Is Rhys Montrose in Joe’s head? Rhys Montrose was one of Joe’s first friends and allies when he moved to London under the moniker of Jonathan Moore, but it soon transpired that there was more to him than met the eye…
The You season 4 part 1 ending revealed that Rhys was the Eat the Rich killer and Joe’s stalker — but there was one further twist in part 2 which turned what we thought we knew about Rhys upside down. So, is Rhys Montrose in Joe’s head? Keep reading to find out — but needless to say, expect spoilers.
Is Rhys Montrose in Joe’s head?
Yes, he is — at least, the version who stalks Joe and kills people is.
The first thing we need to establish is yes, Rhys Montrose is a real person. He really did write a memoir, is close with Malcolm’s group, and was running for London Mayor. However, he never actually met Joe.
After Joe tortured and killed the real Rhys, his tormenter simply popped up again next to his own dead body. This led to the revelation that the Rhys Joe had been interacting with was in his head the whole time.
Flashback scenes revealed that Joe initially became obsessed with Rhys after reading his book, even getting a creepy box of his possessions/trinkets related to him. However, things took a darker turn after he kidnapped Marienne. Unable to reconcile his dark side with his hero complex, Joe’s consciousness/personality split into two in a Jekyll and Hyde-type scenario.
The reason Joe was somehow unconscious/asleep everytime a murder happened wasn’t just a coincidence — it was because he was blacked out and the ‘Rhys’ personality had taken over.
By the You season 4 part 2 ending, Joe managed to unite his two personalities again — but when he looked at his reflection, Rhys stared back at him, meaning that the version of Rhys in his head, at least, might return again…
For more on You, we’ve got plenty of in-depth explainers to dive into around You season 4. Check out our You season 4 part 2 review, as well as our rundown of the You cast, who plays Rhys, everyone who dies in You season 4, and our explainer on what happened to Marienne.