Penn Badgley Debunked A Popular You Season 3 Theory About Joe's Neighbor
Welp.
It has been over a year since the second season of You dropped on Netflix, but the internet is still completely wrapped up in Joe Goldberg's misadventures in Los Angeles. Of course, the moment everyone is still talking about above all else is that cliffhanger ending, which has spawned a ton of theories about what's next. Among all the guesses, one theory has definitely risen up as the most popular, but in a shocking twist, Penn Badgley confirmed the big You Season 3 theory about Joe's mom is wrong. So I guess it's back to the drawing board, You fans.
The big question every viewer had after finishing the second season of You is who Joe's new neighbor could be. After begrudgingly moving to the suburbs with a pregnant Love, Joe's eyes wandered over to the fence in his new backyard, revealing he had already developed a new fixation on his neighbor in the final moments of the season. But viewers did not get to see who this mysterious woman is, as the series only showed her from the back with a giant hat obscuring her face. All audiences really know is that she can read... and that's about it.
Although nothing is known about this woman who will clearly be a major part of Season 3, most fans quickly agreed on the most popular theory about her: She's actually Joe's mom. Given how prominently Joe's mom played into Season 2 through frequent flashbacks, the theory seemed solid... but Penn Badgley had an unfortunate update for all the fans who thought they figured out the truth. Badgley confirmed the mystery woman is not Joe's mom in a quote to Bustle on Jan. 9, 2020: "She's definitely not his mom. I can say that."
Since Badgley totally debunked that theory, what else do fans have to go on? In the weeks leading up to Season 3’s debut, some new information about the mysterious neighbor has been confirmed, but it’s still not much. All fans know is that the neighbor is a woman named Natalie who will be played by The Vampire Diaries star Michaela McManus.
It’s likely Natalie is another brand-new character who caught Joe's eye, similar to how Beck and Love each did in their respective seasons. Or, she could possibly be someone who is connected to the past events in You. Maybe one of Beck's friends or even Beck's briefly mentioned sister could be under that hat, or could she be someone with a connection to Peach Salinger or Dr. Nicky? At this point, anything is possible.
Thankfully, the mystery of Natalie’s identity will finally be solved when You Season 3 premieres on Netflix on Oct. 15, 2021.
This article was originally published on
