A Man Like “YOU”

Finding a new show may not be as easy as you think. It is hard to find one that you can relate to personally. We do not want a series that is predictable by the third episode of the season. We want a show that can be re-watched multiple times. It’s hard out here. It be like that sometimes. A new show that I just recently finished has left me feeling disturbed, thrilled and engaged all in one. Believe me, all those feelings at one time, the show must be a madness. You, (no, not you) a Netflix original title, is a psychological thriller that highlights love, fixation, and erotomania. A different sort of genre to what I am regularly accustomed to watching, You left the impression that society has become uneasy and problematic where social media is at the forefront of this issue. Regardless, you (yes, you) need to watch this show. Here’s why.

Slightly Disturbing

A man like Joe Goldberg. Toxicity at its finest human form. A loverman that took it too far. Joe, a bookstore manager in season one, comes across Guinevere Beck, a broke student/writer ( ha, like me), who becomes his main love interest in this season. Developing an obsession towards her, Joe creates situations and scenarios he sees fit to where he can have Beck all to himself, whenever he pleases. Believing he can help Beck and allow her to reach her potential, Joe just wanted the best for her. A good man. There are not many out there left (let us not lie now).

Joe has got the right idea, but he executed poorly. The fixation entices his judgment, leading him to make dangerous and uncomfortable decisions. Using social media to know where she is, or what she’s thinking about, it was quite easy for Joe to find everything he needed for a girl like Beck. This was all done through just a few scrolls and clicks on the internet. How many girls do you know like Beck… where the majority of her life was posted online and easily visible to the public? Exactly.

The justifications of his actions allow him to believe that he is doing what’s in Beck’s best interest. This encourages Joe, that everything he does will make her fall deeper in love with him, and this is what she needs to be happy. Social media can be a dark place and the lack of privacy on there can allow stalkers to crawl through the cracks. Now there are not many who take it too far like Joe, but there are few out there, and it is disturbing.

In season two, Joe tries to regroup and decides to move on to a different strategy. He relocates to a new city and strongly believes he has to adopt a different approach. It did not last long at all (ha, classic Joe). He finds a similar job, working as a book clerk, and stumbles across a girl named Love (too ironic if you ask me but we move). He does not engage in a relationship as quickly as he did with Beck. A sign Joe is changing? (nope, wrong again).

A chef who works under her family business, Love Quinn appears to be a positive ball of energy. But, revealed later on, Love displays a negative side to her to which the viewer watching, may not expect. I know I certainly did not expect it. Throughout the season the twists and turns will leave you thinking “did that just happen?”. Love is a rarity, to say the least, and matches Joe’s energy on a level that was not foreseeable. Season two, I believe 100% dives deeper into the construct of love and protecting what is yours. Without giving away spoilers, by the end of season 2, it is all a bit mad. People need help and some people need to get put in the bin. Next.

Is This Love?

The interpretation of love can be seen in many ways to people. Can Joe’s interpretation be seen as one of them? Well in my opinion, no, this can not slide with a pass. This travels past the feeling of love (at light speed) and more towards a fetish or an obsession. But I do believe that some good can be seen in the bad Joe committed. Hear me out.

The toxicity in Beck’s life was caused by her inability to see things becoming better for herself because of the situation she was already in. Her friends and relationships at the time did not help her problems either and Joe saw this and corrected it accordingly. Beck’s friends lived a lifestyle she could not keep up with her. That needed to change and Joe did try to do something positive for Beck, in theory. I do not condone the methods he took however but looking at just the thought of his ways, I can see the good. You can see the love.

Love, on the other hand, needs help herself but in a different psychological type of way. Much different from Beck, Love’s friends lift her higher and offer her positive encouragement. But Love’s problems lie much closer to Joe than he anticipated. He does help Love through times of struggle with her parents and brother. Joe cares, the thought does count. Their love goes up and down throughout the season and by the end of it all, you may lose track of who loves the other. The couple staying together because of a vital reason showed me that Joe does have a heart. With a few major improvements, he may be saved from his unsettling ways. A strong maybe though…

Go Watch

A third season renewal is likely for this show. Go catch up on the first two while you still can. The buzz around it is still new and some of you may have seen the craze intensify on social media already. I hope some of the thoughts I shared with you were able to attract you to watch. Thanks for reading, Happy New Year and I hope your resolutions haven’t failed five days in. I leave you with a question.

“Which character from any horror movie would you want to be and why?”