Dhruv Trivedi
Netflix’s ‘You’ follows Joe on his search for the ideal partner and the grisly trail of dead bodies that he leaves along the way. Through intricate planning and just plain luck, the hopelessly romantic serial killer has avoided being caught despite his ever-rising body count. He has left corpses back in New York, then in Los Angeles, and finally near his idyllic California neighborhood of Linda Madre. So, just how many people has Joe killed? And who were they to have met such violent ends? Let’s take a look at Joe’s remarkable diary of death in ‘You.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
How Many Did Joe Goldberg Kill in You?
In season 1, Joe uses a variety of creative means to finish off the people that seemingly come between him and his muse, Guinevere Beck. From locking victims in a glass vault in the basement of the bookstore he works in to straight-up bludgeoning them with a rock, our favorite serial killer alternates between careful planning and impulsive actions. He even has some close calls, with a showdown between him and Love’s jealous friend Peach almost ending up with him dead. In total, his body count in season 1 is 5.
Season 2 finds Joe in California, looking for a fresh start. His first murder comes soon enough and is a relatively unplanned one. This leads to some creative disposal methods Joe puts to use. Let’s just say you don’t want to be eating at the Anavrin cafe anytime soon. Another murder follows, and we also see one that Joe committed in the past, bringing the total season 2 corpse count to 3. Joe’s relatively low number of murders this season are bolstered by his vicious girlfriend turned wife, Love Quinn.
In season 3, Joe and Love continue to kill with bloody abandon, and the wife actually commits the first murder. Joe commits a modest 2 murders this season, but the latter sufficiently proves that our hero hasn’t lost his touch and is still a sharp, cold-blooded killer. Hence, so far, Joe’s total body count (that we know of) is a nice round 10.
Who All Has Joe Killed?
Season 1 starts the kill count with the murder of Beck’s spoilt wealthy boyfriend Benji, who Joe locks into the famous glass vault. He is eventually killed of his peanut allergy when Joe secretly gives him peanut oil. The teeth Guinivere finds in Joe’s box of secrets also belong to Benji. Next, Joe bludgeons Beck’s friend Peach in the park but eventually has to finish her off after a showdown in her house. Our hero then does a bit of housekeeping and kills his young neighbor’s abusive step-father, Ron, before finally killing off his girlfriend Beck once she discovers his murderous secrets.
Next, Joe moves to Los Angeles and takes on the identity of a small-time criminal named Will. When Jasper, who Will owes money to, shows up and threatens Joe, he becomes the serial killer’s first victim of season 2. Next, Joe kills off a famous comedian who lives in his neighborhood and has a habit of taking compromising pictures of underage girls. Interestingly, the shocking murders in the season finale are committed by Joe’s girlfriend Love.
Finally, season 3 finds Joe truly killing for love, and his first murder comes late in the season when he stabs his flame’s abusive ex-husband Ryan. Most of the killing in the third season is courtesy of Love’s violent outbursts, but Joe then ties things up with a slick double twist in which he poisons Love and then burns down their house with her inside.
Apart from the murders Joe commits in the present, we are also privy to his past crimes. He carried out his first murder as a child when he shot his mother’s abusive partner. Though there might have been more victims in between, we also learn in season 1 that Joe murdered his ex-girlfriend Candace’s secret lover Elijah.
Read More: Is Joe Dead or Alive in You Season 3?
