"You" Review and Analysis
- Mar 12, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 2, 2020
Review
Introduction
"You" is a psychological thriller series on Netflix created by Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti. It stars Penn Badgley as the main character Joe, a role that is not that much of a stretch from Badgley’s infamous role as Dan Humphrey on "Gossip Girl".
Both of these roles include a young man who develops a seemingly unhealthy fixation on one of the female characters. However, Joe from "You" takes the woman he is fixated on, and turns them into a victim. You can view the trailer for season one here.
Summary
Season one of the show begins with Joe as the manager of a bookstore, where he meets Guinevere Beck, an English Literature graduate and aspiring writer. Joe utilizes social media and the internet to stalk Beck and get personal information on her in order to form a relationship.
Joe and Beck eventually end up dating, and Joe becomes extremely protective of Beck and is threatened by anyone who is close to her, specifically her best friend Peach. The first season follows Joe's unhealthy obsession over Beck and demonstrates just how far he is willing to go to protect her from anyone who he feels is a threat.
Image source: thefunnybeaver.com
"You" as a Psychological Thriller
Source: giphy.com
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term 'psychological thriller' as "a novel, film, etc., in the thriller genre which focuses on the psychology of its characters, or which psychologically manipulates its audience or readership" (OED 2007). "You" definitely adheres to this definition, as it is narrated by Joe and focuses on his inner-dialogue of why he does what he does and his motivations.
Joe’s charming and persuasive nature shines through in his narrations, making it easy to sympathize with him and forget that he is still a killer. Season one teases flashbacks at moments from Joe's abusive childhood that gives an insight into his psychological behaviours. Not only is the psychological aspect of this show intriguing, but also as a thriller never knowing what Joe is going to do, or who he is going to "deal with" next.
Script and Acting
The script of "You" while sometimes cringe-worthy, is fairly well-done and reflects Joe's intellect and passion for literature. Similar to the script, the casting for this show is very good and features well-known actors such as Penn Badgley (Joe), Victoria Pedretti (Love - Season 2), Shay Mitchell (Peach), and John Stamos (Dr. Nicky).
Image source: insider.com
Overall Review
While "You" can sometimes feel like the type of show that you classify as a guilty pleasure, it really is overall a great show if you are interested in psychological thrillers. Not only is it psychologically intriguing, but it is definitely thrilling and includes a fair bit of gory scenes. I think one of the most captivating elements of this series is how modern and relevant it is for youth right now.
What initially drew my attention to the show was it being a psychological thriller and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I'm a sucker for books, shows, movies etc... that are narrated by the killer and reveal an insight into their mindset. The show has just the right amount of gore and suspense perfectly balanced with a fair bit of cheesy romance between English Lit buffs.
Similarly to the film "Ingrid Goes West", "You" can be seen as a comment on the dangers of social media, and how easily it can be abused. It seems extreme to compare your everyday use of social media to a literature-obsessed serial killer, but people use social media and the internet every day as a tool to gain information and their perception of others.
Your identity online can unveil a lot about who you want other people to perceive you as, but also share personal information such as your location, your hobbies, and your history - all extremely useful tools for a dangerous dynamic such as Joe and Guinevere Beck.
Source: popcornandtequila.com
Analysis
Applications of Readings
Thumim's Self-Representation and Digital Culture, specifically the chapter entitled "Histories of Self-Representation" discusses the concept of self-representation and what it means for the 'ordinary person' in society. The 'ordinary person' is essentially anyone who is an everyday, working-class citizen (Thumim 21). The chapter discusses how throughout the history of self-representation in the media, there has traditionally been a separation between the 'ordinary' and 'media' worlds, until forms of media such as reality television (Thumim 43).
Reality television blurred the lines between public and private self-representation, creating a fascination for learning about the private lives of the 'ordinary person'. This human obsession with involving ourselves in the lives of others is what fuels the concept of social media platforms, where you not only have the ability to curate an online persona for yourself but also to scrutinize the lives of others.
Source: giphy.com
In Rettberg's Seeing Ourselves Through Technology, particularly the first chapter "Written, Visual, and Quantitative Self-Representations", considers the idea of writing about the self. The chapter mentions that not only is writing about yourself considered self-representation, but also self-documentation; the ability to keep a record of moments of our lives (Rettberg 11). Our self-representation online is like creating an autobiographical text which others can read and follow in real-time, but this can also lead to privacy issues.
As fascinating as it is to keep up with others on social media as if you were reading tabloids on a famous actress, it's important to remember that it's not necessarily the same, as a celebrity has a certain amount of privacy and protection, where the 'ordinary person' as mentioned before, does not (Rettberg 15).
Examples from "You"
This clip from season one gives an insight into how Beck's online identity is used as a tool for Joe to stalk her and get more personal information on her. Joe begins by googling Beck's full name, discovering links to all of her social media accounts, which are conveniently not private.
From just her Instagram account Joe is able to find out where Beck was born and raised, the names of her siblings, the details of her parents' divorce, her education history, and current employment status. Joe then takes a photo Beck posted in front of her apartment building, put it into a reverse google image search, and was able to find the location of where she lives.
This may all seem extreme, but it really isn't that hard for just about anyone to replicate these tactics that Joe uses. In fact, I personally use social media to get information on people such as making sure my friends' tinder matches check out. My friends often tell me I should become a P.I. due to the amount of information I can find online in a short period of time. However, I'm not going around trying to find the home addresses of these people and sitting outside their windows like Joe.
Wrap-up and Final Thoughts
Overall, I think the inclusion of social media as a tool for Joe to stalk his victims is one of the elements of this show that makes it so interesting. I feel that this show has gained popularity due to the fact that the way Joe utilizes Beck's online presence is even more terrifying as it holds relevance and truth in our current society. People tend to be intrigued by horrifying realities that aren't that far of a stretch, such as someone being able to find out so much personal information about you in just a few clicks.
The bottom line is, "You" is a great show if you are as obsessed with psychological thrillers as I am, but it can also be enlightening as a cautionary example of how careful you should be about what information you put online.
Source: giphy.com
Selected Bibliography
Ahearn, Brianna. "33 Funny Joe Goldberg Memes for You Fans and Anyone who Loves Joe Goldberg". The Funny Beaver, https://thefunnybeaver.com/33-funny-joe-goldberg-
"Oh no wtf GIF by Lifetime". Giphy, 22 October 2018,
"Penn Badgley Joe Goldberg GIF by YOU". Giphy, 16 December 2019,
"Psychological Thriller, N." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford, UP, 2011.
Rettberg, Jill Walker. Seeing Ourselves Through Technology. Published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, pp 1-14, “Written, Visual, and Quantitative Self-Representations”.
Slauer, Shelby."Here's Where you Might Recognize the Cast of 'You' From. Insider, 10 January 2019, https://www.insider.com/where-cast-of-you-is-from-2019-1
"Stalking Beck | You Netflix". Youtube, Uploaded by Pixel HD, 22 February 2019,
Thumim, Nancy. Self Representation and Digital Culture. Published by Palgrave Macmillan,
2012, pp 19-48, “Histories of Self-Representation”.
Wyllie, Shaye. "Here's 12 You Memes That Just Might Kill You (With Laughter)". Popcorn and Tequila, 3 January 2020, https://popcornandtequila.com/netflix-you-memes-about-
"YOU Trailer Season 1 (2018) Netflix Series". Youtube, Uploaded by Series Trailer MP, 22 October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJ2_xH7h6s
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