In case you haven't heard yet, Netflix's You has released new episodes, and the first half of Season 4 is available now. There's been a countdown to the latest episodes since Season 3 ended, and people excitedly binged the new episodes to find out what happens to Joe (played by Penn Badgley) next. But there's a slightly different feel to this season than the ones in the past.
There are fewer raunchy intimacy scenes in Season 4 than in episodes in the past. And that was done with intention.
Anyone who has watched the first three seasons of You knows this series is a mix of mystery, drama, thrill, and romance tied up in a creepy bow. The show centers on Joe Goldberg, "a dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man," who find himself in intense situations that he very much causes.
The show, which premiered in 2018, is also known for its intimacy scenes: passionate ones and mega-creepy ones, and there's been a fair share of these scenes.
Season 3 was full of these intimacy scenes, escalating in number from the previous two seasons.
There have been awkward solo scenes, fantasy foursomes, and everything in between. So naturally, fans were curious how much more those would be when Season 4 dropped.
But the opposite happened; Season 4 has fewer of these scenes within the episodes, and that was done intentionally.
Penn recently shared that he requested fewer intimacy scenes in Season 4 and any seasons that come after.
In a recent episode of the Podcrushed podcast, Penn shared that he spoke to You showrunner Sera Gamble and asked for fewer of these types of scenes.
"I asked Sera Gamble, [the] creator, 'Can I just do no more intimacy scenes?'" he shared. "This was actually a decision I had made before I took the show."
He explained that there were a few reasons he wanted to scale back on these scenes as the series continues.
"I don't think I've ever mentioned it publicly, but one of the main things is, 'Do I want to put myself back on a career path where I'm always [the] romantic lead'" Penn shared.
However, he also asked for a smaller number of such scenes out of respect for his wife, Domino Kirke, whom he married a year before You premiered.
'Fidelity in every relationship — especially in a marriage — is important to me,' Penn shared on the podcast.
He continued, "It got to a point where [I thought], 'I don't want to do that,' so I said to Sera, like, 'My desire would be zero [intimate scenes], to go from 100 to zero.'"
Penn explained that he realized the show, in the beginning, needed some scenes that included intimacy.
He said he knew that the request for no intimacy might not be possible, adding that he "signed this contract. I signed up for the show. I know what I did."
And he continued, "You can't take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept, so 'How much less can you make it?' was my question to them."
Sera was totally receptive to Penn's ask for fewer scenes with intimacy.
Penn explained the showrunner "didn't even bat an eye. She was really glad that I was that honest, and she was sort of almost empowered. She had a really positive response and they came back with a phenomenal reduction."
The first half of Season 4 of You is available on Netflix now, with the remaining episodes coming on March 9.
