(Posted 2022 June)
Revisiting "You"
In our August 2020 media review, we introduced you to Joe Goldberg, a pathetic, unpredictable, toxic sociopath in the Netflix psychological thriller “You.” In Season 1 Joe stalks Beck under the guise of being caring. She is wowed by him, and they begin a relationship. The season continues as Joe begins tracking Beck’s movements and later engages in acts of violence and continued stalking, which ultimately results in Beck’s death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Stalking occurs when someone repeatedly harasses or threatens someone else, causing fear or safety concerns. Most often, stalking occurs by someone the victim knows or with whom they had an intimate relationship.”
In Season 2, Joe’s obsession with love continues. Running away from his previous life, he steals the identity of Will and “accidentally” meets Love Quinn. In his pursuit of Love, he takes a job at Quinn’s family café and grocery store. Joe’s love story with Love begins like many: Two people meet, work toward finding ways to engage each other and ultimately fall in love. Joe is charming and intelligent, and Love is talented, spontaneous, and likes to take risks. On the outside, the pair seem normal.
Things come crashing down for Joe when his ex- girlfriend, Candace, whom he previously attempted to bury alive, shows up at a Quinn family event and makes it known that his past has caught up to him.
What concerns me most about Joe is that he is convinced he is a new person who no longer harms others. However, without warning, he quickly engages in acts of violence toward anyone he feels is getting in the way of his relationship with Love. The more Joe loves, the more his behaviors mimic patterns of control that escalate quickly.
What Joe doesn’t know is that the Quinn family has their own history of violence. After a brief breakup with Joe, Love stalks him and later finds out there are others she believes to be getting in the way of her growing family. Joe is faced with a female version of himself. He sees Love as impulsive without justification for the violence she commits. Season 2 ends with Joe finding out Love is pregnant, and the pair move to the suburbs in hopes of starting a new, calmer life. But as we’ve seen in previous seasons, old habits are hard to break.
In Season 3, Joe is drawn to his new neighbor, Natalie, and begins stalking her, showing up at places she visits (grocery stores, libraries, etc.) and masturbating as he watches her from his car. Joe’s interest in Natalie reawakens Love’s violent compulsions and toxic behaviors. Joe’s disturbing motives for stalking perpetuate a desire to control and display violent acts of crime. Dedicated to keeping their “perfect” family together, the couple’s obsession with each other leads to brutal ends for many.
While some of Joe’s behaviors mimic individuals who have experienced trauma, his inner monologue exposes viewers to the possible nuances of those who commit violence. But his horrific extremes are far from normal. Throughout the series, Joe’s flashbacks of the abuse he experienced and the violence he witnessed in his childhood cause him to have a skewed perspective of “good and bad.” He has somehow convinced himself he is decent and there’s always a good reason for him to harm others.
Season 3 ends with plot twists, “love,” and betrayal.
“You” is the kind of show you could potentially hate because of its dark humor but love because of its ability to suck you in. Stay tuned for season 4, rumored to be released fall/winter 2022.
This review was written by Tanisha Cox, DSVS volunteer manager.
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