by By Dorothys ruby red slippers inside The Wizard of Oz into McLovin’s fake ID Very bad, the Props Hall of Fame is full of knick-knacks that culturally define the films and shows they’ve made. In the midst of all of them is one new subject of interest. One that occupies its own special corner, ominous fog obscuring its periphery, iconic status arguably unmatched: Joe’s Box-in You.
The doomed keepsake has flown around the world, from New York to California and all the way to London, accompanying Joe (Penn Badgley) like a friendly sidekick. It is perhaps the only reliable constant in his life. And while You offers heart-pounding thrills on a silver platter, nothing comes close to that terrifying sinking feeling than seeing the return of Joe’s cage. It prepares us for what is to come, although we all know how that usually ends.
Given the relevance of the cage in the You-niverse, it’s only fair to ask what it’s actually like to be in it. is it really real Will it ever be comfortable? And more importantly, how does Joe handle it with him around the world? In an exclusive interview with Mashable, Season 4’s surprise cage tenant Tati Gabrielle answered all of our questions about Joe’s Crate, including how she bonded with Marienne inside in ways she couldn’t have imagined.
Being in Joe’s box is like Stockholm Syndrome.
Photo credit: Netflix
“I spent a lot of time filming in the box,” Gabrielle shared. “I didn’t really get away with it, unless I basically had to pee. So I was like six, 10, 12 hours a day just in the crate.” Her long hours on set brought Marienne closer to reality because she just needed to be in the pits all the time.
“Yes, first it is a cage and you are being held captive. But at some point, it’s a human tendency to get comfortable,” she explained as she adjusted to the crate. “It turns into a kind of home feeling [having] Stockholm Syndrome, so I wanted to make myself as comfortable as possible.”
“We shot all my cage stuff over the course of about two and a half weeks,” she recalls. “And after the first week I was able to start marrying Marienne in her feelings. Even as things got bleaker and darker for her and the demons showed up, I was able to do her justice ecologically.”
The box also had its own transformation this season.
It’s a new box!
Photo credit: Netflix
In a fun behind-the-scenes tidbit, Gabrielle shared that this season’s box was actually a new one.
“Penn [Badgley] kept complaining about it. He said, ‘This is a different material than last year’s box,’ because the glass walls were too thick to be heard inside and out.” (Of course YouThe actors of have become so familiar with the box that they can tell when it lights up.)
Aside from being emotionally harrowing, Marienne’s scenes proved surprisingly difficult to film due to the new box set. “The scenes that Nadia is in [Amy-Leigh Hickman] I could hear them in the top right of the glass. But otherwise, when we’re two meters apart and speaking at a normal volume, it’s harder to be heard. My voice was hoarse during this time, so both she and Penn were like, “HUH?! You have to say something, Tati!’”
But the question that worries everyone remains: How does Joe’s box move around the world with him??
“We actually talked about it on set. We all suspect he just ordered a new one. Joe’s got his plug now, you know; he just calls him,” Gabrielle mused.
So there you have it. Ordering your own Doom box is as easy as buying a vacuum from Amazon. So if you want to experience your own time in a glass cage, you know what to do.
You Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.(Opens in a new tab)
