You: When Love Kills

If you’re a fan of "Dexter," then you can’t miss out on "You." This psychological thriller stars Penn Badgley as a charming bookshop manager Joe Goldberg, a man who has a warped way of showing his affection for women. Once Joe has his sights set on a gal, he does everything in his power to get her for himself and only himself. In Season one, Joe meets Beck, an aspiring writer and graduate student down on her luck as she struggles with the New York dating scene and blending in with her inner circle of materialistic socialites. After meeting Beck at work, Joe sets out to win her heart at all costs—that is—the cost of all those around her. From stalking her on social media, instigating against her friends, and in the style of predators like himself—murder—

Joe is relentless in his pursuit to be Beck’s one and only “Knight in Shining Armor.” This trend reaches its peak when Beck discovers Joe’s dirty little secret in the form of a creepy collection of her and his victims’ personal belongings. In a twist of tragedy…I’m obviously not going to spoil the season one finale for you! You will have to tune in to see the untimely conclusion to Joe and Beck’s ill-fated romance!

Season 2 has Joe living in Los Angeles under the alias of “Will Bettelheim” while trying to escape his dark past. Determined to start a clean slate, Joe gets a job at a book café where he meets Love (portrayed by the talented Victoria Pedretti from The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor), a vivacious and seemingly problem-free chef. Despite his vow to be a law abiding citizen, Joe starts falling into old habits of Facebook stalking and lurking around Love’s neighborhood. To Joe’s surprise, Love soon proves to be as proactive as him and reciprocates his attraction, leading them to start a sudden but passionate relationship. But Joe’s love for Love soon takes a dangerous turn as ghosts from his past (some literally) come back to haunt him, leading him back to murderous tactics to keep the woman he loves by his side. 

With Los Angeles as the backdrop for season 2, Joe narrates not only his obsession with Love but the ups and lows (mostly lows) of living in the city of angels, including dealing with Love’s bohemian circle of friends, her wealthy parents, and her pompous, aspiring filmmaking brother Forty (by far the most complex character introduced in season 2). Other interesting additions to the show include Ellie—a teenager who builds a platonic relationship with Forty and reflects the eagerness and innocence of those pursuing filmmaking in Los Angeles-- and Joe’s ex-girlfriend, Candace--a vengeful survivor seeking to slowly but surely end Joe’s life. Nevertheless, the season’s finale shocker makes it the superior season compared to its predecessor.

In an era where TV serial killers are romanticized, You excels at showing audiences exactly what Joe is: deranged. Not once are we led to believe his actions are justified or that he’s oblivious to them—he kills and knows it is wrong, but to Joe, being away from the woman he loves is an even greater wrong. Perhaps that’s what makes Joe such a compelling character to watch—unlike the aforementioned Dexter, who navigated life trying to feel genuine emotion towards his family and friends and only killed those who fit “the code,” Joe is capable of feeling (perhaps a little too much) love, regret, fear, anger—all these feelings combined are what push Joe to the edge of murder each and every time. And unlike other TV serial killers, Joe isn’t really a full-fledged killer. Joe’s kills are all impulsive, spur of the moment incidents that he immediately regrets as he’s standing over a pool of blood. But enough spoilers for one read; grab your favorite pint of ice cream, put some popcorn in the microwave and make a Netflix date with your couch to binge on You this weekend—it’ll leave you counting down the days for Season 3 like the rest of us hooked viewers.