S3E8的開頭,Joe對Love讀出了《More than two》這本書裡的一段話: "Happily ever after is a myth, because people are not static. Our partners do not owe us a guarantee that they will never change." 從第一季的文藝變态書店老闆,到這一季如Love口中總是distracted的出軌老公,Joe變了嗎?不得不說這一集裡面,編劇對Joe Goldberg這個人物的挖掘更深了。他可能變了,也可能沒有變。就像小時候的Joe對收養機構裡唯一關心他卻又被男友家暴的Nurse Fiona說的那樣——There are a lot of bad men out there, and sometimes you can't tell until it's too late. Joe就是這樣的bad man。

Joe每次的犯罪都可以說是因為愛,可是他真的懂愛嗎?從Beck到Love再到Marienne,他沉迷于某種被他稱之為"YOU"的pattern,沉迷于英雄救美的故事,沉迷于他自己對于relationship充滿control的樣子,甚至是他對于Henry的愛,會不會或多或少是把自己童年的影子投射在Henry身上了呢?不敢否定Joe真的愛過他人,也不敢妄下定論Joe一定隻愛自己,但至少Joe的愛是自私的。這部劇裡的另外幾個角色也是自私的,Theo就是打着真愛旗幟破壞别人家庭的selfish teenage asshole(可能因為年輕,就真愛至上吧),Ryan更是無惡不作、把前任視為自己所有物肆意踐踏折磨的自私猥瑣普信男(實在想不出有什麼詞可以罵他了)。第一集就領便當的Natalie就更不用說了,即使她隻是想給自認為無聊的婚姻找點樂子,但對比她丈夫在她死後瘋狂的想要找出殺人兇手、喝得爛醉翻看着他們倆的結婚相冊懷念着她的樣子,真的覺得她在婚姻中更關心自我感受。隻是Joe僞裝得更好。浪漫體貼文藝男青年的人設真的很難被拒絕吧。但是又如第一季裡面Beck書裡寫的那樣,But the stories were in you, deep as poison. Joe何嘗不是自己在為自己編寫這些故事呢?Deep as poison.

最後一集Joe用Love的口吻僞造的suicide letter (or confession letter) 在我看來是可以把這一季的故事拉到第一季高度的。第一季裡講了一個女孩子和童話的故事,最後女孩子發現prince charming和bluebeard是同一個人。而這一季的信,依然很女權,即使是在加州最安全的社區你也不一定會覺得安全,因為你是女性,因為你是個媽媽。話說回來,Love一定是YOU這個系列裡最特别的女性角色了。很多評論都覺得Joe和Love是絕配。有些夫妻,就是會不斷把彼此最壞的一面帶出來。可能這也算是一種相配吧。對比本季一開始出場的超級讨人厭Sherry和Cary夫婦,這實在太諷刺了。被關在籠子裡的Sherry和Cary在Love和Joe看來是奇怪的,因為在那種情況下他倆還能bring out the best of each other。即使在Love的挑唆下Sherry 和Cary也會有争吵會互相指責,但他們最後還是活着出來了。是讨人厭的夫妻,也是這個故事裡的(或者他們自己故事裡的)"英雄"。

當黴黴和Bon Iver的Exile伴随着Joe處理犯罪現場的畫面響起時,覺得這首歌實在是太應景了。Bon Iver的這段,就像是Joe的視角

I think I've seen this film before

And I didn't like the ending

You're not my homeland anymore

So what am I defending now (其實這一句更像努力維持這段關系的Love)

黴黴唱的那段歌詞,簡直就像是在這段婚姻裡掙紮的Love的心聲一樣。不管我多麼努力做得多麼好,就是不再吸引你了。你不愛我了。

I think I've seen this film before

And I didn't like the ending

I'm not your problem anymore

So who am I offending now

這一季實在太讓人抑郁了。最後附上Love的那封信。Joe真的是大文豪。

Friends and neighbors,

I'd like to thank you for welcoming my family with open arms, but, you didn't. I move to the suburbs because I bought into the dream, community, prosperity, and most of all, safety. But I never felt safe here. Judged from day one, for my past, my body, how I was raising my child. If I wasn't perfect, I would lose it all. A game so rigged, it could only exist in a world that hates women, especially mothers.

But what choice did I have? So I played. And I realized your fence, your doorbell cam, you tell yourself you're keeping your family safe. But it's a lie. You are too afraid to do what you need to do to really protect your own. I'm on that hamster wheel too. So I forgot myself. But then your cruelty made me remember I am not a coward. I do what must be done to protect my family.

I killed the adulterer next door. I framed the anti-vaxxer who sickened my child, hunted down the reporter who threatened us. I trapped the couple who tried to sabotage us. Force them to really see each other. I forced my husband to play along. But in the end, he was a coward too. And when I realized he had grown to hate me, I killed him. Better than a messy divorce.

Everybody keeps their dignity. When the shock wears off, and you feel sage jogging in your expensive athleisure again. Remember you can get off the hamster wheel at any time.