Warning: Spoilers Ahead
You fans were pretty shaken up when the truth about Love was revealed. Of course, fans expected there to be a twist as the series poster even stated: “Meet Your Match.” However, most fans assumed Joe’s “match” was going to be Candace, not Love.
Looking back, there were quite a few signs that Love was in fact, Joe’s perfect match. Of course, the big reveal in the finale confirmed that Love saw Joe just as Joe saw Beck. She was willing to do anything to protect him, including killing both Deliliah and Candace. Turns out, Joe and Love are more similar than fans thought. Here are 10 signs you missed that prove Love is just like Joe.
When She Shows Up At Joe’s Apartment Uninvited
Joe (Penn Badgley) officially meets Love for the first time in episode one of season two. They seem to click right away but just as casual co-workers who are friendly. They talk a bit at work and then run into each other briefly at the DMV, but that’s it as for as their encounters go.
This is why Love showing up at Joe’s apartment uninvited towards the end of episode one is so odd. Not only was Love not invited, but she also took it upon herself to find out where Joe lives. This is the first sign viewers get in regards to Love possibly having Joe-like tendencies.
When She Thinks She Can Read Joe
Early on, Love thinks that she can read Joe, which comes off at somewhat overbearing considering she hasn’t known him very long. For instance, Love tells Joe that ever since her husband passed away she has been able to see it in someone’s eyes when they have deeply loved and lost. Love says that she sees this in Joe’s eyes.
While this was meant to be a sweet statement, this mimics a quality that fans often see in Joe as he is known for trying to read others, making assumptions and then trying to fix them.
When She Wants Joe To Meet Her Friends Right Away
Joe and Love hadn’t known each other very long when she urged him to meet her friends. This was especially odd considering their relationship wasn’t anywhere near serious at this time. In fact, almost anytime that their relationship progressed romantically, it was usually due to Love’s actions since Joe wanted to keep things platonic.
For example, Love instigates their first kiss early in episode two. Not only was this kiss a bit out of the blue, but Love escalates things when she asks Joe to meet her friends for lunch that same day. This red flag signals that Love may share Joe’s obsessive tendencies.
When She Leaves Baked Goods In Joe’s Locker
In early season two, viewers see Love leaving baked good in Joe’s locker daily seemingly trying to win him over. This is yet another action of Love’s that is initially sweet but in hindsight, reminds fans of Joe.
This is because Love technically has to break into his locker every time she leaves something for him, which shows a major lack of boundaries on her end and is Joe-like. Honestly, why not just hand him the baked goods when you see him? Much easier, and ultimately less creepy.
When She’s Over-Protective Of Forty
Love’s relationship with Forty is a very important element in season two. She is very protective of him and at first glance, this seems totally healthy. However, as the season progresses her relationship with Forty starts to mimic Joe’s relationship with Ellie.
Both Love and Joe feel a sense of responsibility to protect and fix their loved ones but carry it out in an inappropriate manner as they would quite literally kill for them. Love is constantly overbearing with Forty, she hires a private investigator to track his girlfriend and reveals that she killed their childhood nanny for him. Joe is also overbearing with Ellie as he reads her text messages, tracks her, and kills Henderson for her.
When She Doesn’t Take Candace Seriously
Candace tells Love everything about Joe: how they previously dated, what his real name is, and the fact that he’s a killer. Of course, Love refuses to believe any of it, except for the fact that Joe isn’t his real name and that he and Candace once dated.
As for the rest of the horrifying information that Candace gives her? Love chalks it up to Candace being crazy. It seems that she lets love blind her and guide her actions just like Joe does. While Love does break up with Joe after learning this information, it’s purely due to him lying about his name and secretly knowing Candace.
When She Pays Candace To Leave
On top of Love letting her emotions blind her, she’s also fairly manipulative. After Candace shared all of her information about Joe, Love paid Candace to disappear. Paying Candace off to leave town was a pretty calculated move and showed that Love really did think Candace was the problem, not Joe.
Of course, fans learn in the finale that after Candace left, Love used her private investigator to learn that Joe really did do everything that Candace said he did. Instead of being upset, Love seems to relate to Joe more which just further cements her obsession with him.
When She Rebounds With Her Late Husband’s Best Friend
Both Love and Joe are known to retreat to someone safe after an emotional breakup. Fans see this when Love immediately dates Milo after she and Joe broke up, just as Joe rebounded with Karen in season one.
These specific rebounds are most likely due to each wanting a distraction but also wanting to guard their hearts. Dating Karen was playing it safe for Joe as she was simple and made him happy without much drama. Milo, Love’s late husband’s best friend, was a safe choice for Love as they had known each other for a while, making him familiar.
When She Agrees To Leave Town With Joe
Towards the end of the season, viewers watch Joe as he devises a plan to flee Los Angeles. He leaves Love a note explaining that he needs to leave town, and after a night of drinking, Love calls him and ends up agreeing to leave town with him. Although the two later postpone their plans of escaping Los Angeles, the fact that Love was willing to up and leave town with Joe was unsettling.
Love’s entire life, family, friends, and career were all in Los Angeles so leaving town so abruptly just wouldn’t make sense. Love was blinded by her obsession with Joe, who she would do anything for, and momentarily agreed to something that would drastically change her life.
When She Easily Lies to Ellie
The biggest twist of the season was finding out that Love had killed Delilah. Looking back, that means that Love had not only known where Delilah was when Ellie came looking for her, but she was also the reason Delilah was dead. Love acts completely normal and seems to sympathize with Ellie when she can’t find her sister. She even offers to make Ellie breakfast at the market so that she doesn’t have to go home alone.
She lies to Ellie with ease, probably feeling sorry for what she has done but also rationalizing why she had to do it, all at the same time. A very Joe-like thing to do.
