Warning: SPOILERS ahead for You season 4.You season 4, part 1's dubbing of an undetermined murderer as the "Eat The Rich Killer" may have greatly benefited Joe. The fourth season of the popular Netflix series strays away from the construction of previous seasons in which Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg obsessed over potential love interests and pursued them until the escalation of their murders. Joe's obsession and homicidal tendencies in You season 4 are instead diverted to who is trying to frame him for a murder he is, surprisingly, unassociated with.
Finally, You season 4 ends its Joe killing pattern in order to focus on who framed him and why, and this is done through the fresh approach of a thrilling and wild "whodunit." The group of London socialites Joe encounters, including suitor Kate Galvin and several immediately suspicious characters, present him with the challenge of weeding through the individuals surrounding him, but also of navigating the highest and richest echelons of society. As the murder count in London rises, the framing of Joe Goldberg grows more complicated, but naming the murderer the "Eat The Rich Killer" is the key to keeping Joe out of trouble in You season 4.
You Season 4's "Eat The Rich Killer" Nickname Helps Joe Evade Detection
Although Joe in You season 4 is beyond redemption, and would ideally be dealt with as such in reality, he is able to evade detection after moving to London. His hands are, in fact, clean for the majority of You season 4, part 1 until he loses control and kills Vic, the socialite bodyguard whose suspicions hit a little too close to home considering Joe's extensive history of killing. Because London launches a search for a murderer named the "Eat The Rich Killer," however, Joe largely evades detection yet again, flying neatly under the radar because his previous murders were not motivated by wealth or social status.
Had the "Eat The Rich Killer" become known by another name, it would not have been as easy for Joe to maintain his cover of innocence. However, London keeps its sights on a killer motivated by the gap between the rich and the not so rich, and Joe does not fit that description well enough. The real killer's concentration on wealth and status when choosing victims distracts the population from Joe and his own motives for murder, and comparatively, this is enough for Joe to be overlooked until the group finally learns more about him during their getaway to Phoebe's country manor.
Why You Season 4's Killer Identity Needed Something To Help Joe
You season 4 needed a distraction from everyone Joe has killed so far. Part 1 has made it obvious that the tensions surrounding Joe are rising, and he is becoming more and more likely to be discovered and punished for his past actions. Witnesses from his past, like Elliot, threaten the certainty of his future, and someone shown photographing Joe various times seems to be onto him to some degree.
The "Eat The Rich Killer" name and the consequent "whodunit" setup is the perfect distraction Joe needed to reach the fateful weekend getaway where the killer is unveiled without being outed himself. For how much longer is questionable, as You season 4, part 2 will depart from the "whodunit" formula and Joe could finally be revealed for what he truly is. Regardless, You season 4, part 2 is sure to be equally thrilling and equally wild as it approaches the epitome of the conflict between Joe and the "Eat The Rich Killer."