YOU – Season 1 Review & Thoughts

Hey guys 

So I thought I’d do something a little different today and talk to you about a TV thriller that’s been creeping out loads of people and challenging views of romantic relationships across the globe. That’s right, I’m talking about YOU. I finished watching it a few weeks ago and I have so many thoughts running through my mind, I have to write them down!

Summary:

So, we all know that stalkers are bad, right? But what if your stalker was actually your partner, the one you loved? And what if your ‘knight in shining armour’ was actually incredibly unhinged and took out anyone who threatened your relationship?

Well, that was the case with Joe and Beck, the two main characters in this series. Joe, the charismatic, attractive bookstore manager set his sights on Beck, a student and writer, upon meeting at his place of work one fine afternoon. After their first meeting, he was hooked, and had to have her… and stopped at nothing to get her.

Thoughts (SPOILERS AHEAD!!):

I must admit, I was hooked to this series. I didn’t watch the whole season in one sitting, and I’m glad that I didn’t, as it gave me time to reflect on the actions and personalities of all the characters involved; particularly, the two lovebirds, Joe and Beck.

I have to say that I wasn’t a huge fan of most of these characters… the only two that I truly enjoyed watching was poor little Paco (he broke my heart every time <//3) ; and Ethan, the cute, innocent bookstore clerk.

Beck was not my favorite character; she lied a lot (who lies about their dad being dead??), cheated, and just seemed quite unlikable and uninteresting in general. Obviously, obsession clouds your judgement (as seen by both Peach and Joe), but the fact that she also seduces and entices Joe to cheat on Karen with her was just the last straw for me… which is why I wasn’t surprised when Joe’s fear of an affair between her and her therapist ended up being true. Obviously, she clearly has issues to deal with, as seen with how she handled her dad’s drug addiction and abandonment, and how she tends to interact with men; however, these traits in her are why he was so interested in her. He wanted to save her from her past, make her forget why she was so sad and angry and fake. That being said, her whole relationship with Joe, from both their perspectives, was just very uncomfortable for me to watch at some points.

Her friends, particularly Peach, were also infuriating to watch most of the time; their friendship dynamic was clearly not healthy and only encouraged her lying and cheating.

 Me with Beck & her gals. 

Joe himself was a very interesting character to watch; there were times where I found myself being sucked in by his charming personality and witty comments; which is why I’m so glad that I took those breaks between episodes. There were times when I was impressed by his quick-thinking as a villain, and there were other times when he was just plain creepy AF. It’s made clear so many times that he is definitely someone not to be messed with, but looks can be so deceiving, which is why there are so many women who are actually into Joe; this type of behavior is seen as normal and attractive by quite a few people, which is very alarming.

This guy killed five people by the end of the season … would you believe him to be capable of that when seeing him for the first time?

Is the stalking, kidnapping, and murdering justifiable? Definitely not. There’s a huge difference between stealing your love’s favorite candy from a store for them and murdering their fling. I mean, look at Paco’s step-dad; using his charm and job to keep his mother in line and with no other choice than to accept the abusive relationship she’s in, leading her to take drugs to hide the pain and make the whole situation even worse for poor Paco. This, we can all agree, is f-ing horrible and the guy is clearly a dirtbag… so what makes Joe any different? Is it because he hides it better? Is it because he treats Beck better? They’re both manipulators; they just use different techniques.

Manipulative men like this tend to use these assets to control their partners’ lives; and unfortunately, a lot of the time, the signs are seen too late. Joe himself seems to come from a similar background as Paco, which could explain why he is the way he is; and Mooney’s parenting only seemed to make it worse.

The story of Joe and Beck is not as special as people might think; people deceive each other all the time, and just because someone may seem charming and nice and ‘perfect’, it does not mean that that’s all they are.

Rating:  3.5-4/5 ; the plot was the main selling point for me. Eager to see what’s in store for Season 2!

So, that’s my cup of tea on the series. Have you watched YOU yet? What do you think of the series? Let me know in the comments below! 

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