Recently, Netflix has been releasing several binge-worthy original TV shows. Of them, “You,” has been a crowd favorite with over 40 million streams.
“You” follows the life of Joe Goldberg, played by former “Gossip Girl” star Penn Badgley, and Goldberg’s obsessive and stalkery ways. Goldberg discovers a young woman named Beck, played by Elizabeth Lail, and yearns to be with her romantically. In order to reach his goal, Goldberg spies on her compulsively and even kills several of the girl’s friends, whom he sees as threats to his dream relationship.
At first glance, the story and show seem extremely creepy. Who would want to watch a stalker justify murder for 12 episodes?
Despite this dynamic this Netflix Original is addictive. We both finished the 10 episodes in less than a week.
The intricate details of Goldberg’s plans are well thought out and the idea of watching a show from the villain’s perspective is a novel perspective. It was interesting to see his thought process and his actions often left us in disbelief.
In some parts, we even sympathized with some of Joe’s actions, but later snapped out of it after we realized he was an actual sociopath who stalked a girl to get close to her. The show is complex in that Joe made the people he killed seem less of a victim as he accurately pointed out their flaws and how they negatively affected Beck’s life. It was disturbing how we found ourselves going along with his choices from time to time.
Along with Joe’s obsession with Beck, he also becomes very involved with Beck’s friends and acquaintances. For instance, in the first few episodes, Joe kills off Beck’s ex-boyfriend. As the show progresses, Joe kills off Beck’s best friend and therapist. Since Joe is obsessed with Beck, he feels threatened by the other people in Beck’s life. He figures that if he kills them off, he will be her sole friend and lover.
On top of that, Joe plays it off as if he is grieving for Beck and her friends. When Beck tells him news of the deaths, Joe becomes the compassionate and supportive boyfriend she needs, which pulls Beck in even more.
Along with Beck and Joe’s plotline, the show hints at Joe’s past. In various episodes, characters question Joe about his background, but he constantly brushes it off. The audience has more knowledge than the characters on the show, but in total, it is still limited.
In the last episode, a major character from Joe’s past returns to his book store. Throughout the season, the audience presumed this character was dead, but as usual, Netflix ended the show’s season with a major cliffhanger.
The girl that returns was Joe’s previous obsession; his previous Beck.
Fans of the show are very eager to see how the plot unfolds, as there were so many unexpected turns throughout the season.
All in all, the show breaks barriers and portrays concepts that are rarely talked about.
For the most part, the show has been received well, with over 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and several positive articles in newspapers and magazines.
The show got renewed for a second season after being widely applauded by Netflix users. The first season ended with a cliffhanger, so we can’t wait to see what Joe will do next.
