Dhruv Trivedi
Joe Goldberg cannot help but fall in love with women he doesn’t know. Our murderously romantic hero swings from branch to branch, and we last see him obsessed with Marienne, a charming, young, single mother who also happens to be his boss at the library.
Joe, in true form, commits ghastly crimes to remove obstacles (like her ex-husband Ryan) that may stand in the way of the two getting together. In the end, the plan is to run away together. But does that come about? Does Joe finally end up with his (most recent) obsession in season 3? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Do Joe and Marienne End Up Together?
Marienne is an unlikely crush that Joe develops while trying to escape his bloodthirsty wife, Love. Craving the peace that only being surrounded by books gives him, our hero begins to volunteer at the local library and finds himself working under Marienne. Unlike his other “obsessions,” which tend to spark when Joe first lays eyes on the woman, his attraction to Marienne is gradual and only becomes noticeable after several interactions.
Their mutual love for all things literary also helps. The obstacles are numerous, and Joe initially tries to resist his feelings for Marienne because he fears his jealous wife will kill her (as she did Natalie) when she finds out. He then tries to dissuade himself by looking into Marienne’s background, which initially seems troubled and chaotic.
However, it is revealed that all her troubles stem from an abusive rich ex-husband, who is also trying to take custody of Marienne’s daughter, Juliette. Of course, this is more than Joe can resist, and he dutifully kills off Marienne’s ex-husband Ryan before making plans with her to run away together. By this time, Marienne, too, has expressed feelings for Joe, and things seem headed for a happy ending.
However, Love then throws a wrench in the works by sedating her husband and attempting to kill him. She also decides to put an end to Joe and Marienne’s fledgling romance by revealing Joe’s dark secrets to her. Unable to move, Joe watches in horror as Love tells Marienne how he gets obsessed with women and impulsively commits crimes to get close to them. Ryan’s recent murder then begins to make sense to the confused single mother as she realizes that Joe is likely behind it. On Love’s advice, Marienne leaves town with her daughter.
Once he recovers, Joe tries to track down Marienne. Having envisioned a perfect life with her, he continues to cling to the hope of someday running into her and potentially picking up where they left off. His romantic daydreams remain blissfully unperturbed by the fact that Marienne now suspects him to be a killer and is likely trying to hide from him (which explains why she changes her phone number and leaves no forwarding address).
Despite initially having feelings for him, it seems like Marienne is well and truly over Joe. She always maintained never wanting to break up his marriage, and upon finding out Joe was planning on running away from Love to be with her, she decides against eloping with our hero. Of course, the fact that he could be a murderer also helps keep her away. Therefore, Marienne and Joe very clearly do not end up together, and it is unlikely that Joe will ever see her again.
Read More: The Full Recap of You Season 1 and 2
