You season 3 theory suggests Joe Goldberg and Theo are half-brothers and it low-key makes sense
26 October 2021, 17:59
Watch the You Season 4 announcement trailer
Does Joe Goldberg have a half-brother? Fans think he might be related to Theo Engler.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
As well as taking us on Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn's magical mystery murder tour of Madre Linda, You season 3 reveals even more about Joe's tragic childhood.
You season 3 features a handful of flashback scenes to Joe's childhood, and in one scene, viewers see the return of Joe's estranged mother. This time, however, she's with another child named Jacob, who may or may not be Joe's half-brother.
Of course, the introduction of the mysterious new character has now sparked a load of fan theories, and has left fans asking the questions: Who the hell is this kid? What happened to him? Where is he now?
It's been over a week since You season 3 was released on Netflix and one absolutely wild theory has now emerged: Theo is actually Jacob, who is Joe's half-brother.
READ MORE: 21 wild facts about Netflix's You that you probably didn't know
Is Theo Engler Joe's half-brother?
Yep, thanks to one particular reveal in You season 3, fans are now speculating that Theo could possibly be Joe's half-brother.
In a flashback scene, we see a young Joe running into his biological mother again, and she's with a young boy named Jacob. It's not explicitly confirmed that Jacob is her son (and therefore, Joe's half-brother), but it's certainly implied.
Viewers are now wondering where that child is now, because, like, they wouldn't just introduce a random kid with Joe's mum for no reason, right? This is where Theo comes in...
Theo is Matthew Engler's step-son. We don't meet his real mother, but we do find out that Theo doesn't particularly like her and chooses to live with his step-father, who he calls Dad, instead.
Fans on Reddit have now pointed out the coincidences between the introduction of Jacob, Theo's relationship with his mother, his age in relation to Joe and the fact that Theo was kept alive. Could Theo actually be Joe's half-brother?
Replying to the post that shared the theory, one Reddit user wrote: "Certainly possible. I don't recall Joe's age being mentioned anywhere, so with Theo being 19, the ages could work out if we assume Joe is in early 30s."
As for the different names? Fans have theorised that like Baby Henry, who is also known as Forty to Love's mother, Theo could have two different names, opting to no longer go by the name of Jacob in his teenage years.
READ MORE: Victoria Pedretti addresses age-gap between Love and Theo in You season 3
What actually happened to Joe Goldberg's mother?
In You season 2, we find out that Joe was put into a Boy's home by his mother after he killed his father who was abusing him and her. In season 3, we see more of Joe's experience in the home through flashbacks.
In episode 10, we see a young Joe leave the Boy's home and go looking for his mother who still lived in New York at that time. As previously mentioned, Joe spots her with another young child who looks like her son, acting like the mother he always wished she was to him. She tells him that she still loves him but that she has to "start over", for both of their sakes.
It's never actually been confirmed if Joe's mother is dead or alive in present day, but based on her "sometimes we need to start over, completely" comment to Joe in the flashback, it's possible that she decided to move across the country to live a brand new life.
Could it be possible that she moved to Northern California and eventually met Matthew Engler?
Obviously, the theory is all just speculation right now.
While some aspects of the theory are possible, the odds of Joe's possible half-brother, who is also from New York, ending up living in the house next door, in that specific Californian suburb are very, very slim. But hey, this is You we're talking about...
Whether Theo is related to Joe or not, the introduction of 'Jacob' alongside Joe's mysterious mother at the end of You season 3 is definitely something that may pop up in a future season.
What do you think? Does Joe have a half-brother? Could that half-brother be Theo?
Listen to ‘The Power of Little Mix’ podcast
Click the picture below to listen to 'The Power Of Little Mix' on Global Player, celebrating 10 years of one of the biggest girl groups of all time, with exclusive interviews with Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie, as well as their closest collaborators and inner circle.
