Warning! This article contains spoilers for YOU season 3
Scott Speedman, who stars as Matthew Engler in You season 3, says that he was satisfied with his character's conclusion in the hit show. All ten episodes of You season 3 finally dropped on Netflix on October 15. Having already proven its binge-worthy quality with seasons 1 and 2, fans rushed to the platform to find out what happened next in the world of obsessive stalker/murderer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). Now living in the suburbs and raising a child with his equally murderous wife, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), Joe quickly transfixes on his neighbour Natalie (Michaela McManus) who just so happens to be Matthew's wife. Overcome by jealously, enraged Love swiftly murders Natalie and then enlists Joe to help cover it up.
Speedman, who has starred in shows such as Felicity and Grey's Anatomy, is a newcomer to the You cast, and certainly made his mark on the series. Step-dad to fan favourite character Theo (Dylan Arnold), surveillance specialist Matthew decides to hack security footage all over town in an attempt to uncover the truth about his wife's death. Despite his marriage being rocky, Matthew is completely overcome by the investigation. Closing in on Joe and Love, Matthew eventually reaches the conclusion that they were the likely culprits in his wife's tragic demise. Instead of seeking revenge, however, he finds and then leaves a paralysed Joe on his kitchen floor to be dealt with by Love, and goes to find his son Theo at a nearby hospital.
Speaking to EW recently, Speedman talked about the way his character arc reached its conclusion. He shared that he was happy that Matthew left Joe at the scene without getting involved, and instead thought it was more important that he was reunited with his son, with whom he had a somewhat strained relationship with throughout season 3. See his full comment below:
"I think he got enough out of that moment ... Them coming together more at the end is a good thing, and I think that's ultimately his goal ... That's good, right? That doesn't happen much. We survived, so that's good."
Considering most characters that become embroiled in Joe and Love's secrets usually die at the hand of the murderous couple, it appears that Speedman is just glad that Matthew got away. It suggests that the importance of his character's story was more the focus on his relationships with both his wife and his son, and how they needed to change in order to continue. Of course, Matthew never got to patch up his marriage with Natalie, but his investigation served to defend her legacy. Speedman also shared that his scene with Badgley was a result of various different takes, but ultimately concluded with Matthew walking away from the situation.
You was renewed by Netflix for a season 4 two days before season 3 was even released. As both Matthew and Theo survived their encounter with Joe Goldberg, which is more than Love Quinn can say, it is unknown whether they will be making an appearance in the next instalment of the show. However, considering they got their (slightly tainted) happily-ever-after, it seems unlikely that they would return in season 4. As happy endings are few and far between in the world of Joe Goldberg, it is touching that viewers got to see the preservation of Speedman's character, even if some others weren't so lucky.
Source: EW