You- Season 4 Episode 2 “Portrait of the Artist” Recap & Review

Portrait of the Artist

Episode 2 of You season 4 begins right where we left off, with Joe attending a celebration with the affluent Malcolm friend group. Joe tries to focus on identifying the murderer because he is confident his target is among the people he is friends with.

To make certain that the true murderer is not monitoring him at home, Joe hurries to his flat and checks for bugs as well as surveillance cameras all over. Joe doesn’t discover anything inside, but he does receive a murder mystery-themed invitation to Kate’s exhibition for the opening night of Simon’s most recent art show.

Joe starts to wonder if Kate is mocking him, so he keeps a close eye on her. While pursuing Kate, Joe learns that she is calling Malcolm out of worry and inquiring about him. Kate could be faking it to avoid suspicion, however Joe is unable to discover any proof that she was responsible for Malcolm’s death.

When in confusion, Joe consults novels for the information he needs, and while he processes the murder he must resolve he lurks in the university’s library. Joe meets Nadia, a murder mystery enthusiast and one of his students. When explaining the main plot devices of said genre to Joe, Nadia cautions him that none of it in this sort of tale is ever a coincidence. Nadia emphasizes the fact that every killing is driven by sex, money, or revenge and that the first suspect is quite often the murderer’s second victim.

Joe decides to call Elliot (the assassin who hunted him down in Europe and ended up giving him the identity of Jonathan Moore) motivated by Nadia’s friendly observations into the framework of a whodunnit. Joe suspects it may not be a matter of chance that a hired killer offered to assist him. When Joe demands an explanation from the man, he tells him that he’s not involved. To complicate things further, the murderer continues to message Joe, uncovering that they have been tracking him and researching his past.

Joe receives Lady Phoebe’s invitation and ends up paying her a visit because in order to find a killer, he must remain close to Malcolm’s mates. After their conversation at the club, where Joe impacted her life, she tells Joe that she has been the one who shortlisted him for Simon’s art exhibition. Due to his alcoholism, Joe has trouble remembering what he said, but being accepted by Lady Phoebe gives him some clear advantages. First off, Joe receives a brand-new suit from Phoebe’s partner, Adam, to wear to the opening of the art show.

Although it can be difficult to be told from wealthy people that you are badly dressed, Joe’s interaction with Malcolm’s close friends during the tailoring process is beneficial. As the story continues, we get to know that nobody really liked the deceased guy. The friends came together in Oxford while they were all in college. However, Kate’s boyfriend, Malcolm, joined in later. Malcolm was welcomed by the gang out of compassion for Kate. But nobody really liked him.

Joe is seen snatching the key to his university office from Kate’s handbag as he tries to figure out why Malcolm was murdered. Joe finds a strange notebook with ciphered messages as well as a bunch of bills in Malcolm’s workplace. There are references to Connie’s desired activity, horse racing side bets. A briefing with “Louis de Sun King and Dagger” is also mentioned. Adam filled the role of the Sun King in a college production. And Dagger, as Joe finds out, is the Sundry House waiter who, on the exact day and moment Malcolm had noted in his notebook, urinates all over Adam in the club’s deposit. It is obvious that Malcolm was trying to blackmail some of his wealthy friends.

Vic, the club owner’s personal bodyguard, catches Joe as he is attempting to follow Adam. Joe has to use the cash he stole from Malcolm’s office to buy Vic’s secrecy while feigning to be conducting research for a book. Vic is nevertheless conscious of Joe’s concealment of a potential problem.

Joe enters the exhibition through the back entrance to avoid being captured in a picture by the media who are there to film the event. Joe doesn’t think too much about crossing a mysterious girl who appears to hold the door open for him. Inside, Adam cautions Joe to be watchful of Malcolm because he likes to use his friends as bargaining chips. Even though Joe already knows that, Adam’s willingness to discuss it in public makes the possibility that he is the murderer less likely. Additionally, Rhys provides Joe with new information by letting him know that while his friends may not be the world’s greatest individuals, at least they aren’t necessarily as bad as Roald, a purely despicable character.

The girl who let Joe in through the back door of the gallery interrupts the art show by painting a canvas depicting a cat with red paint. Simon attempts to justify the attack as an element of the exhibition, but Kate is given the task of finding the victim. Joe, who is always paying attention to the minute details, offers to assist Kate.

When Kate and Joe arrive at the bar, they run into Blue, who discloses that she served as Simon’s assistant and that she is true creator of a number of his artwork. In order to get everybody addicted to drugs and dismissed, Simon used to employ numerous assistants and foster a drug-friendly atmosphere. He can then pass it off as his own creation while stealing other people’s ideas. For instance, Blue’s granny’s cat Isis served as inspiration for the art pieces of cats in the art show. It is clear Malcolm was extorting Simon because “Isis” was among the words in his diary. And given that Simon is clearly a terrible person, perhaps he retaliated against Malcolm for attempting to undermine his business.

Kate exits the bar after giving Blue a check as payment for her labour. In yet another conversation, she calls Joe out for clearly being a thief and trying to con her rich friends. Joe allows Kate to go while focusing solely on Simon because he doesn’t really want to accept that he is fascinated by her. Joe patiently waits outside the exhibition because he believes the painter is the murderer.

Joe passes out on a bench and doesn’t realize it until he hears sirens. The second victim of the murderer is Simon, the original suspect. The artist is discovered within the exhibition with an ear lost and a knife etched deeply into his chest.

Joe analyses everything that occurred at the exhibition the next day. It is obvious that Kate would advance from Simon’s passing because the artist’s creations would then be worth more. Joe learns that she is, in fact, assisting Blue in making a police report. Finding a new suspect is challenging for Joe given that these aren’t the acts of a murderer.

Joe seems to have a heartwarming discussion with Nadia in the library and learns that she was in contact with Malcolm, who was meant to read some of the articles Nadia had written. Joe thanks her for the countless whodunnit assistances she has provided him and offers to support his pupil with her literary endeavours.

Just before the episode ends, Joe goes back to his flat only to discover the murderer is more intelligent than he initially believed. Articles about some of the crimes related to Joe’s bloody history are posted on the wall of his living area. The assassin confirms to Joe in a second message that they are aware of Professor Jonathan’s real identity and everything he has done in recent years.

The Episode Review

By altering the model of the plot line and placing Joe in the role of one of his past victims, You defies expectations. As we learn more about the new characters in this episode, Joe gets involved in extra chaos while posing as Professor Jonathan Moore in London. As a consequence, things take an interesting turn.

In this episode, Joe faces a strict time limit to identify the perpetrator before the natural murderer reveals his identity to the public. Even though the big riddle is not resolved in this episode, Joe is able to learn some things concerning his new friends.