The Hidden Villain of Netflix’s You: How Kate Lockwood Escaped Justice for Two Seasons

by

In a nutshell, Joe Goldberg, undeniably, was the most chilling character in Netflix’s “You”. The series primarily revolved around Joe’s skewed affection, which often led him to become obsessed with women and ultimately resort to murder when they failed to meet his excessive standards. Characters like Beck, Marienne, Love, Candace, Natalie, along with their companions such as Peach and Ryan, found themselves in the line of fire and unfortunately became Joe’s victims. While viewers were engrossed in speculating how Joe’s tale would unfold, the true antagonist of the show remained unnoticed – Kate Lockwood.

In a turn of events, when Joe fled to London following his murder of Love in Madre Linda, he assumed the identity of Professor Jonathan Moore at a local university. By chance, he found himself amidst a prosperous circle of city dwellers who warmly welcomed him into their group. Among them was the chilly Kate Lockwood, an ambitious woman with a thriving art career, who had distanced herself from her stern and influential father, Tom Lockwood, due to his questionable business practices. Initially favored by her father, she chose to distance herself from him to uphold her principles, but not without causing some harm herself. Later on, after Tom’s demise (orchestrated by Joe), Kate reclaimed her place within the Lockwood family and assumed control of her father’s empire.

Kate’s Actions Had Killed Countless Others In The Past, Including Children

As a cinephile, I’d rephrase it like this: In the past, I was deeply involved in Tom Lockwood’s business endeavors, but let’s make one thing clear – I wasn’t some saint on a moral pedestal. Tom, you see, was more than just an investor; he dismantled businesses, harmed workers, and swept allegations of sexual misconduct against higher-ups under the rug. He embodied the ruthless capitalist overlord. Yet, I stood by his side as his trusted confidante.

Among her most egregious actions was fabricating safety reports regarding water levels, a deception that ultimately caused numerous children to contract cancer and perish. This corrupt act was merely one instance of the extensive criminality of this business family, which transcended the limits of anyone’s comprehension. For years, Kate collaborated with her father in these deceitful practices, earning her the position as his successor due to her exceptional skill. However, it was only after causing immense harm that she developed a sudden urge to reform. Regrettably, Kate faces no criticism for her past actions.

Kate’s career as an art director at a renowned gallery was initially nurtured by her father, a fact she discovered later. Actions speak louder than words, and simply distancing herself from the fallout didn’t make Kate a virtuous person; it merely made her a remorseful one. While Joe is on record for 22 deaths during his lifetime, it’s likely that Kate has many more to her name. She was adept at concealing these due to the wealth and influence she possessed, and swore to change her ways after departing from Tom’s business. Yet, her past transgressions were not easily forgiven; however, it appeared as though you had.

Intriguingly, she returned to her father’s company, choosing to remain complicit in his past actions. This decision was made to prevent Lockwood Industries from collapsing upon revealing the truth of their shared history.

Kate Lockwood Helped Rehabilitate Joe’s Reputation

One explanation for why viewers found it possible to forgive Kate is that her intention to change appeared sincere, however, certain actions she took cannot be dismissed easily. For instance, marrying the man gave him another chance at life, concealing his previous criminal activities, setting up innocent people to take the blame for him, and allowing him back into New York City. Initially, Kate was wary of Joe, but her darker side eventually became drawn to him because on a fundamental level, they were two souls with similar characteristics.

In their lives, Joe and Kate were no strangers to murder and violence. Despite Kate’s efforts to cleanse Joe’s past out of love and a desire to improve, she inadvertently enabled a dangerous individual instead. It was not justifiable for Kate, who was an adult, to ignore the depth of Joe’s darkness and the number of people he may have harmed due to malice rather than necessity as he had claimed. With all the resources at her disposal, Kate should have conducted a thorough investigation into Joe’s past instead of using her wealth to secure his safety.

Kate assisted him in falsely accusing Nadia and Edward, who were young, and had Nadia imprisoned. She purged New York City for him, managing to extricate him from the trouble in Madre Linda with Love. She aided him in taking custody of Henry away from Dante, causing distress to two families and potentially hindering Henry’s future, all to make Joe feel at ease. If it weren’t for Kate, Joe might have perished on that bridge when he felt regret for his deeds, a fate he likely would have faced eventually.

Kate played a significant role in transforming Joe into his ultimate, malevolent self, culminating in events where he targeted both innocents and Kate’s own relatives. In a misguided act of despair, Kate allowed Joe to murder Uncle Bob rather than confronting the repercussions of her choices. Essentially, Kate exhibited mastermind-like evilness just as much as Joe did.

Kate Was Redeemed But This Was a Double Standard

In the Season 4 finale, Kate expressed a desire to improve when she shared this with Joe. Tired of being manipulated by her father, she instead dedicated her position as Chairperson at Lockwood Industries towards philanthropy and community betterment. Regrettably, this didn’t seem like an appropriate form of redemption for her character. If viewers wanted a justifiable jail term or death for Joe Goldberg due to his killings, then the same principle should have been enforced on Kate too.

Although Kate managed to free Nadia from prison or commend Marienne for her bravery, it didn’t automatically mean that those wronged by her were finally receiving justice. Instead, her actions served as a means to conceal her own past transgressions and guilt. It was unfair that she could continue living her contented, affluent life without facing true accountability for her actions. Giving the leadership to Teddy wasn’t intended as some form of retribution, and Kate’s brother would have ensured that she would enjoy a comfortable existence after transferring power to him.

In a less dramatic turn of events, it wasn’t ideal for Kate to end up in prison as a series finale; instead, it would have been more fitting if she had perished. However, surprisingly, Kate survived the fire at Mooney’s set by Maddie and emerged with only minor burn marks. It seems plausible that Kate was kept alive to provide Henry with a real mother and a stable home environment for his upbringing. Yet, this twist left viewers feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

In simpler terms, Kate supported Joe’s victims, then retreated to art, which appeared as if she faced minimal consequences for her role in Joe’s reappearance. It’s clear that this last season of You portrayed Joe as the most ruthless, and that was mainly due to Kate’s influence and protection. If she hadn’t provided him with a stage and impunity, Joe wouldn’t have taken more lives. Unfortunately, Kate seemed to escape responsibility for her actions, receiving only plot protection and a favorable conclusion instead.

Read More

2025-05-23 02:59