‘You’ Is Still the Most Obsession-Worthy Thriller on Netflix

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A man with dark hair meets a woman in a New York City bookstore and instantly feels a connection. However, instead of pursuing a normal relationship, he begins to obsessively watch her, researching her life online until he knows everything about her. This isn’t the beginning of a sweet love story; it’s the unsettling setup for what many consider to be Netflix’s most gripping thriller.

We have to apologize to shows like Mindhunter, His & Hers, The Beast in Me, and short-lived favorites such as Red Rose and The Society. But You is the only Netflix thriller that really stays with you, making it hard to focus on anything else because of Joe Goldberg’s disturbing story. Thankfully, the show ended at the perfect moment, as its star believes.

Thriller Fans Can’t Help But Obsess Over Joe On ‘You’


Netflix

The show first aired on Lifetime in 2018 before moving to Netflix for its second season, and it quickly became a captivating and suspenseful series that viewers loved. Like the character Joe fixates on his love interests – Beck, Love, Marienne, Kate, and Bronte – audiences find themselves constantly wondering about his strange reasons, disturbing mindset, and awful deeds.

Watching You is a truly immersive experience, unlike most other thrillers. The first season shocks you with Joe’s extreme actions, going far beyond the typical frustrations of modern dating. As the show continues with seasons 2 and 3, you become obsessed with uncovering the truth about Love and her surprising personality. Season 4 adds even more unease with its hallucinations, commentary on British society, and the introduction of Kate. Now, in season 5, it’s clear Joe is finally going to be caught, which makes for another compelling ten episodes. While it’s longer than many shows you might binge-watch over a weekend, You is just as captivating.

We’ve all experienced the awkwardness and anxiety of a crush or replayed a first date in our minds, worrying about what we said. But this show is much more than just that relatable feeling. Though the main character, Joe, believes he’s telling a story about finding true love, his understanding of love is deeply flawed. The series takes the common anxieties of dating to an extreme, weaving in themes of murder, a difficult childhood, and emotional abuse to create a complex and disturbing thriller.

Penn Badgley Thinks the ‘You’ Season 5 Ending Was Exactly Right

Actors often have strong feelings about the characters that made them famous. Some genuinely enjoy playing those roles and would happily return to them – Lauren Graham’s energetic performance is a highlight of the Gilmore Girls revival because of this. Others feel a sense of closure and are eager to move on to new work, which is understandable after being on a show for many years, as seen with some of the cast of Stranger Things. It’s natural for actors to want to try different things after dedicating almost a decade to one project.

Was Penn Badgley relieved to finish playing Joe Goldberg, or did he miss the role? In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Badgley stated that he believed the fifth season finale of “You” was the appropriate ending for the series.

“I don’t even know if it’s satisfying ideologically. In the most practical sense, it’s satisfying.”

He wasn’t killed or rescued from a bad situation. No one needed to act in a way that would make him feel superior to them.

Badgley mentioned that there’s no way that You could have continued from this point and said:

It’s just so heartbreaking knowing he’s been imprisoned – it feels like a part of him, and the show, is gone forever. It means there’s absolutely no way we’ll ever get more seasons, like a sixth or seventh… it’s really over.

Many TV shows lose focus towards the end, leaving viewers questioning the writers’ plan. But with You, the groundwork for the finale is laid as early as Season 4. Once Kate learns the truth about Joe, there’s no going back. And after Bronte cleverly manipulates him, can he truly escape the consequences? The show explores whether Joe will continue to fall for unsuspecting people, only revealing his true self when it’s too late. You is a compelling thriller because it’s both entertaining and thought-provoking – a combination that’s hard to find in other shows.




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2026-03-15 03:33