Netflix's 'You' Delivers Epic Taylor Swift Moment Fans Can't Get Enough Of
By Dani Medina
March 11, 2023
This article contains spoilers for Season 4 of You on Netflix.
Is Joe Goldberg a Swiftie?!
The newest season of You (Season 4 Part 2 just dropped on Netflix on March 9) features an unforgettable moment that Taylor Swift fans just can't get enough of. In the season finale, Penn Badgley's character opens a new chapter of his life to the tune of "Anti-Hero."
"The Midnights track plays under a season-ending montage that checks in with everyone who survived Joe’s most recent killing spree — before unveiling the new-old life Joe has made for himself with Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) in New York City," according to Netflix.
🎥| @TaylorSwift13’s 'Anti-Hero' is featured on the season finale of "YOU" pic.twitter.com/NU2V6ApSSy
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) March 9, 2023
It's not until Joe finally embraces his "darker side" in the season's final episode that the popular lyrics — "It's me, hi. I'm the problem, it's me" — set the tone for his actions.
Choosing the song was a "fortuitous twist of fate" for the showrunners who, in addition to being Swifties, were able to snag the track just in time for the closing sequence. "I watched the 'Anti-Hero' video for the first time and I realized we’ve been talking about (Joe) in that way (in the writers' room). And then I remembered seeing Penn's (first-ever) Tik Tok also, to be weirdly sort of meta about it," said showrunner Sera Gamble.
I am screaming!! Anti Hero by Taylor Swift on #YouNetflix 🫠 Joe Goldberg is the problem. Always. Period. Catch Anti Hero on episode 10 of You Season 4.. remember last season they played EXILE from folklore.. iconic 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/mlQaI7Snhm
— midnighTS Tour Updates ✨ (@tsworldtour13) March 9, 2023
Fans on social media were excited, to say the least, when they heard "Anti-Hero" in the season finale.
"I started to fly when anti hero played," one user wrote.
"the way i burst out laughing and giggling when anti-hero started playing in part 2 of you season 4," said another.
"you s3 ending with exile and you s4 ending with anti-hero? joe goldberg is a taylor swift stan #YouNetflix," another fan wrote.
Who knew Joe Goldberg was a Swiftie! pic.twitter.com/NF6rmo8KZK
— Netflix (@netflix) March 10, 2023
This marks the second time You has featured a T-Swift track. In the Season 3 finale, "exile" was playing as the episode came to a close when Joe gunned it for Europe. "I sent a little note saying how much the fans of our show talk about 'exile' and how meaningful that is," Gamble said. "I acknowledged that ('exile') was a really important addition to the show and that we wanted to pay homage to that (with 'Anti-Hero'). And look, we have people in our writers' room who just show up to work in Taylor Swift T-shirts — true Swifties abound in the You-verse — so we just made a fan appeal, basically."
There's also a viral moment from the show — although it didn't make the cut to the show because it was done on set — where Joe is seen inputting the code to his glass safe. The code? 12-13-89, Swift's birthday!