Based on Caroline Kepnes’ book of the same name, “YOU” follows the twisted love story of Joe Goldberg, the main protagonist, and Guinevere Beck. Despite its simple title, “YOU” is extremely complex, as Joe isn’t your typical casanova. Sure, he’s handsome and charismatic, but he’s also obsessive, deceptive and more than willing to commit murder.
To the eye, Joe seems like, well, an average Joe. He’s personable, works part-time as a bookstore clerk and has a passion for literature. His “normal” persona instantly changes, however, when he first encounters Beck. As soon as she walks through the bookstore doors, he becomes infatuated with her, and longs to have her all to himself.
Seeing as Joe is the narrator of the show, viewers aren’t spared any details from his day-to-day thoughts, whether it be his stalking schedule or his next murder plot. Through Joe’s narration, however, “YOU” watchers begin to understand how his mind works, and gain insight into his troublesome past.
Regardless of the countless malicious acts he’s committed, viewers still have a soft spot for Joe, and find it difficult to dislike his character. Controversy has sparked as a result, as Penn Badgley, who portrays Joe on-screen, resents his character’s positive reception. He’s made several tweets explaining how problematic Joe is, and why viewers shouldn’t romanticize about a psychopath – fictional or non-fictional.
For instance, when @darrenglitz tweeted “The amount of people romanticizing about @PennBadgley’s character in ‘YOU’ scares me,” Badgley responded with: “Ditto. It will be all the motivation I need for Season 2.” Several others tweeted about Joe’s attractiveness, most of which were met with a snarky response from the former “Gossip Girl” star.
While it may be controversial, “YOU” is definitely binge-worthy. Lucky for you, Netflix recently purchased the show from Lifetime, and it’s now available for streaming.