Campus Echo Staff“You” is a 10-episode Netflix series that explores how far one will go for love. The show is a psychological thriller based on the book of the same name, written by Caroline Kepnes.
The series originally premiered on Lifetime on September 9, 2018 in the United States. However, it was internationally released on Netflix on December 26, 2018.
SPOILER ALERT
The series follows bookstore manager, Joe Goldberg played by Penn Badgley, working at Mooney’s. While working in the store, he comes across aspiring writer, Guinevere Beck played by Elizabeth Lail, and they share a conversation regarding the books. When Beck purchases her book, she gives Joe her credit card which he glances at to get her name, before they officially introduce themselves.
It is at this point that Joe becomes infatuated with Beck. He begins to stalk her on all social media platforms. He then finds her home address through her Instagram, and begins to follow her during all of her daily activities. Beck has no idea that Joe has been stalking her from their first encounter.
After following Beck after an outing with her friends, he happens to actually encounter her and save her life when she drunkenly falls on the train tracks after she drops her phone. As a nice gesture, he gets in the cab with her to make sure she gets home safely. Joe asks for her number, but Beck can’t find her phone so instead gives him her email. Unbeknownst to Beck, Joe has kept her phone for himself.
The series goes on to show how Joe and Beck begin to develop a relationship; however, Beck has no clue about his dark side. As their relationship develops, Joe feels the need to “help” Beck. Helping her entails killing her playboy ex and her best friend, Peach who happens to be sexually attracted to her as well. We also see him killing his neighbors’ mom’s abusive boyfriend, his ex-girlfriend’s lover, and we suspect that he may have killed that ex- girlfriend, Candance played by Ambyr Childers.
Eventually, Beck finds what Joe has done by finding a box of his “tokens” from the crimes he has committed. Joe locks her in the basement of the bookstore, and after a failed attempt of escaping, Beck is then killed by Joe.
The show is extremely interesting if you are into the “killer who is in love” sort of shows. The second season should be out next year. Who can wait that long to see what Joe does next?
Review by Zaria Johnson
