- This article is about the episode. For the character, see Candace Stone.
Candace is the ninth episode of the first season of You. It is the ninth episode of the series overall. It aired on November 4, 2018 on Lifetime.
Synopsis[]
Beck can't shake the feeling that there's more to the story of Joe's lost former love, Candace. Determined to find out the truth, it's Beck's turn to go to shocking lengths to dig up the truth on Joe. But she might have gone too far.
Plot[]
The episode begins with Joe Goldberg and Guinevere Beck appearing to have reconciled and are living together. However, Beck becomes increasingly curious about Joe’s past, particularly concerning his ex-girlfriend, Candace. Prompted by a warning from Joe’s previous partner, Karen Minty, Beck starts investigating Candace’s disappearance.
Beck contacts individuals from Candace’s past, including her friend Maddie, and discovers inconsistencies in Joe’s account of events. She learns that Candace’s brother believed Joe was responsible for her disappearance. Despite Joe’s claims that Candace moved to Italy, Beck finds no evidence supporting this.
Meanwhile, Joe experiences flashbacks of his relationship with Candace, revealing that she had an affair with a music industry executive named Elijah. In a fit of jealousy, Joe confronts Elijah and pushes him off a building, resulting in Elijah’s death. These memories suggest a pattern of Joe eliminating those he perceives as threats to his relationships.
As Beck’s suspicions grow, she searches Joe’s apartment and discovers a hidden box containing personal items from his victims, including Benji’s teeth, Peach’s phone, and a necklace belonging to Candace. Realizing the danger she’s in, Beck attempts to escape but is caught by Joe. The episode concludes with Joe imprisoning Beck in the bookstore’s glass cage.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg
- Elizabeth Lail as Guinevere Beck
- Luca Padovan as Paco
- Zach Cherry as Ethan Russell
- Nicole Kang as Lynn Lieser
- Kathryn Gallagher as Annika Attwater
Supporting Cast[]
- John Stamos as Dr. Nicky
- Ambyr Childers as Candace Stone
Trivia[]
- The title “Candace” refers to Joe’s mysterious ex-girlfriend, whose fate has been alluded to throughout the season and is finally explored in this episode.
- This is the first episode to reveal concrete evidence that Joe murdered someone prior to the series’ timeline—Elijah, Candace’s lover—whom he pushes off a rooftop in a flashback.
- The hidden box of trophies Beck finds in Joe’s ceiling crawl space includes items from all of Joe’s prior victims, serving as a physical timeline of his crimes.
- The use of flashbacks in this episode is more extensive than in earlier episodes, giving viewers deeper insight into Joe’s past and his escalating violence.
- Joe’s claim that Candace “moved to Italy” is deliberately vague and echoes common real-life tactics used to obscure disappearances in abuse and missing persons cases.
- Actress Ambyr Childers, who plays Candace, was promoted to a series regular in Season 2 following this episode’s increased focus on her character.
- The scene in which Beck finds the box of trophies is a pivotal turning point in the series and closely mirrors a similar scene in Caroline Kepnes’ novel.
- The bookstore’s glass cage—originally portrayed as a rare book preservation chamber—takes on a new symbolic role as Joe’s method of total control.
- This episode marks the final turning point for Beck, who transitions from love interest to captive, subverting traditional romantic tropes in psychological thrillers.
- The episode’s ending cliffhanger, with Beck locked in the cage, sets the stage for the season finale’s dramatic confrontation and resolution.