Time to get ready for next season of ‘You’
“You” season 4 starts Feb. 9 on Netflix.
January 25, 2023
You, the obsessive psycho thriller series on Netflix, has been going strong with three seasons since 2018 and a fourth coming Feb. 9. And if you haven’t gotten wind of this show, or maybe you thought it wasn’t worth watching, you need to get your popcorn, grab a Coke and get ready to binge.
You is about this deadly charming, obsessive bookstore clerk named Joe Goldberg, who locks eyes with You, a budding writer, Guinevere Beck, oblivious to the danger she’s facing. Now to be clear, this is NOT a romance in any way shape or form, but a peek into the mind of someone with a terrifying sick twist on the concept of love. Joe begins to stalk Beck, invading every aspect of her life, picking up the pieces at just the right time, a “knight in shining armor.” Joe puts up this lovable, smart, caring guy charade to conceal his more violent tendencies. But slowly throughout the series he kills who he’s convinced is in the way of “love.”
He’s someone who yearns for love, to be cared about, cherished and adored, but ultimately will never get it because he himself destroys love and the beauty of it. Every time he meets the “one” he falls back into that constant pattern of obsession, possessiveness, and somewhat of a savior complex. The classic “I know what’s best for you!” trope, which he uses to justify his several murders throughout the series. Joe puts love and the victims of his love on a pedestal, which he will go through any lengths to obtain even to his own and others’ detriment.
Joe’s mind is warped and it’s fascinating to see the inner workings of it. Even watching it again and again, I was in disbelief of how deranged Joe really is. Penn Badgely, the actor of Joe Goldberg, does a superb job at replicating this tortured soul. Even more impressive is when Badgeley effectively portrays both sides of Joe’s personality. The more cheery and lighthearted moments he shares with other characters, and the bursts of fury and insanity. Furthermore, the lack of emotion is where Badgeley’s acting shines. When he walks over a dead body as if it was roadkill – now that truly embodies the desensitization of a serial killer. Even as the knowledgeable watcher that we are, we still find ourselves convinced by Joe’s act of sweet and innocent, and it’s disturbing to experience the instant switch in his personality.
