In only two episodes, Lifetime’s new drama, You, has already established itself as one of the creepiest shows on TV. Between captives in bookstore dungeons, poisoned lattes and romantic dates with a sinister stalker, it seems as though there is a twist and turn around every corner that will leave you saying, “Oh my God, what just happened?” In case you missed it, here are some of the most OMG-worthy moments from episode two.
****Warning: Spoilers****
1. Joe uses the Cloud to stalk Beck.
Given the fact that the entirety of You thus far has been about Joe using various pieces of technology to learn all there is to know about Beck, this isn’t super surprising, but it sure is terrifying. The ease with which Joe is able to access all of Beck’s information on the Cloud after she purchases a new phone to replace the one he stole is very alarming. Even as Beck is setting up her new phone in her apartment, Joe is standing on the street using her old phone to access her texts, emails, social media accounts—basically her whole life. Let’s just say that after watching this episode, I was triple checking the security of my iCloud.
2. Paco almost discovers Benji in Joe’s bookstore dungeon.
Sweet, sweet Paco—let’s hope nothing bad happens to adorable Paco. If you remember, Paco (Luca Padovan) is the cute neighbor kid that Joe really cares about. In the pilot episode, we saw Joe bringing Paco books, showing him the book repair room and generally acting the way any big brother would. However, in this week’s episode, Paco decides to head to the bookstore to find a new book and starts to venture into Joe’s basement. Things get scary when Joe rushes down to the basement and we think that Paco will have to pay dearly for discovering Joe’s dirty little secret. Thankfully (I think), Joe catches Paco before he sees Benji and gives him a good scolding. Hopefully these harsh words will keep Paco safe.
3. Peach is related to JD Salinger.
Beck’s bestie Peach (Shay Mitchell) is throwing a party, and guess who Beck brings as her date? You guessed it—Joe. As Beck is preparing Joe for how to best interact with her Ivy League friends, she lets it slip that Peach Salinger is related to famed literary recluse (and author of The Catcher and the Rye) JD Salinger. This relation is somewhat surprising, but seems fitting given that literature and books are major themes in this show.
4. Joe’s ex-girlfriend is nowhere to be found.
At Peach’s party, one of Beck’s friends approaches Joe as he is leaving and brings up about the whereabouts of his former girlfriend, Candace. Apparently, she dated Joe for a while and then “ran off to Rome” and she hasn’t been heard from since. Yeah…that doesn’t seem suspicious at all. Beck’s friends seem suspicious of the fact that Joe dates women who mysteriously vanish, but the alarm bells haven’t gone off for Beck just yet. Hopefully, she wises up before Joe sends her off on a permanent European vacation.
5. Benji is even more of a terrible person than we initially thought.
In an effort to escape from Joe’s prison, Benji offers to share his darkest secret with Joe in exchange for freedom. So, what is the artisanal soda maker’s shameful secret? Well, he’s complicit in the death of a fraternity pledge who died after an evening of heavy drinking and hazing. And if he thinks that this secret will bring him into Joe’s good graces, he’s got a surprise in store.
6. Joe’s co-worker is really into book release parties.
This was a positive and uplifting moment in an otherwise dark and sinister show. Joe’s fellow employee at the bookstore, Ethan, is really excited about the release of the new Stephen King book. Like, he’s really excited. And while Joe is trying to keep his dark secrets hidden, Ethan is just worried about what snacks he should serve at the release party. Like with Paco, I’m hoping that pure, innocent Ethan minds his business and avoids the wrath of Joe.
7. Benji bites the dust.
While we probably saw this coming (because how long can you really hold someone in a bookstore dungeon), the way in which Benji dies is the alarming part of this story. After telling Joe about his peanut allergy and gluten intolerance, Joe decides to eliminate Benji with a peanut oil latte. This serves as a reminder to not share your deadly food allergy with the person that wants to kill you.
8. Joe has a sad backstory.
While it’s easy to assume that Joe is an awful person for stalking Beck and killing Benji (maybe also Candace), this episode offered us a brief look into Joe’s past. In a quick flashback, we saw a teenage Joe being physically abused by an older man (who might be the owner of the bookstore). And while this is no excuse for Joe’s frightening and vile behavior, this childhood trauma could explain how Joe got to where he is today.
Catch new episodes of You, Sundays at 10pm on Lifetime.