When we first met Love Quinn in “You” season two, we feared for her life. But after watching the third season of the American psychological thriller show, we feared HER.
“You” initially portrayed Love Quinn as a potential unfortunate victim of the stalker that is Joe Goldberg. He followed his original MO in season one: come across a girl he likes, obsess over, stalk her creepily and probably kill a few people to secure her love. In both seasons, Joe gets the girl but Guinevere Beck didn’t make it alive. Love did.
But that’s because Love is just like Joe: she’s just as obsessed, just as determined and has her share of dead bodies.
So whether Joe liked it, he seemed to have found his match in Love Quinn. And they seemed to be destined for a deadly happily ever after in season three. However, we all know how that ended. And people are sad to see Love go.
Because to be honest, she was the best character in “You.”
What is Wrong with Love Quinn in “You?”
You may think I’m just as crazy as Love Quinn from “You” for thinking that she’s the best character. After all, she’s a chaotic mess of a serial killer.
There’s no cleaning Love’s name; she’s a very flawed character. She is impatient and is not kind, especially in season three. She’s is envious, always doubting Joe despite the latter’s attempts at trying to be a good husband and father to their son, Henry. She is easily angered and often succumbs to her emotions’ reflexes before thinking (Natalie the Realtor is waving from her grave).
On the surface, she seems like the perfect match for Joe. Apart from a killer just like him, Love is an annoying perfectionist who always needs validation. While she turns to baking when she’s stressed, her primary coping mechanism is brutal violence.
On top of that, Love has severe attachment issues that stem from her codependent relationships and her abusive and neglectful parents. She comes across as too needy, always demanding Joe to be with her and all that crazy stuff.
Yes, we’ve established that there is something wrong with Love. And her murderous spree is not an excuse. But if you think about it, there’s a reason for Love’s flaws and some of them are — whether we care to admit it or not — relatable.
Who Does Love Quinn Kill in “You?”
Take a look at Love Quinn’s kill list on “You.” She doesn’t kill without reason; she murders because she’s doing the right thing — most of the time. Think of it this way: Love has good intentions, but her executions aren’t always the best (they often lead to actual executions of people).
Consider the reasons behind her murders of the following:
Love and Forty’s Childhood Nanny
Love and Forty’s childhood nanny is the first person on her kill list. Earlier in the series, it was revealed that their much older nanny sexually abused Forty. Everyone (including us, the viewers) was led to believe that their parents discovered the relationship and stopped it, causing Forty to kill the nanny in a crime of passion. The Quinns had to cover that up.
In the season 2 finale, however, we learn that Love killed the nanny by slashing her throat. She wasn’t satisfied with how their parents handled the situation. To spare her brother from the advances of the nanny, she silenced her permanently.
Delilah
Love murdering Delilah is the first glimpse of her true nature. While looking for Joe, she stumbles upon Delilah trapped in his cage at the storage facility. Instead of saving the writer after exposing Joe, she kills Delilah. Why? Because she wants to protect Joe, the love of her life, and his secrets.
Candace
You’d think Candace finally found an ally in Love. After all, they were both obsessed over by Joe. They didn’t deserve his treatment. Candace lured her to Joe’s storage facility so she could see him trapped in the cage with Delilah’s body. Despite the scene, Love killed Candace because, again, she wanted to protect Joe and his secrets.
Natalie
This was one of Love’s rage kills. Out of jealousy, she hits Natalie with an axe because she thinks Joe is obsessed with her. She was actually right about the obsession, but Joe didn’t act on it. But again, if you’re married to a Joe Goldberg, could you really blame her for feeling jealous?
Gil
Technically, Gil killed himself. But Love had her part in his death. She did hit him in the head when she realized that his anti-vax stances led to Henry getting sick with the measles. You can’t blame her: his stance nearly killed her son.
Anyway, Gil ends up in the plexiglass cage with Joe and Love figuring out what to do with him. They don’t want to kill him but he could blackmail them. So, to encourage him to keep the secret, they discover that Gil’s son relocated colleges twice to cover up his sexual assault cases on campus. Upon realizing that he is a failure of a parent, he hung himself in the cage.
James
A season two theory was confirmed in the finale of “You’s” season three: Love murdered her first husband, James. There’s no defending Love here, though.
Love Quinn: Why She’s the Best Character in “You”
Aside from the “Killing with Reason” fuel that fires Love Quinn up, there are more reasons she’s the best character in you. Apart from being relatable, she also:
Prefers to Be Brazenly Honest
Joe rarely means what he says, especially to Love. On the other hand, Love is ruthless with the truth, even if she’s in a situation that doesn’t require honesty. When she was her opinion on the murder of Ryan, she said she thinks the people are “scandal-hungry crows” who feast on the sorrow of others to make their lives “less hollow.”
Sounds harsh, but she’s not wrong. Even if Love’s an impulsive speaker, she’s almost always right.
Takes Ownership of Her Sexuality
Whether she’s experimenting with polygamy or stripteasing for Theo, Love is always exploring her sexuality. She wants to keep her husband satisfied, but she also wants to be happy. When she notices that Joe is losing interest in her, she gives in to Theo. It’s not right, but it’s fascinating to see her take control of sexuality while Joe’s sexual desire remains his weakness.
Does Everything for Family
From the beginning of the marriage, Joe is not in the relationship mentally and emotionally. He even feels detached from his son. Instead of truly trying to work it out with Love, he seeks out other women and he despises his wife for being just like him.
Despite all of these, Love fights for her family — even if she has to kill people. She does everything to keep the family together: open a business, be a mother, try to be sexy for her husband and improve the family home. Love does everything for her family.
Lets the Victim Go
With Love’s killing streak, you’d think Marienne would never see the light of day. But in a surprising twist, she doesn’t kill her husband’s mistress. Marienne’s speech about finding your true love in yourself moved Love. On top of that, the sight of the librarian’s daughter convinces Love to let them go and advises them to stay away from Joe.
Is Love Quinn a Psychopath or Simply Misunderstood?
Let’s not be poetic with Love Quinn of “You.” She is still a bad person. She has a distorted view of life and relationships because of her life experiences. But we can see where she’s coming from.
She struggled with a lot: neglectful parents, estranged and psychotic husband, judgmental neighbors. She struggled with postpartum body worries, had to subdue a cheating husband and be a mother. She has a lot on her plate.
Love knew who she was and what she can control. It’s not difficult to root for her, to have her move forward with her life and overcome her trauma. We wanted to see her become a mom to Henry. But she didn’t get her fairytale ending.
Even if she didn’t though, we can be sure of one thing: Joe will not and that’s enough for us who rooted for Love.
