YOU, a psychological thriller by American author Caroline Kepnes, was published in September 2014. The best-selling novel gained translations into 19 different languages; later, it led to a compelling Netflix TV series with the same title.
YOU premiered its first season with a dark comedy-drama in September 2018, followed by two more seasons in 2019 and 2021. The question is, will there be a fourth season?
STORYLINE
“What would you do for love?” asks YOU, a post-modern love story that revolves around a homicidal psychopath, Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, the lonely bookstore manager who stalks women and usually ends up murdering them. Oops, spoiler alert!!
Media based on similar interests is likely something people have seen a lot. But still, something about this series makes you want to watch one more episode after another! Among the things that make this show different from other crime dramas or psycho-thrillers is its lack of clichés and unpredictable flow. Its plotline focuses on present-day friendships, relationships, and people in general and demonstrates how social media has made us both vulnerable and responsible simultaneously. The script is well-written and especially well-performed by all the characters. Not only is it addictive, but many might find it disturbing.
One of the main highlights of this series is the engaging narration of Joe Goldberg. It stays with you for days, and yes, in a creepy way!! Joe captivates the audience with his compelling performance and relatable desire to find love and happiness. His self-talk is almost identical to how one speaks to themselves. For example, one line from the show that stayed in my mind is, “At the end of the day, people are simply just disappointing, aren’t they?”
It is an understatement to describe and synopsize this TV series. YOU captured my imagination with the darkness and intrigue from the beginning of the first season in September 2018 and the second season that premiered in December 2019, making it even better.
YOU, SEASON 1, 2018
In season one, You, paired with trashy comics, creates an addictive social media horror story that works its way under the skin and stays there. The story of Joe Goldberg starts in New York, where he meets Guinevere Beck, portrayed by Elizabeth Lail, an aspiring writer who captures his attention. The season illustrates the idea of the perfect soulmate for Joe. Even though no one deserves to die, the character of Beck was unsympathetic to the audience, so Joe Goldberg was supported even when he killed his girlfriend.
SEASON 2, 2019
In the second season, Joe Goldberg moves from New York to Los Angeles to escape his past. Although the series involves considerable tension, this season adds depth and variety. The perversely endearing serial stalker starts with a new identity in his attempt to find new love in the City of Angels. He then meets avid chef Love Quinn, played by Victoria Pedretti. Her character was damaged and broken, making her an ideal match for the beloved stalker. It was a great season that sadly had its fair share of disaster; after all, Joe attracts it like hot air!! Love Quinn truly surprised the audience.
Joe found a similar person that is as peculiar as him. It could have ended that way since he is no longer on the run!! However, my only gripe against the producers and the writers is that they could have made it into a mini-series and ended the show after season two, yet they did not. Seasons one and two flowed well and made sense, so what is next?
SEASON 3, 2021
In the third season, which recently premiered in October this year, You takes its thrilling saga to the Californian suburbs of Madre Linda, where Joe and Love are married and raising their newborn son, Henry. As their relationship dynamic takes a new turn, Joe continues to repeat the cycle of obsession with a newfound interest in Natalie, the next-door neighbor. Oh, there is also Madeleine, the librarian. But, this time, Love Quinn flips the script to ensure that her dream of having the perfect family will not be torn away so rapidly by her compulsive actions toward Joe.
This season has too many heated debates, with the viewership support divided between Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn. Well, it is Love Quinn for me. Some say she was even worse than Joe, but who ended up dead at the end? As I see it, it is high time to stop portraying Joe Goldberg as a “good guy” who gets away with multiple crimes because of his damaged past. Joe will remain the same. It is a formidable challenge for someone who has been so negatively affected by critical illness, disturbed, traumatized, and violent to heal and change. Honestly, I am very disappointed with the ending of this season. Now it just feels like a Scorpio drama!! And guess what? Another season is on the way.
OPINION
You, a series with improbable twists and turns, is defined by its jaw-dropping, unbelievable plotline. Therefore, there is no way to predict what will transpire in season four. Besides, the first three seasons have drawn from a series of novels, but there is no fourth book, so there are no pointers. The show has changed locations from New York City in season one to Los Angeles in season two to Madre Linda in season three; therefore, a fourth season could follow our protagonist terrorizing the residents of the city of love. So, Paris, it is.
I think the series should end next season with Joe Goldberg facing the repercussions of his crimes or his death by the “ghost of Love Quinn.” Hahaha!! YOU cannot normalize so many murders and still get away with it!!