti-American sentiment, a given. 

When Goldberg tells Galvin they should end their situationship, she cursed “Captain America” before storming off. While the moment was definitely intended to be tense, I couldn’t hold off my laugh from such a ridiculous insult.

Additionally, when a hitman from Goldberg’s deceased wife orders him to like Marienne, Goldberg simply steals her locket and texts the hitman that the deed is done. Certainly the most unconvincing proof that he killed someone, but the show continues with no ramifications of his lie.

Watchers and myself included are excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds, but hope that the rest of the storyline can fulfill its precedent from past seasons.