I’m sure a lot of people have already seen the main character, Joe Goldberg, in the Netflix show “YOU”. A lot of people have mixed feelings about Joe, but here’s one thing I don’t think anyone has ever noticed about him and his similarities with Dan Humphrey in “Gossip Girl”.
1. They look exactly the same
Both characters are played by the talented Penn Badgley. Coincidence? I think not.
2. They are both from Manhattan
In a country as big as the United States, both characters live similar journeys in the same place. Could that mean that Dan just stayed in the city after he and Serena ended their relationship?
3. They are both obsessed with a beautiful blonde girl who is obviously too good for them
Come on, Serena and Beck are both similar looking girls who are clearly out of his league! Not only do they look similar. Both girls are going through hard moments in their lives and need someone to help them become a better version of themselves. Dan and Joe evidently have a specific type of woman they are attracted to. Is Beck a replacement for Serena?
4. They both use social media to enter other people’s lives
In the “Gossip Girl” finale, the audience finds out that Dan is Gossip Girl. For years, he used the internet to torment and obsess over other people’s lives. Similarly, Joe uses social media to discover everything about Beck’s life and torment anyone who stands in his way. Is it possible that Dan continued to use his Gossip Girl skills to enter Beck’s life?
5. They both pretend to be the “nice guy”, but turn out to be creepy stalkers
Dan and Joe seem to be gentlemen who care about the girls’ well-being and are their prince-charming. However, both use the internet to stalk and learn more about their loved ones. Dan used Gossip Girl to get closer to Serena and defame her friends (and her). Joe, similarly, does whatever he can to get rid of anyone who comes between him and Beck. Wouldn’t it be possible that Joe is Dan’s crazier and future version?
6. They are both outsiders
Living outside of the girls’ bubble, both characters want to be part of the inner-circle, but despite their best efforts, neither of them succeed in becoming part of their girlfriends’ elite groups. Maybe entering Beck’s friend group would be his second chance of finally being an insider?
7. Their main passion is books
Dan was always obsessed with literature and Joe works in a bookstore. Is it possible that Dan’s career didn’t launch as expected and he looked for a job where he would be surrounded by books to inspire his next work?
8. They both become best-selling authors
Dan writes a novel about his life and becomes a successful published writer. Joe didn’t write a book, but he does manage to publish Beck’s. Would it be possible that he saw this as an opportunity to launch another successful work, even if his name is not associated with it?