Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (July 1, 2026)
Dating in the Internet age offers a whole mess of challenges earlier generations never needed to face. For a look at these with a darker bent, we go to a Netflix show entitled You.
This series debuted in 2018 and this two-DVD set includes all 10 episodes from its first season. The plot synopses come from the official website.
Pilot: “A charming first encounter quickly turns into something more nefarious when bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) takes a very strong liking to grad student Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail).”
You starts in a sweet manner but quickly makes Joe’s stalker side pretty apparent. Not that he feels evil or like a threat, but right off the bat, he seems like a nutbag.
While I knew the series would go that way eventually, “Pilot” might’ve worked better if it kept us in the dark longer. Perhaps this will pay off but I admit I wish You left us off-guard longer than it does.
Perhaps there’s something to be said for the manner in which the show reveals Joe’s nuttiness so soon. “Pilot” manages to intrigue us, at least.
The Last Nice Guy In New York: “As Beck deals with unwanted advances from her advisor (Reg Rogers), she brings Joe to Peach’s (Shay Mitchell) high society soiree. Joe tries to navigate matters with Benji (Lou Taylor Pucci).”
That last subject becomes the most interesting. Benji is Beck’s sleazeball boyfriend who Joe tries to use for his own purposes, and that thread turns provocative, if not especially realistic.
Much of the rest of “Guy” feels expository, mainly in the way it develops Beck’s friends. Outside of the Benji elements, the episode lacks a lot of zing, but it does enough to push ahead matters.
Maybe: “Beck’s continued casual encounters catch Joe off guard, as does a run-in with the police. Both make him realize a key situation must be dealt with.”
One clever aspect about You stems from the gender reversal, as typical plots of this sort would cast the woman as the conniving party who’ll do anything to catch a man and who fantasizes from the get-go about a life together. Of course, Joe’s psychopathic side adds a very male angle.
Joe’s jealousy turns into a factor here, but the most intriguing element stems from Beck’s angst connected to her accomplished new classmate Blythe (Hari Nef). It remains to be seen if that side of the show goes anywhere but it creates a good twist, and that helps make “Maybe” productive.
The Captain: “After an awkward evening with Beck, Joe discovers he’s not the only one keeping secrets. Peach’s antagonistic approach to Joe intensifies.”
Those “secrets” involve Beck’s private benefactor, and since Joe maintains access to Beck’s phone, he knows all of this. His level of subterfuge adds complications, even if it does make him seem more omnipotent than I might like.
In any case, some decent twists emerge, though You probably could’ve kept the identity of “The Captain” (Michael Park) hidden longer. Still, “Captain” pushes along the narrative well enough.
Living With the Enemy: “A video from Annika’s (Kathryn Gallagher) past comes back to haunt her. Joe and Peach’s simmering tension boils over when Peach introduces Beck to a major literary agent (Reggie Gowland).”
As that synopsis implies, Beck’s become a more prominent aspect of You via “Enemy”, especially in the way it adds to Peach’s story. This brings some twists but it also strays into the realm of the ridiculous, as You seems to want to paint too many of its characters as freaks. “Enemy” starts to push the series too far into this territory and it marks a downturn in S1.
Amour Fou: “Beck heads to Connecticut with Peach, whose motives are not what they seem. Joe’s pursuit of her stirs up old memories - and brings new injuries.”
The events of “Enemy” threatened to send the series off the rails. Granted, the basic premise stretches credulity, but various twists lean toward the overly absurd.
If I hoped “Fou” would send You back into some vague form of reality, I found disappointment. I guess I need to embrace the show’s lunacy to enjoy it, but I think S1 simply goes too far out of reality as it progresses.
Everythingship: “A grieving Beck turns to therapy, which leads Joe to do the same but for different reasons. Joe’s plans for Beck’s birthday don’t go as expected.”
After the major event in the last show, “Everythingship” shows the aftermath and its impact on the Joe/Beck connection. This seems more believable than the last few episodes, which I view as a positive.
However, the episode leans toward soap opera too much of the time. “Everythingship” pushes ahead the narrative but not in an especially compelling manner.
You Got Me, Babe: “Three months later, life is good for Joe and Beck, respectively. But a series of reconnections may spell trouble for Joe’s current relationship.”
An interesting curveball comes from Joe’s rebound relationship with Karen Minty (Natalie Paul). This seems improbable but at least it adds a surprise to the proceedings.
This shift also can make You feel like a different series, though. Joe’s obsession doesn’t go bye-bye, of course, but the change of tone feels somewhat out of character. Matters revert to normal by the end, of course – for better or for worse.
Candace: “So what exactly happened to Candace (Ambyr Childers)? Beck is determined to find out - but to do so, she'll have to take a page straight from Joe's book.”
Prior episodes teased Joe’s earlier paramour Candace and this show gives us some info about that relationship. Do we get anything particularly intriguing from these details?
Yes, though nothing surprising emerges. We could figure out where this arc would go and “Candace” follows a predictable path.
Bluebeard’s Castle: “Joe juggles problems with Paco (Luca Padovan) and Beck - and now must contend with a private investigator as well. But resolution is coming, one way or another.”
Season One concludes in a manner that allows a resolution of sorts to the Beck tale and also opens up the series for its second season. Unfortunately, it needs to continue to pursue a lack of believability to get there.
You comes with intriguing concept and it keeps us going for a while. However, the second half of S1 becomes more and more absurd, so this package of shows eventually disappoints.
