Created by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti
You is a psychological thriller TV series created by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti. The show follows the story of a charming but troubled bookstore manager named Joe Goldberg who becomes obsessed with a young aspiring writer named Guinevere Beck.
The story is primarily told from Joe's perspective, and the audience gets a glimpse into his mind as he becomes increasingly possessive and controlling over Beck, going to great lengths to keep her in his life. Along the way, Joe commits several heinous acts to ensure that Beck remains his, including murder and manipulation of those around her.
The show is excellently written and produced, with a gripping storyline that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. It's a great concept to show life through the eyes of an obsessive stalker because it criticizes the toxic romance tropes that have existed since the genre's inception. In most romantic media, male love interests are shown doing insane things to get the girl, such as stalking her, obsessing over her life, and harassing her until she agrees to be with him. These clearly morally dubious actions have been romanticized and justified time and time again, which is why 'You' is so refreshing because the male love interest is a straight-up murderer whose actions are never excused.
Even when his tragic backstory is revealed, it does not justify the atrocities he committed. It simply explained why he did what he did. Unfortunately, many people actually root for the character, thanks to Penn Badgley's excellent performance as Joe and the tragic childhood flashbacks that are prevalent. This is strange to me because he is supposed to be the reality of toxic and manipulative men who have been conditioned to take what they want violently because they believe they deserve it.
The show is not for everyone though to its very mature themes and graphic content, so check the TWs (trigger warnings) before watching it!
Reviewed by Tayyeba
View in Library Catalogue: DVD
Add a comment to: TV Series Review: You