‘You’ enters second psychologically thrilling season

“Your love’s got me looking so crazy right now,” is the famous chorus from Beyoncé’s 2003 hit single, “Crazy in Love.” Just like the lyrics to that song, the Netflix series, “You,” has bookstore manager, Joe Goldberg, played by Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley, falling in love at first sight with customer, Guinevere Beck, and doing things that make him look crazy. In fact, as the series unfolds, it is impossible to deny that Goldberg is crazy as he kidnaps and murders Beck’s friends that get in the way of what he thinks their relationship should be.

Listening to Goldberg’s inner dialogue illustrates how much of a psychopath he really is as he justifies all of the craziness that he embarks on to make her his. Ironically, the only really interesting thing about Goldberg’s love interest played by Elizabeth Lail is that she has a stalker. She attends Renaissance fairs, which seems like it would be interesting, but she only does it for her dad. So definitely not interesting.

Goldberg’s obsession heats up as he stalks her on social media and peers through her windows. This show highlights how we conduct ourselves on social media and how exposed we are to others who may be looking at our posts and friends. We want to root for the two of them to get together like any romantic comedy; however, then you remember that he is actually crazy and dangerous.

Season one of “You” originally aired on Lifetime to lackluster reviews because it is written to be binge watched. Having to wait a week between episodes really hurt the character build up, so it seemed destined to be a short-lived show. Then Netflix purchased the series and gave it a second run, which allowed it to become a “zeitgeist hit” (according to Netflix’s own telling).

With season two dropping just after the holidays, “You” is becoming one of the most talked about psychological thrillers released recently. This is notable since the story is not that interesting and actually feels like you are watching a car crash that is about to happen. Just like human nature that can never drive by an accident without looking, so too is it impossible to not finish watching “You.”

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