by Deidra Kathleen Wednesday 14th August 2024

YOU SPOILERS

Okay, let’s talk about You.
No, not you, dearest gentle reader – the show You on Netflix.
Having just finished the final season, I have to say that my love/hate relationship with this show surely turned toward the latter – yet I could not stop watching the blood-spattered dumpster fire.
Empathically this series was like a malfunctioning garbage disposal. Watching this series, you see more and more what a self-centered psychopath the leading character played by Penn Badgley truly is despite his belief otherwise. And every bit of hope that surfaces that maybe that same protagonist, Joe Goldberg really has changed or might, you see yet another bit float up – showing the audience yet again his true nature remains unchanged.

In the first two seasons, I naively had hope for our obsessive leading man – especially in the second season when it seemed he had found a perfect match in his romantic interest and partner in crime, Love. But when that pairing literally went up in flames in season three without any plot twist with the ending, my faith in this series did too – yet, I kept watching. I suppose it was my curiosity for how the writers would keep interest with the same old: he falls in love (read as becomes obsessed with a woman), stalks her, kills, rinse (most often literally), and repeat.

Season four? Let me just say, ugh. I kept wondering why these people were allowing this outsider to remain in their inner circle after their supposed friends were being killed. And as much as I hated some of them and how they treated those around them, I hated this lack of logic even more so. The queen b of the group, Lady Phoebe had a few dozen spoonfuls of naiveté and a big heart all mixed with the fashion of Badgley’s other most well known show Gossip Girl. I suppose that was the reasoning of keeping Joe Goldberg in the inner circle – quite the same logic that Badgley’s character from Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey was allowed to stay within that elite circle – because a similarly high-ranking kindhearted beautiful blonde believed in his character. I cannot help but wonder now – what is it about Penn Badgley that gives off this seemingly normal guy kept inside an elite circle casting vibe?

Compared to Gossip Girl, I think perhaps this show was a bit too much for me especially during the final season of You. Empathically it felt like getting food poisoning over and over again from the same restaurant and still ordering from there hoping they had decided to up their practices overnight – like that of a toxic relationship. A nonstop sour feeling remained in my stomach and hope that maybe just maybe – someone – maybe even Joe would put an end to the bloodshed. And though he did try, sadly his attempt failed. And after all this I have to say one good thing – the whole The Sixth Sense – psychopath edition ending was interesting but I really feel like this season could have been compressed by a couple episodes.

I did find comfort in The Nightingale (Marienne) being set free but shortly after I was sickened once again for the person who set her free was sent to her own hell. Yes, she got to live but she did nothing wrong and gets imprisoned. And yet Joe gets to waltz around murdering people because his newest “love” is wealthy beyond belief. It gives you a reminder that there are people in similar situations out there. I suppose I find relief in happy endings; color it my want for escapism. In contrast, this show was more a reminder of mental and literal imprisonment without a wanted ending of justice for someone like me.