An old bookshop. Used books and first editions stand on narrow rows of shelves, in whose corridors dust particles dance in the air. A young woman strolls through the world of books, looking for a specific book. The owner of the store watches them, but not only with the intention of selling a book.
No, he is interested in the pretty girl herself. In his mind, he comments on what he sees: “Wow, hello, who are you? You dress discreetly, but your bangles jingle – you’re into a bit of attention. Okay, I took a bite.”
This is how YOU begin – you will love me. He, his name is Joe Goldberg, has just had a relationship that didn’t end well and believes that fate has now led the unknown blonde to him in the store. He immediately falls in love with her. After a short conversation, she pays for her book with her credit card, and Joe now has her name: Guinevere Beck, or Beck for short.
The series YOU, which was released on Netflix April 2021 All Movies & TV Shows – Coming in December 2018 and previously appeared on a smaller channel, captivated me from the first episode. Within a few days, I watched the 10 nearly one-hour episodes of the first season. And lived through some emotional worlds: curiosity, disgust, disbelief, paranoia, stress, fear, cautious optimism, horror, hope, panic, relief, and in the end … OMG.
Also read: How to watch “YOU” season 4 episodes – streaming guides
Stalk or Protect?
So, what are YOU about? As the subtitle “You will love me” suggests, we see the story (mostly) from the point of view of Joe, who wants to help his love happiness a little on the jumps. It should not stop at a fleeting encounter in the bookstore.
He googles Beck, and thanks to social media, he more than finds what he is looking for. Beck’s entire life unfolds before him: what she does, who she’s friends with, what keeps her busy, where exactly she studies – and also where she lives.
It is not a leap of thought to follow Beck every step of the way from now on. Joe doesn’t want to leave anything to chance. He observes her in her apartment, even gains access to it, and shadows her on the way. In his mind, he comments on her movements, her meetings with friends, and everything she does – so that the viewer learns how Joe thinks and why he does all this.
The series deals with a stalker and sociopath from his own point of view. Because Joe doesn’t stalk, no, he watches Beck – first to get to know her and then to protect her from the harmful influences of her friends. And he would do anything for them, EVERYTHING. This includes removing all the obstacles that separate them from him.
And we take it from Joe that he only does it for her (and thus for himself). After all, he’s not a madman who would commit murder, right? Basically, it is self-defense for a good purpose. And he would never raise his hand to Beck. Joe is nothing more than a caring friend who is just a little worried and only wants the best for his love.
Action From The Point Of View Of A Possessed Person
Joe’s inner world of thought is of great importance to the series. Through them, we learn why Joe does what he does. And Joe comments in real-time – as viewers, we not only see the outer world, i.e., the events and conversations, but also exactly what Joe thinks of it. We look behind his closed face; we learn what he really thinks while smiling in friendly.
Joe himself sees more in Beck than she would allow, but he himself cannot hide from us, the viewer. His innermost being is open to us. And so we don’t always experience Joe as the one who controls everything, but we also get his thoughts racing when something unexpected happens. This makes for a pretty authentic experience.
Through Joe’s thoughts, his actions are even somehow understandable – after all, the interest in a person can go far. Everyone wants to learn a lot; Google has certainly helped most people to do so. But Joe goes much further, and his thoughts are often blatantly ill.
Imagine the following surreal situation: Stalker Joe discovers that the object of his obsession, Beck, has another stalker. Two stalkers stalk the same person. But only one of the two stalkers – Joe – sees this whole picture.
While the unsuspecting first stalker now watches the unsuspecting Beck in the bathtub, Joe, Stalker No. 2, watches Beck AND the other stalker and is indignant in his thoughts about the violation of Beck’s privacy by the first stalker: “He invades your privacy, Beck! Nobody is allowed to do that, this is going too far!”.
What’s interesting is that Joe just doesn’t realize what he’s doing. For him, the massive surveillance with which he intervenes in Beck’s life has a logical justification. Everything he does, he blames Beck.
He doesn’t do it of his own volition but because he has to do it – to protect Beck from her false friends and help fate on its way. Beck virtually forces him to do so, and thus he himself bears no blame for his actions. No, stalking or even murdering, no, Joe is just not that kind of guy!
Also read: YOU Season 4 Episodes 1 To 5: Streaming Guide, Release Date, Cast & Spoilers.
Social Media and the Transparent Man
Social media plays an important role in “YOU.” They allow Joe to track down Beck after the first non-binding meeting and get a second impression of her.
But they also make it possible to make the disappearance of people plausible: No one can know who is really the “Hello world, have a nice day, love you all! <3” message sent via Instagram. Is it the person who owns the channel or someone else entirely? If a person suddenly disappears and photos of the other side of the world appear on his social media channel, then everything is fine, isn’t it?
It is a clear message that this series sends: If you communicate a lot on social media, you become a public person. But unlike traditional celebrities, social media stars don’t have personal protection and surveillance cameras. It’s very easy to become a target if someone develops a certain obsession, but it’s difficult to protect yourself from it.
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The Social Environment of the Series
In addition to Joe and Beck, it is above all, Beck’s acquaintances and friends who play a role again and again – much to Joe’s displeasure because, after all, he wants Beck’s undivided attention. No, wrong; he wants to protect her from false friends who take advantage of her or begrudge her successes.
Beck herself barely makes a living with her jobs in Manhattan, but her friends seem to be daughters and sons of rich parents. For this reason alone, Joe distinguishes himself from Beck’s environment with his solid sales job.
Among Beck’s friends are Beck’s on-off boyfriend, Benji, who seems to take advantage of her, but whom she adores anyway (clearly not a good deal, Joe thinks), and Beck’s best friend, Peach. Peach objects to the “simple salesman” Joe from the beginning because Beck deserves better.
Harsh words from a young, privileged woman: Here, it becomes clear how much she looks down on people who actually have to work for their money. And who is despised by her precisely for this reason, because of a lot of work for little money: Where are the pleasures of life? The fact that Joe is not particularly happy with Peach can be counted on half a finger.
In addition, Joe’s neighbors are also important. In the hallway lives a single woman, Claudia, one door away. She has a turbulent relationship with a powerful alcoholic who simply cannot be thrown out.
Yes, the series plays with multi-layered and different obsessions! Claudia has a young son, Paco, about ten years old, for whom Joe is something of a best friend. From the outside, Joe generally seems like an angel – always friendly and accommodating.
Paco gets not only interesting book classics to read from Joe but also good advice again and again. After all, Paco has to deal with his very own demons – his mother’s boyfriend is not exactly happy about the little shit.
Also, Read: 100 Best Netflix Shows To Watch That Will Blow Your Minds
Our Verdict
The series left me a little speechless, and of course, I don’t want to give too much away. I find the different views that play together here quite fitting and intelligent: the conversations that Joe always has with Beck in his mind and which often express the opposite of what his face is showing and his mouth is saying.
And Penn Badgley, who plays Joe Goldberg, is perfect for that. His face and face reflect both aspects perfectly. A dark-haired, attractive man who likes to listen to others on the one hand, but with our knowledge, we see a sinister guy who is smiling but already preparing his next steps inside.
Not without reason, Joe himself mentions the horror author Stephen King at least twice. In some of his books, I can recognize him from the series, especially when Joe talks about how worried he is about Beck and how much he cares about her. Both are motifs that occur so directly, for example, in Stephen King’s “It” and also in “Das Bild – Rose Madder.” And you too – Misery we find in YOU when Joe hands a typewriter to a – let’s say – “temporarily deprived of freedom of movement” and encourages him to write.
So – to stay with the title of the show: You will love “YOU” if you can relate to a story with two aspects. On the one hand, we have the lively lives of young, hip, rich, and superficial New Yorkers, which they like to spread in front of their followers on Instagram.
On the other hand, a person pulls the strings in the background, who finds his way in this world and can understand it, but does not necessarily understand it. He wants to shape them according to his own ideas and uses exactly the instruments that Beck and her friends use: mobile phones and various accounts on social networks. Well, and real weapons.
We then overlook a few logical errors, e.g., Beck’s missing curtains in her ground-floor apartment on a busy street and that Joe can apparently commit perfect crimes several times without anyone finding out about him.
Overall, “You” deserves a rating of 3.5 out of 5. The show’s compelling storyline, excellent cinematography, and haunting soundtrack are sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers. While the show’s portrayal of mental illness is problematic, the strong performances from the cast and the show’s innovative use of social media make “You” a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller.
Our Rating: 3.5/5
Also read: 50 Emilia Fox Movies and TV Shows to Keep You Entertained.
