The Netflix show, titled ““, with Penn Badgley in the lead role, didn’t initially achieve instant success. However, it eventually gained popularity, resulting in five seasons spanning approximately seven years. Viewers continued to be captivated as they watched Badgley’s character, Joe Goldberg, skillfully navigate his numerous acts of violence. This complex antihero, who seems destined to be both pitied and despised, has managed to elicit conflicting emotions from the audience.
In a sense, your writing has noticeably varied from one season to another, but none may surpass the initial one. Joe was an intriguing blend of charisma and terror, and the narrative felt captivating before it spiraled out of control. This might be because Joe’s story should have concluded at its origin – where it all began.
You Only Had One Season Before Moving to Netflix
Joe Goldberg Started off on a Popular Women’s Network
Initially, when it debuted in 2018, the show might not have appeared as if it would endure for long. Its ratings didn’t meet expectations, causing it to be passed around from one network to another. However, a shift to Netflix in 2019 granted it a new lease on life, and its ratings skyrocketed, securing a renewal – a rare achievement considering the frequent cancellations today. It could very well be that Netflix provided the exposure necessary for it to captivate its intended audience.
Despite my initial thoughts that this could have been the perfect ending for the series, moving forward into Season 5 seems somewhat repetitive and reminiscent of familiar themes we’ve previously encountered. It leaves me questioning whether it’s the dedicated fanbase or the quality of content that sustains the show nowadays, as their boundaries become increasingly indistinct.
Candace Was Obviously Meant to be Dead
The Book Had a Different Ending Than the Show
It’s only natural that there are adjustments when moving from book to screen, and this holds true for Caroline Kepnes’ series as well. The initial novel installment was published in 2014, featuring a conclusion distinct from Season 1 of the television show. One of the most significant alterations involved Joe’s former girlfriend – she didn’t return from the dead as portrayed in the series.
It appears that bringing Candace back to life at the end of Season 1 was clearly intended as a strategy for a second season, but it felt awkward given the path the story had been taking. The apprehension towards Joe, both by Beck and viewers, stems from his past actions. Reviving Candace from her shallow grave seemed like an excessive step too far.
Season 2 Was a Bit of a Stretch
The Premise of You Felt Self-contained
In the second series of “You,” there was a noticeable shift in tone compared to the first. To distance himself from his tainted past, Joe moved from New York to Los Angeles, definitely creating an atmosphere change. This is where he encountered his future spouse, Love Quinn, and her challenging yet tormented sibling, Forty. It didn’t take long before old habits resurfaced for Joe, even though he believed he had found “the one” in Love.
Despite the fact that the second installment of the book series, titled “Hidden Bodies,” was published in 2016, viewers found Season 2 less true-to-life compared to the Joe we met in the first season. The character seemed out of place without his New York City home and his beloved bookstore. It almost felt like a completely different show – but with the same underlying plot.
Joe Realistically Could Not Cart His Prison Around
Logistically, Joe’s Cage Transport Doesn’t Make Sense
In the debut season of You, we find the protagonist in a hidden room below his antiquarian bookstore, where he safeguards precious literature. Through flashbacks, audiences learn that this very same room was once used as a tool for abuse against him by his mentor, adoptive father, and previous bookstore owner, Mr. Mooney, during his youth. As an adult, Joe himself utilizes this space in much the same way, employing it to trap and control his targets, transforming it into his preferred method of exerting influence over his victims.
It’s quite extraordinary that Joe manages to transport this glass enclosure with him to every new place he goes, even to a bunker in London, England. One or maybe three relocations could be plausible, but five seems like an excessive number of moves, making it hard to imagine how Joe might manage to move such a heavy and awkward item so frequently.
Season 4 Had to Reinvent the Show
Murder Mysteries Became the Name of the Game
Joe shifted focus to the enigma of murder mysteries, venturing farther abroad than before, settling in the United Kingdom under an assumed name: Jonathan Moore. This season’s narrative delved deeply into Britain’s fondness for classic detective stories. It was an innovative concept that injected a sense of renewal into the show, but it also highlighted that the traditional format was starting to feel repetitive.
In a simpler and more conversational tone,
The fourth season of You, unlike its predecessors, was divided into two parts. It began airing in February 2023, followed by another installment in March 2023. The plot twist where Joe moved from the U.S. to the U.K. left viewers wondering: Where on earth can Joe go next? The upcoming fifth season might have to increase the tension or… reset back to the initial setup.
Joe’s Character Does Not Have a Long Shelf Life
He’s Almost Too Repetitive With Each Passing Season
Each new season seems to strengthen Badgley’s captivating portrayal, yet I can’t help but feel that Joe is starting to lack depth and longevity as a character. It seems like he’s merely repeating the same patterns – falling in love, killing, reforming, yearning for violence again, discovering a new inspiration, and then killing for her once more. The fact that the show teetered on the brink of cancellation after its debut makes me wonder if Joe’s storyline might be losing its grip.
Despite this, there seems to be an intriguing quality about how Joe rationalizes his appalling behavior, which may stem from Badgley’s acting skills and clever writing. Admittedly, it becomes repetitive at times, yet it can also prove to be utterly captivating and hard to resist.
Joe Becomes More Sympathetic With Each Season
It’s Entirely Possible for Viewers to 100% Be On the Side of a Killer
As a devoted cinemaphile, I must say that the transition from book to screen for the character of Joe in this show was intriguing. The writers skillfully crafted aspects of Joe’s personality, such as his relationship with the abused neighbor kid in Season 1, to give him more depth and complexity. This tactic succeeded in evoking empathy from viewers, leaving us torn between seeing Joe as a sympathetic figure or a villain. However, this nuanced portrayal might have been too effective, blurring the lines between good and evil in an intriguing yet challenging way.
It’s uncertain whether the writers intended to challenge viewers’ moral beliefs or if this effect occurs naturally as a series progresses. To maintain a primary character’s appeal, they might strive for more empathy. However, determining whether a villain can be made pitiful is quite difficult and may remain unresolved.
Beck Made the Most Sense as Joe’s Obsession
She Was Both His Literary and Romantic Infatuation
Ever since Season 1, I’ve noticed Joe has had quite a few romantic entanglements – not to mention two marriages. Yet, it seems that his first love might have been the most fitting for his character. Despite the seemingly fluid nature of his affections, there’s one constant thread. Joe is drawn to women in distress. It provides him with a motive to act violently and portrays those actions as defensive rather than self-indulgent.
| You Book Series |
| You (2014) |
| Hidden Bodies (2016) |
| You Love Me (2021) |
| For You and Only You (2023) |
In essence, it could be argued that Beck was an ideal yet unfortunate match for Joe. She shares his intellectual inclinations, is also a struggling author, and bears a chequered history with men – all traits that Joe seeks in a partner. Despite the fact that other women have come close to meeting Joe’s obsessions, Beck fits a unique mold. This could explain why Kepnes chose to start with Beck’s tale instead of, for example, Candace’s story.
Joe’s Inner Monologues Get Old After a While
Even the Show’s Star Got Tired of Them
Badgley himself acknowledges that portraying the character of Joe can be a secluded undertaking due to the extensive time spent recording monologues, which often makes it feel like a solo performance. Moreover, since Joe is primarily preoccupied with his internal thoughts, he doesn’t have many opportunities to engage in dialogues with other actors. In essence, if you exclude his inner thoughts, Joe isn’t very verbose in real-life conversations.
Initially, the method of storytelling might have appeared intriguing, but after five seasons, it can become tiresome. However, it appears to hold your audience’s attention, for the most part. This point is still subjective, but it wouldn’t be shocking if viewers grew tired of this particular narrative device and stopped watching as a result.
Season 5 Wiped the Slate Unbelievably Clean
The Beginning of Season 5 Felt Like Lazy Writing
Ever since Season 2, it’s become predictable that Joe will have to restart his life in a new town following his continued heinous actions. Audience members must be willing to overlook this reality for the sake of believing it within the context of the series, and Season 5 could stretch their tolerance. In the premiere episode of Season 5, Joe lists the issues that his powerful second wife, Kate Galvin, has resolved in the new season.
In an old bookstore he owns, this character’s past violent acts have either been rationalized to his spouse or expunged from public records. Notably, Henry, who was left with someone else at the end of last season, is no longer with them. While everything seems to fall into place a bit too neatly, which could be the factor that turns off some fans.
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2025-05-03 04:09