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| “ | You're thoughtful, controlled. The more i learn about 𝐘𝐎𝐔, the more clearly I see the answer to your question. How can 𝐘𝐎𝐔 be sure I'll be loyal once 𝐘𝐎𝐔 let me out? The answer is, there is no answer. No matter what I say, you'll never be sure if I'll turn 𝐘𝐎𝐔 in. I know 𝐘𝐎𝐔 want to do the the right thing, or 𝐘𝐎𝐔 wouldn't have asked at all. I've done business with bad people, you're not them. 𝐘𝐎𝐔, do bad things when 𝐘𝐎𝐔 feel trapped. Or, key, to protect someone. We all hope we would have the courage to do that. To me that makes 𝐘𝐎𝐔 more good than bad. I think you're a good man. 𝐘𝐎𝐔 could kill Henderson, but you're going to let justice take its course. That's what a good man would do. But to truly be good Joe, 𝐘𝐎𝐔 have to let me out of the cage.
―"Will Bettelheim" to Joe Goldberg.
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William Benedictus "Will" Bettelheim is a recurring character in the second season of YOU. He is portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor.
Biography[]
Pre-Season 2[]
Nothing is known about Will Bettelheim's previous identity, only that he spent decades cultivating his current one. At some point, Will met a woman named Gigi online to whom he get engaged with. Later on, Will came in contact with Jasper Krenn for an undisclosed job. Will took Jasper's $3,000 upfront free and never refunded it, leading to Jasper searching for him.
A Fresh Start[]
Will Bettelheim is first seen when Joe Goldberg goes to the storage unit that he is being held hostage in. Joe demands to know who Jasper is, a man who came by Joe's apartment in search of Will.
Just the Tip[]
In a flashback, Will speaks to Joe in regards to his identity changing service. After ranting about conspiracy theories, he warns Joe that it will take several years to fully create a new identity. Will brings Joe to his car to retrieve the new documents but is knocked out by Joe who decides to take his 'Will Bettlheim' identity instead due to frantic impatience.
In the present, Will continuously begs Joe to be let out of the cage, claiming that he needs his bipolar disorder medication. Will tells Joe that Jasper is a former client whom he pocketed a $3,000 meeting fee from before ghosting him. He tells Joe that they never met in person and that Jasper won't know the difference.
Joe chastises Will for not telling him that he actually owes $50,000. Will suffers from a paranoid psychosis episode due to being unmedicated. He tells Joe that someone named Rufus owes him "50 large", instructing him to text Rufus a codeword to pick up the package.
Joe returns to Will with the 50 large (revealed to be medication for his bipolar disorder), but a paranoid Will refuses to take them. Joe brings Jasper back to the cage, suggesting that he takes Will instead. Jasper insists that Joe pay him anyway, and when he attempts to attack Joe, he kills him.
Will gets medicated and is brought back to a stable state of mind. Joe questions Will on why he spent the money that Jasper paid him. Will confides that he fell in love with a woman, in which he gave her the money when she needed help. He tells Joe he knows how far gone he must have been, because at one point he could have sworn he saw Joe murder somebody.
What Are Friends For?[]
Will in the Cage
Will and Joe share a conversation about Love Quinn, whom Joe is in a relationship with. The two play hangman using ketchup on the glass box's wall. Will is frustrated by Joe's unwillingness to speak about her.
Later that day, Joe and Will continue their game of hangman. Will continues to press Joe about his love life and tells Joe about Gigi. Joe wins the game of hangman (revealed to be the word "Manila") and Will again asks to be let go. Joe refuses, still uncertain of his silence.
When Joe suspects Henderson is preying on young girls, he enlists Will in helping him find solid evidence of Henderson's wrongdoings. Will tells Joe that he needs Henderson's burner device and a second laptop connected to Wi-Fi. Joe refuses his request but Will tells him that Joe could never figure it out on his own, and that it's too complicated to teach him.
After Joe retrieves Henderson's laptop, he is watched by Will as he hacks. Will tells Joe that Henderson was easy to hack, but there's no evidence of his sexual deviancy.
The Good, The Bad & The Hendy[]
Will dejectedly eats the food that Joe brought him as the two further discuss his release. Joe, still unsure of Will's loyalty, tasks him to find a way to prove that he will stay silent. Will agrees to help Joe disable Henderson's home security.
Will and Joe discuss his plans for Henderson. Will tells Joe his belief that his actions are justifiable and commendable, noticing Joe's struggle to redeem himself. He tells Joe that to truly be good, he needs to be released. Joe leaves in silence.
Joe ultimately decides to release Will, providing him with the materials needed to leave the country.
P.I. Joe[]
After arriving and moving in with Gigi in Manila, he sends Joe a postcard alongside his phone number. Joe asks Will for advice in investigating Delilah's death, and Will reassures Joe that likely had nothing to do with it.
At some point after Forty's death, Joe receives another post card from Will, with the card stating that Will hadn't heard from Joe in a while. After giving the post card a cursory glance, Joe proceeds to shred it and the other post cards in his box.
Season 5[]
Finale[]
After Louise Flannery prepares to expose Joe for his crimes, Joe calls Will for help with securing fake IDs.
Appearances[]
Season 2 (5/10)[]
Season 5 (1/10)[]
- "Finale"
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the second season of You, it shows that Joe is on the run from Candace, so he went to Los Angeles and steals Will Bettelheim's identity. In the books, it does not do that. In the second book, Hidden Bodies, Joe wasn't on the run and had no reason to steal someone's identity. So Will did not exist in the book.
- Forty tells Joe that the name Will Bettelheim sounds like a German Nazi, while Joe Goldberg sounds like a Jew.
- In fact, Joe has Jewish ancestry on his mother's side, as was said in the books. Not to mention that the surname Goldberg comes from Jewish origin.
- In Fear and Loathing in Beverly Hills, Joe has a passport that Will made for him, it says that Will was born in Akron, Ohio and was born on August 12, 1988.
Quotes[]
"Someone else, not you, a less stable person, might see Hendy's depravity as justification to kill him."
"You're thoughtful, controlled. The more i learn about you, the more clearly I see the answer to your question. How can you be sure I'll be loyal once you let me out? The answer is, there is no answer. No matter what I say, you'll never be sure if I'll turn you in. I know you want to do the the right thing, or you wouldn't have asked at all. I've done business with bad people, you're not them. You, do bad things when you feel trapped. Or, key, to protect someone. We all hope we would have the courage to do that. To me that makes you more good than bad. I think you're a good man. You could kill Henderson, but you're going to let justice take its course. That's what a good man would do. But to truly be good Joe, you have to let me out of the cage."