You Season 3 Is 'Upping The Ante,' Penn Badgley Teases

What happens after boy gets girl? Under normal circumstances, probably just marriage. But with Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) involved, it's much darker than that: some scheduled stalking, occasional murder and so much cleanup.

The third season of "You" is days away from a premiere that promises the same chaotic thrills the show is well known for — but this time, Joe isn't alone. Our obsessive leading man has a tendency to jump ship each season, once he utterly derails his relationship by, ya know, murdering people. But the introduction of season 2's Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) strapped Joe in for the long haul. 

Not only is Love pregnant with Joe's son, she also happens to share his proclivity for murder. Things tend to spiral out of control pretty quickly for Joe, leading to dead bodies here and there, or the occasional person trapped in a box in his basement — but with two serial killers involved, "You" season 3 sounds more unhinged than usual. Penn Badgley recently told Access that the series is "upping the ante," and went on to say:

"I think by the end of the first episode, something quite unexpected happens. It's not outside of the wheelhouse of what would happen, but you might think that would happen at the very end of the season. So, it's like, we sort of hurdle along very quickly. So ... I think by the end of the season, you're in this totally different place that you didn't think you'd be."

Expecting the unexpected has become a prerequisite for "You" fans, who are more than used to Joe's impulsive actions flipping lives upside down. So it's hard to imagine Joe truly shocking us, now that we've spent two seasons delving deep into his psyche. But this third season has a secret weapon, that could very well be the reason for the upcoming twists and turns: the mystery of Love Quinn.

Sure, Joe can be a bit of a wildcard for strangers: no one who first meets the bookish "nice guy" immediately realizes that he's a deranged killer. But fans of "You" have put in the work, endured his many bloodstained rants, watched his love affairs end in burials and seen him hide under the beds of his many beloveds. While it started off shocking, he's becoming predictable. Certainly no one was surprised when he ended the second season peering through a crack in his fence, fixating on another random woman. 

But despite spending an entire season getting to know the charming chef, Love Quinn, we didn't get a glimpse at the real her until the season's end. Finally, Love revealed herself — splattered in blood and admitting her deadly dedication to Joe.

In the upcoming season, the Quinn-Goldbergs make their way to Madre Linda, a grating California suburb full of judgmental bloggers, silicon valley tech heads and protein shake dudebros. Needless to say, New York native and pretentious nerd Joe Goldberg will have some trouble adjusting. Meanwhile, Love puts her all into forgetting their bloody past and carving out a fresh start. Safe to say, she might not be too crazy about Joe setting his sights elsewhere. Who's to say what mess her anger might make?

Love is more than capable of surprising us and obviously willing she is to do the very worst — whether it be murdering an innocent woman or framing a child for murder. According to Badgley, the season will charge full speed ahead and the addition of her mysterious brand of crazy likely has something to do with that. Good luck to Madre Linda, this couple could very well be the death of them.

"You" season 3 arrives October 15, 2021, on Netflix. Below is the official synopsis.

Joe (Penn Badgley) and Love (Victoria Pedretti), now married and raising their baby, have moved to the balmy Northern California enclave of Madre Linda, where they're surrounded by privileged tech entrepreneurs, judgmental mommy bloggers and Insta-famous biohackers. Joe is committed to his new role as a husband and dad, but fears Love's lethal impulsiveness. And then there's his heart. Could the woman he's been searching for all this time live right next door? Breaking out of a cage in a basement is one thing. But the prison of a picture-perfect marriage to a woman who's wise to your tricks? Well, that'll prove a much more complicated escape.