''You'' is an American
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting.
In terms of context and co ...
television series based on the books by
Caroline Kepnes, developed by
Greg Berlanti
Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
and
Sera Gamble
Sera may refer to:
People
* Ryu Sera (born 1987), South Korean singer
* Sera Cahoone (born 1975), Seattle-based singer and musician
Places
* Sera, Hiroshima, a town in Japan
* Sera District, Hiroshima
* Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet
Me ...
, and produced by
Berlanti Productions
Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell.
History
The company was founded in 2000 as Berlanti-Liddell Productions by ...
,
Alloy Entertainment
Alloy Entertainment (formerly Daniel Weiss Associates and 17th Street Productions) is a book packaging and television production unit of Warner Bros. Television Studios. It produces books, television series, and feature films.
Alloy Entertainment ...
, and
A+E Studios in association with
Warner Horizon Television
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
, now
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
.
The
first season, which is based on the novel ''
You
In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
'', premiered on
Lifetime in September 2018, and follows
Joe Goldberg
Joe Goldberg is a fictional character and protagonist of the ''You'' book series, written by Caroline Kepnes, as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by American actor Penn Badgley and by Gianni Ciardiello, Aid ...
, a bookstore manager and
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
who falls in love and develops an extreme obsession. The season stars
Penn Badgley
Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series '' You'' (2018 ...
,
Elizabeth Lail
Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She played the recurring role of Anna in the fantasy adventure series '' Once Upon a Time'' (2014), and starred as Amy Hughes in the supernatural series '' Dead of Summer'' (2016) ...
, Luca Padovan,
Zach Cherry
Zach Cherry is an American actor and improv comedian. He is known for his role as Dylan George on the Apple TV+ series ''Severance''.
Life and career
Zach Cherry was born in 1987. He attended Princeton Day School and Amherst College. He began ...
, and
Shay Mitchell
Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and model. She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017), which earned her nom ...
. Lifetime announced in July 2018 that ''You'' had been renewed for a
second season, based on Kepnes' follow-up novel ''
Hidden Bodies
''Hidden Bodies'' is a Thriller (genre), thriller novel by Caroline Kepnes, published in February 2016. It is the sequel to her 2014 novel, ''You (Kepnes novel), You''. It was loosely adapted in the You (season 2), second season and third season o ...
''. The series later moved to
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
and the second season was released in December 2019. The season follows Joe as he moves to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and falls in love with local heiress
Love Quinn. For the second season,
Ambyr Childers
Ambyr C. Childers (born July 18, 1988) is an American actress known for her portrayal of Susan Atkins in the NBC crime drama '' Aquarius'', Ashley Rucker in the Showtime crime drama ''Ray Donovan'', and Candace Stone in the Lifetime/Netflix ...
was upgraded to a series regular, joining newly cast
Victoria Pedretti
Victoria Pedretti (born March 23, 1995) is an American actress. Her accolades include an MTV Award and nominations for two Critics' Choice Awards and a Saturn Award.
Pedretti rose to prominence for her work in the Netflix anthology series '' ...
,
James Scully,
Jenna Ortega
Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019). Her breakthrough ro ...
, and
Carmela Zumbado.
In January 2020, the series was renewed for a
third season by Netflix, which was released on October 15, 2021. In the third season,
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' ''Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' ''Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and ''The ...
was upgraded to a series regular, joining newly cast
Travis Van Winkle
Travis Scott Van Winkle (born November 4, 1982) is an American actor, best known for starring in the feature film ''Accepted'' (2006) and the 2021 third season of the Netflix streaming television series ''You'', portraying Trent Sutton-DeMarco i ...
,
Shalita Grant
Shalita Grant (born August 28, 1988) is an American actress best known for portraying NCIS Special Agent Sonja Percy on '' NCIS: New Orleans.'' She is also known from her roles on ''Mercy Street, You, Santa Clarita Diet,'' and '' Search Party.''
...
,
Tati Gabrielle
Tatiana Gabrielle Hobson (born January 25, 1996) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Gaia on The CW science fiction television series '' The 100'', Prudence on the Netflix original series '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'', M ...
, and
Dylan Arnold
Dylan Arnold (born February 11, 1994) is an American actor. He is known for playing Noah in the romantic drama ''After'' (2019), and its sequel '' After We Collided'' (2020), Cameron Elam in '' Halloween'' (2018), and its sequel, ''Halloween Ki ...
. In October 2021, ahead of the third season premiere, the series was renewed for a
fourth season. The first part of the fourth season is scheduled to premiere on February 9, 2023, with the second part scheduled for release on March 9.
Premise
The first season follows the story of Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager in New York, who upon meeting Guinevere Beck, an aspiring writer, becomes infatuated with her. He feeds his toxic obsession using social media and other technology to track her presence and watch her in her house and remove obstacles to their romance including her friends and ex-boyfriend.
In the second season, Joe Goldberg moves from New York to Los Angeles to escape his past and starts over with a new identity to avoid his ex-girlfriend Candace who seeks revenge for burying her alive prior to season 1. When he meets avid chef Love Quinn, Joe begins falling into his old patterns of obsession and violence. As Joe attempts to forge a new love in the City of Angels, he strives to make his relationship with Love succeed at all costs to avoid the fate of his past romantic endeavors. Though, unbeknownst to him, Love also has dark secrets herself.
In the third season, Joe and Love are married and raising their newborn son, Henry, in the Californian suburb of Madre Linda. As their relationship dynamic takes a new turn, Joe continues to repeat the cycle of obsession with a burgeoning interest in Natalie, the next door neighbor, and local librarian Marienne. This time, Love will flip the script to ensure that her dream of having the perfect family will not be torn away so easily by Joe's compulsive actions.
Cast and characters
*
Penn Badgley
Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series '' You'' (2018 ...
as
Joe Goldberg
Joe Goldberg is a fictional character and protagonist of the ''You'' book series, written by Caroline Kepnes, as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by American actor Penn Badgley and by Gianni Ciardiello, Aid ...
/ Will Bettelheim / Jonathan Moore, a bookstore manager at Mooney's who stalks and dates Beck in the first season.
In the second season, he goes by the name Will Bettelheim and works as a bookstore clerk at Anavrin, and stalks and dates Love. In season 3 he is going by Joe once more, married to Love Quinn with their child.
In season four, Joe is in London and is masquerading as a university professor going by the name Jonathan Moore. Joe is portrayed as a teenager by Gianni Ciardiello in season one, and as a child by Aidan Wallace and Jack Fisher in seasons two and three, respectively.
*
Elizabeth Lail
Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She played the recurring role of Anna in the fantasy adventure series '' Once Upon a Time'' (2014), and starred as Amy Hughes in the supernatural series '' Dead of Summer'' (2016) ...
as Guinevere Beck (season 1; special guest season 2), a broke
NYU
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
graduate student and an aspiring writer who enters into a relationship with Joe
* Luca Padovan as Paco (season 1), Joe's young neighbor who sees Joe as a source of support and a role model.
*
Zach Cherry
Zach Cherry is an American actor and improv comedian. He is known for his role as Dylan George on the Apple TV+ series ''Severance''.
Life and career
Zach Cherry was born in 1987. He attended Princeton Day School and Amherst College. He began ...
as Ethan Russell (season 1), a bookstore clerk who works with Joe and dates Beck's friend Blythe
*
Shay Mitchell
Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and model. She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017), which earned her nom ...
as Peach Salinger (season 1), a wealthy and influential socialite and Beck's best friend whom she met at
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
and harbours a secret passion for her
*
Victoria Pedretti
Victoria Pedretti (born March 23, 1995) is an American actress. Her accolades include an MTV Award and nominations for two Critics' Choice Awards and a Saturn Award.
Pedretti rose to prominence for her work in the Netflix anthology series '' ...
as Love Quinn (seasons 2–3), an aspiring chef and health guru in Los Angeles who gets involved with Joe and has dark secrets herself
*
Carmela Zumbado as Delilah Alves (season 2), Ellie's older sister, an investigative reporter who leases Joe's flat to him and they have a brief romantic encounter
*
Jenna Ortega
Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019). Her breakthrough ro ...
as Ellie Alves (season 2), Delilah's fifteen-year-old sister who lives in the same block of apartments as Joe/Will
*
James Scully as Forty Quinn (season 2; special guest season 3), Love's beloved and troubled twin brother who relies on Love for support in most matters due to his addictions and mental health issues
*
Ambyr Childers
Ambyr C. Childers (born July 18, 1988) is an American actress known for her portrayal of Susan Atkins in the NBC crime drama '' Aquarius'', Ashley Rucker in the Showtime crime drama ''Ray Donovan'', and Candace Stone in the Lifetime/Netflix ...
as Candace Stone (season 2; recurring season 1), Joe's ex-girlfriend who follows him to Los Angeles seeking revenge
*
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' ''Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' ''Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and ''The ...
as Dottie Quinn (season 3; recurring season 2), Love and Forty's mother
*
Tati Gabrielle
Tatiana Gabrielle Hobson (born January 25, 1996) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Gaia on The CW science fiction television series '' The 100'', Prudence on the Netflix original series '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'', M ...
as Marienne Bellamy (season 3–present), a librarian and keen observer of the neighborhood's denizens. Beneath her practical exterior, Marienne is hiding personal struggles that set her back, as she tries to create a better life for herself and her daughter.
*
Shalita Grant
Shalita Grant (born August 28, 1988) is an American actress best known for portraying NCIS Special Agent Sonja Percy on '' NCIS: New Orleans.'' She is also known from her roles on ''Mercy Street, You, Santa Clarita Diet,'' and '' Search Party.''
...
as Sherry Conrad (season 3), a locally famous "momfluencer", admired by her social media followers for her well crafted persona, she often insults people through veiled insults and sees herself as superior to everyone in Madre Linda. She is very fake and only seeks things that support her personal interests.
*
Travis Van Winkle
Travis Scott Van Winkle (born November 4, 1982) is an American actor, best known for starring in the feature film ''Accepted'' (2006) and the 2021 third season of the Netflix streaming television series ''You'', portraying Trent Sutton-DeMarco i ...
as Cary Conrad (season 3), a wealthy, charismatic, and self-proclaimed founder who runs his own supplement company and is married to Sherry with whom they share twin girls
*
Dylan Arnold
Dylan Arnold (born February 11, 1994) is an American actor. He is known for playing Noah in the romantic drama ''After'' (2019), and its sequel '' After We Collided'' (2020), Cameron Elam in '' Halloween'' (2018), and its sequel, ''Halloween Ki ...
as Theo Engler (season 3), a troubled college student who has a strained relationship with his stepfather, Matthew Engler, and harbours a crush on Love
*
Lukas Gage
Lukas Gage is an American actor. He has appeared in '' American Vandal'', ''The White Lotus'', '' Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse'', and ''Euphoria''.
Biography
Gage was born in San Diego, California and raised in Encinitas, California. He ...
as Adam (season 4)
*
Charlotte Ritchie
Charlotte Anne Ritchie (born 29 August 1989) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Alison in ''Ghosts'', Oregon in Channel 4 comedy '' Fresh Meat'', Hannah in '' Siblings'', Alison in '' Dead Pixels'', Barbara Gilbe ...
as Kate (season 4), a fearsomely intelligent art gallery director. Her partying boyfriend Malcolm will bring Joe into their lives.
*
Tilly Keeper
Matilda Elizabeth Keeper (born 16 August 1997) is an English actress, known for her role as Louise Mitchell on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Shortly after leaving the soap, Keeper appeared in the BBC film ''Make Me Famous'' and has since ...
as Lady Phoebe (season 4)
*
Amy Leigh Hickman as Nadia (season 4)
*
Ed Speleers
Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon'', the antagonist character Stephen Bonnet in the TV series '' Outlander'', as well as James "Jimmy" ...
as Rhys (season 4)
Episodes
Season 1 (2018)
Season 2 (2019)
Season 3 (2021)
Season 4 (2023)
Production
Development
![Sera Gamble by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Sera_Gamble_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
In February 2015, it was announced that
Greg Berlanti
Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
and
Sera Gamble
Sera may refer to:
People
* Ryu Sera (born 1987), South Korean singer
* Sera Cahoone (born 1975), Seattle-based singer and musician
Places
* Sera, Hiroshima, a town in Japan
* Sera District, Hiroshima
* Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet
Me ...
would develop a series based on Caroline Kepnes' book ''
You
In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
'' with Berlanti and Gamble as the scriptwriters, and Berlanti as the pilot director. Initially, Berlanti and Gamble pitched the show to
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
but were unsuccessful in their attempts. In addition, both creators had also originally pitched the series to
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
but were declined twice, prior to Netflix's head of international non-English originals,
Bela Bajaria
Bela Bajaria (born 1970 in the London Borough of Brent) is an Indian-American businesswoman and media executive. She joined Netflix in 2016 to oversee unscripted and scripted series. Bajaria is currently the Chief Content Officer.
Early life and ...
joining the company in late 2016.
Berlanti recounted his experience of pitching the show to Netflix in an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', stating that ''You'' "felt like more of a binge show". He further added that his team "tried initially to sell it to Netflix at the very beginning and
etflix's_chief_content_officer.html" ;"title="chief_content_officer.html" ;"title="etflix's chief content officer">etflix's chief content officer">chief_content_officer.html" ;"title="etflix's chief content officer">etflix's chief content officerTed Sarandos has said as much that they wish they'd gotten it the first time".
In January 2017, it was announced that the series had been purchased by
Lifetime and put into fast-track development.
In April 2017, Lifetime gave ''You'' a 10-episode straight-to-series order. On July 26, 2018, ahead of the series premiere, Lifetime announced that the series had been renewed for a
second season.
In November 2018, Gamble confirmed that like ''
Hidden Bodies
''Hidden Bodies'' is a Thriller (genre), thriller novel by Caroline Kepnes, published in February 2016. It is the sequel to her 2014 novel, ''You (Kepnes novel), You''. It was loosely adapted in the You (season 2), second season and third season o ...
'', the sequel novel to ''
You
In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
'', the setting of the series would move to Los Angeles for the second season.
On December 3, 2018, it was confirmed that Lifetime had rescinded its renewal of the series and that Netflix had picked up ''You'' ahead of the release of the second season. On January 14, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a
10-episode third season.
On October 13, 2021, ahead of the third season premiere, Netflix renewed the series for a
fourth season.
In March 2019, Berlanti discussed the challenges of finding the right platform for the series in a panel interview. Speaking at the INTV conference, he stated that "we pitched
'You''and sold it to Showtime of all places, but…once they read the script, they were really cool about saying, 'You can take it somewhere else'...". After being turned down by the network, he later pitched the show to Lifetime, who "wanted to make it, and we shot it, and because of their launch cycle it sat in the can for a while for two-and-a-half years. Then they finally started to release it, and it didn't do very well." Although, Lifetime reneged on their initial renewal offer for a second season in late 2018, Berlanti recalled that he went to the offices of the network executives to plead them to change their mind, asking "I still think it's going to work, I still think it's going to work – maybe one more episode, maybe if people have a chance to see five more episodes." Later, he was relieved by the news of Netflix's guarantee of committing to a second season after Lifetime canceled the series.
Following Netflix's reportings on the considerable success that ''You'' obtained after it was made available to stream on their platform service, Penn Badgley wrote in an email response to ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' that "We're grateful to Lifetime for being the gateway to getting the show made. We wouldn't have been able to make the show without them, as far as I can tell. There is no sense of bewilderment that the show had one reaction while it was on Lifetime and another when it went to Netflix. The difference in viewership is obvious, and it's indicative of so many different things, not the least of which is the way young people consume media."
Casting
Penn Badgley
Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series '' You'' (2018 ...
was cast as lead character Joe Goldberg in June 2017.
Elizabeth Lail
Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She played the recurring role of Anna in the fantasy adventure series '' Once Upon a Time'' (2014), and starred as Amy Hughes in the supernatural series '' Dead of Summer'' (2016) ...
's casting as Guinevere Beck was announced in July 2017,
as well as Luca Padovan as Joe's neighbor Paco, and
Zach Cherry
Zach Cherry is an American actor and improv comedian. He is known for his role as Dylan George on the Apple TV+ series ''Severance''.
Life and career
Zach Cherry was born in 1987. He attended Princeton Day School and Amherst College. He began ...
as Ethan, a bookstore clerk who works with Joe.
Shay Mitchell
Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and model. She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017), which earned her nom ...
was cast as Peach Salinger, Beck's wealthy best friend, in August 2017.
In September 2017,
Hari Nef
Hari Nef (born October 21, 1992) is an American actress, model, and writer. Nef's breakthrough role was Gittel in the Amazon original series '' Transparent'', for which she was nominated for a SAG award in 2016. She made her runway debut at New ...
was cast in the recurring role as Blythe, a talented and competitive peer in Beck's MFA program.
A few days later it was announced that
Daniel Cosgrove
Daniel Thomas Cosgrove (born December 16, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Scott Chandler (All My Children), Scott Chandler on ''All My Children'', Matt Durning on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', Bill Lewis on ''Guiding Light' ...
had been cast in the recurring role of Ron, a correctional officer.
In October 2017,
Michael Maize
Michael Maize (born Michael Meyer; December 1, 1974) is an American motion picture and television actor, perhaps best known for his role of Daniel in the film '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets''.
Biography
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisc ...
and
Ambyr Childers
Ambyr C. Childers (born July 18, 1988) is an American actress known for her portrayal of Susan Atkins in the NBC crime drama '' Aquarius'', Ashley Rucker in the Showtime crime drama ''Ray Donovan'', and Candace Stone in the Lifetime/Netflix ...
were cast in the recurring roles of Officer Nico and Candace, respectively.
It was announced in November 2017 that
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the Da ...
would recur as Dr. Nicky, Beck's therapist.
On January 30, 2019, it was announced that
Victoria Pedretti
Victoria Pedretti (born March 23, 1995) is an American actress. Her accolades include an MTV Award and nominations for two Critics' Choice Awards and a Saturn Award.
Pedretti rose to prominence for her work in the Netflix anthology series '' ...
had been cast in the main role of Love Quinn for the second season.
Pedretti had originally auditioned for the role of Guinevere Beck prior to the filming of the first season in 2017.
Though the part later went to Lail, Pedretti was cast in the following season after the showrunners saw the actress's performance in Netflix's ''
The Haunting of Hill House
''The Haunting of Hill House'' is a 1959 gothic horror novel by American author Shirley Jackson. A finalist for the National Book Award and considered one of the best literary ghost stories published during the 20th century, it has been mad ...
'' and the casting directors liked her chemistry with Badgley.
On January 31, 2019,
James Scully was cast in a main role as Forty Quinn, Love's brother, and
Jenna Ortega
Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019). Her breakthrough ro ...
was also cast in a main role as Ellie Alves.
On February 1, 2019, ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' reported that Ambyr Childers had been promoted to a series regular role, ahead of the premiere of the second season.
On February 6, 2019, Adwin Brown was cast in the recurring role of Calvin on the second season.
On February 15, 2019,
Robin Lord Taylor
Robin Lord Taylor (born June 4, 1978) is an American film and television actor and director, known for his role as Oswald Cobblepot in the Fox TV series '' Gotham'', as well as ''Accepted'' (2006), ''Another Earth'' (2011), ''Would You Rather'' ( ...
was cast in the recurring role of Will on the second season.
On February 21, 2019,
Carmela Zumbado was cast in the series regular role of Delilah Alves on the second season.
On March 4, 2019, it was reported that Marielle Scott has been cast in the recurring role of Lucy on the second season.
On March 5, 2019,
Chris D'Elia
Christopher William D'Elia (born March 29, 1980) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host. He is known for playing Alex Miller on the NBC sitcom '' Whitney'', Danny Burton on the NBC sitcom ''Undateable'', Kenny on the ...
was cast in the recurring role of Henderson on the second season.
On March 26, 2019,
Charlie Barnett was cast in the recurring role of Gabe on the second season.
On April 4, 2019,
Melanie Field
Melanie Field (born February 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer, known for her roles as Heather Chandler on the reboot series of ''Heathers'', Kaitlin on '' Florida Girls'', Sunrise on '' You'', and Jo Deluca on the Amazon series ''A Leag ...
and
Magda Apanowicz
Magda Apanowicz ( ; Polish: ; born November 8, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Andy Jensen on the ABC Family series ''Kyle XY'', as Lacy Rand in the Syfy science fiction drama series ''Caprica'' and as Emily (born ...
were cast in recurring roles as Sunrise and Sandy, respectively.
On June 4, 2019, Danny Vasquez had been cast in a recurring role.
On June 24, 2019, it was confirmed that
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the Da ...
would reprise his role as Dr. Nicky in the second season.
On October 17, 2019,
Elizabeth Lail
Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She played the recurring role of Anna in the fantasy adventure series '' Once Upon a Time'' (2014), and starred as Amy Hughes in the supernatural series '' Dead of Summer'' (2016) ...
confirmed in a Build Series interview that she would reprise her role as Guinevere Beck in a guest appearance on the second season.
In October 2020,
Travis Van Winkle
Travis Scott Van Winkle (born November 4, 1982) is an American actor, best known for starring in the feature film ''Accepted'' (2006) and the 2021 third season of the Netflix streaming television series ''You'', portraying Trent Sutton-DeMarco i ...
and
Shalita Grant
Shalita Grant (born August 28, 1988) is an American actress best known for portraying NCIS Special Agent Sonja Percy on '' NCIS: New Orleans.'' She is also known from her roles on ''Mercy Street, You, Santa Clarita Diet,'' and '' Search Party.''
...
were cast as series regulars while
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
was cast in a recurring role for the third season.
In November 2020, it was announced that
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' ''Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' ''Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and ''The ...
was upped to regular status after recurring in the second season. Additionally,
Tati Gabrielle
Tatiana Gabrielle Hobson (born January 25, 1996) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Gaia on The CW science fiction television series '' The 100'', Prudence on the Netflix original series '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'', M ...
and
Dylan Arnold
Dylan Arnold (born February 11, 1994) is an American actor. He is known for playing Noah in the romantic drama ''After'' (2019), and its sequel '' After We Collided'' (2020), Cameron Elam in '' Halloween'' (2018), and its sequel, ''Halloween Ki ...
were also cast as series regulars for the third season, with
Michaela McManus
Michaela McManus (born May 20, 1983) is an American actress, known for her portrayals of Lindsey Strauss on ''One Tree Hill'', A.D.A. Kim Greylek on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', and Grace Karn on the NBC drama ''Aquarius''.
Early life ...
,
Shannon Chan-Kent
Shannon Chan-Kent (born September 23, 1988) is a Canadian voice and stage actress. She is known for her roles as Silver Spoon and Smolder and the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', Misa Amane in the English ...
, Ben Mehl,
Christopher O'Shea
Christopher "Chris" O'Shea is an English actor best known for his debut role in the 2016 feature film '' Patriots Day'', his role as Jareth Glover on the television series '' Madam Secretary'', and his part as Professor Philip Farlow in the tele ...
,
Christopher Sean
Christopher Sean Friel (born October 25, 1985) is an American actor known for his role as Paul Narita on the NBC soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. He previously played Bing Lee in the critically acclaimed web series ''The Lizzie Bennet Diaries'' ...
,
Bryan Safi
''Attitudes! (formerly Throwing Shade)'' is a weekly comedy podcast based on discussions of women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, progressive politics and pop culture. The podcast is hosted by ("Feminasty") Erin Gibson and ("Homosensual") Bryan Safi. ...
,
Mackenzie Astin
Mackenzie Alexander Astin (born May 12, 1973) is an American actor.
Early and personal life
Astin was born on May 12, 1973, in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Patty Duke and actor John Astin. His brother is actor Sean Astin. He at ...
,
Ayelet Zurer
Ayelet Zurer ( he, איילת זורר; born ) is an Israeli actress. She was nominated for awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Israeli Academy Awards and the Israeli Television Academy Awards. She won Best Actress awards for her roles i ...
, Jack Fisher, and Mauricio Lara added as recurring cast members.
On January 25, 2021,
Scott Michael Foster
Scott Michael Foster (born March 4, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Captain John Paul "Cappie" Jones in the ABC Family comedy-drama series ''Greek'' (2007–11), Leo Hendrie in the ABC Family drama ''Chasing Life'' ...
joined the cast in a recurring role for the third season.
On April 15, 2021, it was confirmed that John Stamos would not be returning in the third season.
In February 2022,
Lukas Gage
Lukas Gage is an American actor. He has appeared in '' American Vandal'', ''The White Lotus'', '' Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse'', and ''Euphoria''.
Biography
Gage was born in San Diego, California and raised in Encinitas, California. He ...
was cast as a series regular for the fourth season.
In March 2022,
Charlotte Ritchie
Charlotte Anne Ritchie (born 29 August 1989) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Alison in ''Ghosts'', Oregon in Channel 4 comedy '' Fresh Meat'', Hannah in '' Siblings'', Alison in '' Dead Pixels'', Barbara Gilbe ...
was cast as a series regular for the fourth season.
In April 2022,
Tilly Keeper
Matilda Elizabeth Keeper (born 16 August 1997) is an English actress, known for her role as Louise Mitchell on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Shortly after leaving the soap, Keeper appeared in the BBC film ''Make Me Famous'' and has since ...
,
Amy Leigh Hickman, and
Ed Speleers
Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon'', the antagonist character Stephen Bonnet in the TV series '' Outlander'', as well as James "Jimmy" ...
were cast as new series regulars while Niccy Lin, Aidan Cheng,
Stephen Hagan, Ben Wiggins, Eve Austin, Ozioma Whenu,
Dario Coates,
Sean Pertwee
Sean Carl Roland Pertwee''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 4 June 1964) is an English actor, narrator and producer with an extensive career since the 1980s in television and cinema productions.
He is known ...
, Brad Alexander,
Alison Pargeter, and
Adam James joined the cast in recurring roles for the fourth season.
Filming
The first season of ''You'' was filmed in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and filming concluded on December 19, 2017. For the second season, the series relocated its production to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
to take advantage of tax incentives provided by the
California Film Commission
The California Film Commission (CFC) was founded in 1985 by then California Governor George Deukmejian to act in an economic development capacity for the state. It is a part of the California Trade and Commerce Agency, formerly the Business, Trans ...
under its "Program 2.0" initiative.
Filming for the second season took place
on location in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California, from February 2019 to June 2019.
For the third season, the series was awarded $7.2million in tax credits by the state of California. Filming for the third season began on November 2, 2020, and was originally scheduled to conclude in April 2021.
On December 31, 2020, production of the third season was paused for two weeks due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Filming resumed in February 2021 and ended in April 2021.
Filming on the fourth season officially began on March 21, 2022, in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and ended on August 27, 2022.
Technical aspects
Lee Toland Krieger
Lee Toland Krieger (born January 24, 1983) is an American film director and screenwriter best known for the films ''The Vicious Kind'' (2009), ''Celeste and Jesse Forever'' (2012) and ''The Age of Adaline'' (2015).
Early life
Krieger was born an ...
and David Lanzenberg were both credited as the director and cinematographer for the first two episodes, respectively. Since then, the series has had a number of cinematographers and directors. Krieger and Lanzenberg were inspired by the works of cinematographer
Darius Khondji
Darius Khondji ( fa, داریوش خنجی; born 21 October 1955) is an Iranian-French cinematographer. Khondji has worked with a number of high-profile directors, including David Fincher, Woody Allen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Gus Van Sant, Roman Po ...
in films such as
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
's ''
Seven
7 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
7 or seven may also refer to:
* AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era
* 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era
* The month of
July
Music Artists
* Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
'' (1995) and
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Midnight in Paris
''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialis ...
'' (2011).
As part of creating the striking look for the series, they executed various
dolly shots and used
anamorphic lenses to evoke a level of surrealistic voyeurism, demanding from the viewer their participation in the romantic manifestations of Joe's worldview. Krieger asserted that in order to sell Joe's character to the audience, he needed to craft ''You'' with a certain visual look and mood, slightly different, unconventional and accented than the standard color palette and tone for contemporary thrillers. He stated that "I wanted something that felt like a great New York love story, just with a very disturbed protagonist", adding that "The show opens with these luscious
slow-motion shots. There's that amber glow. It doesn't feel like a thriller."
For the second season, the setting change from New York to Los Angeles, entailed a distinctive use of saturated hues and colorful warm lighting, in part to contrast and depict an alteration of Joe's perspective of a new city which he had never visited previously. It would also signal a period in which Joe could find an avenue for encountering newer opportunities for a fresh start. In a ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' interview with the lead showrunner, Gamble noted the change, stating that "If you went straight from Season 1 to Season 2, you'll notice the sun-drenched color palette. There's something creamier about the light in L.A. than Season 1."
Release
The official trailer for ''You'' was released on April 10, 2018, by Lifetime.
''You'' premiered on Lifetime in the United States on September 9, 2018.
In May 2018, it was announced that Netflix acquired the exclusive international broadcast rights to ''You'', making it available as an original series on the platform. On December 3, 2018, it was announced that Lifetime had passed on the second season, and that the series would move to Netflix as a global Netflix Original series. The first season became available to stream instantly on Netflix worldwide on December 26, 2018. The first season was released on DVD as a manufacture-on-demand title by
Warner Archive Collection
The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...
on January 14, 2020. On December 5, 2019, a teaser trailer for the second season was released by Netflix.
On December 16, 2019, the official trailer for the second season was released. The second season was released on December 26, 2019.
The second season was released on DVD on January 26, 2021. As part of a video and letter to its shareholders in April 2021, Netflix's co-
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and chief content officer, Ted Sarandos confirmed that the third season of ''You'' is expected to premiere sometime in the fourth quarter of 2021.
On August 30, 2021, Netflix announced that the third season will premiere on October 15, 2021.
On September 17, 2021, the official trailer for the third season was released. The fourth season is slated to be split into two parts. The first part of the fourth season is scheduled to premiere on February 9, 2023, with the second part set to be released on March 9.
Marketing
Teasing the original premiere on
Lifetime on September 9, 2018, the main cast,
Penn Badgley
Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix thriller series '' You'' (2018 ...
,
Elizabeth Lail
Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She played the recurring role of Anna in the fantasy adventure series '' Once Upon a Time'' (2014), and starred as Amy Hughes in the supernatural series '' Dead of Summer'' (2016) ...
and
Shay Mitchell
Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and model. She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017), which earned her nom ...
, as well as the show creator,
Sera Gamble
Sera may refer to:
People
* Ryu Sera (born 1987), South Korean singer
* Sera Cahoone (born 1975), Seattle-based singer and musician
Places
* Sera, Hiroshima, a town in Japan
* Sera District, Hiroshima
* Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet
Me ...
, and author of the original book,
Caroline Kepnes, sat down with Build Series, a YouTube talk show meant to promote new buzzworthy shows and movies.
Before the show's premiere, Badgley mentioned his disinterest in playing the character of Joe Goldberg in an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', saying that "I didn't want to do it — it was too much. I was conflicted with the nature of the role. If this is a love story, what is it saying? It's not an average show; it's a social experiment." However, he was strongly convinced by the script and the social commentary around the series, adding that "what was key in me wanting to jump on board were my conversations with Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the creators, and understanding Joe's humanity. I knew that I would be conflicted about the role from day one till the last day, and that is why they thought I would be good for it, is that I'm not psyched to play somebody of this nature." Relaying similar thoughts in an interview with ''
GQ'', Badgley again raised his concerns of portraying Joe, noting that he was first apprehensive at the role but later, changed his mind, expressing that "no one in any position of authority could ever try to act as though we don't know that sex and murder sells, but how can it work in a different way we've not seen? That's where I think this show does something that none of us could have said for certain that we would nail. It could have been really irresponsible. It could have fallen flat and been like, whoa." In another interview at ''The Contenders Emmys'' 2019 panel, Badgley mentioned that his character was "the hero of his own story...every serial killer is" but added that Joe is "ultimately, the word that's coming to mind is un-saveable". The actor highlighted that though, there is an apparent affinity to Joe's character, it is somewhat of a "
Rorschach test
The Rorschach test is a projective psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a pe ...
of a kind for us," adding that "we're failing. . ." In an interview with
TheWrap
''TheWrap'' is an American online news website covering the business of entertainment and media via digital, print and live events. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman
Sharon I. Waxman (born c.1963) is an American author, journalist, ...
, Badgley was asked about whether his approach to portraying Joe over the course of the second season had shifted from the previous season. Badgley stated in response that playing Joe was still an "isolating" experience, but admitted that he was surprised by "how deep of a metaphor we're working with this guy". Nonetheless, he stressed that the incredible range of responses from audiences that followed from portraying "such a damaged, traumatized person", who is "awful and blind and abusive", allowed for "more meaningful conversations about the themes that the show is working" to be discussed in the public sphere.
Various critics gave praise to the series, by complimenting its eerie tone and terrifying approach to the themes of violence and stalking, reminiscent of contemporary thriller films and series like ''
Dexter'', ''
Gone Girl'' and ''
American Psycho''. Certain reviewers highlight that ''You'' provides an alluring but, disturbing insight into the mind and profile of a psychopath, who charmingly manipulates his way through his anti-hero charisma, motives and warped sense of morality, in order to convince the audience "to sympathize with a stalker" and "
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
".
The marketing for the series used the buzz around the
#MeToo Movement to gain attention to the start of the show. ''You'' has been said to have been "tailor-made for the #MeToo Era."
One of the show creators, Sera Gamble, commented on this era by highlighting that in contemporary culture, attention is almost unanimously given to the perspective of the male and his story, so naturally he is positioned through the lens of a hero. She states "We're focused on their story, their triumph, their downfall, their redemption arc... So I doubt the show will single-handedly change the way we think about dudes and our culture, but I'm happy to be part of the conversation."
Themes
''You'' explores the psychodynamic view of
erotomania
Erotomania, also known as de Clérambault's Syndrome, named after French psychiatrist Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault, is listed in the DSM-5 as a subtype of a delusional disorder. It is a relatively uncommon paranoid condition that is character ...
and
obsessive love
Obsessive love or obsessive love disorder (OLD) is a proposed condition in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess and protect another person, sometimes with an inability to accept failure or rejection. Symptoms include ...
between Joe and his romantic interests. In addition, the series further raises questions on the ethics and potential implications of manipulating circumstances and how the psychology of stalking, murder and violence is best exemplified by Joe's intrusive and insidious actions, to manufacture the constructs of an idealized love relationship. The theme of obsession and violence is significantly expanded upon in the second season with the introduction of the character of Love Quinn. The examination and deconstruction of the
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
A Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is a stock character type in films. Film critic Nathan Rabin, who coined the term after observing Kirsten Dunst's character in '' Elizabethtown'' (2005), said that the MPDG "exists solely in the fevered imaginatio ...
and Cool Girl tropes enabled the writers to express the idea that certain women such as Love harbor internalized
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
through actions that either minimize or question the lived experiences of female victims in favor of men that they are romantically inclined to. The balance of such an approach in emotional conflict poses an interesting dilemma for the viewer, where sympathy is later garnered for Love's perspective due to her complicated history, underlying motives in manifesting the goal of attaining her idealized soulmate, and the tension between her perceived image against Joe's mental projection of a conceptualized fantasy girl.
As the first season of ''You'' is situated in modern-day New York City, it explores the dangers of stalking and social media culture with an emphasis on a lack of digital privacy. The author of the novel, Caroline Kepnes, explained the darkness of ''You'', which deconstructs the romantic-comedy tropes highlighted in many films and shows, by making the protagonist, a violent stalker and serial killer, saying it was written in a dark period of her life, the year her father died of cancer, and in which she experienced several other personal challenges. She further stated that her inspiration for the novel grew out of her moving back to LA. She expressed that when she moved, she noticed that "suddenly everyone was following each other and being followed, and I always thought of that as such a negative thing," soon creating Joe in her mind as a very real possibility of what can happen with that type of access into people's lives.
After the series premiered, Kepnes mentioned in an interview with Emily Baker from ''
iNews
iNews (short for ''Indonesia News'', formerly named SUN TV and Sindo TV) is an Indonesian free-to-air television network founded by Media Nusantara Citra, a subsidiary of Global Mediacom unit of MNC Asia Holding. It broadcasting 24 hours a d ...
'', that she was initially hesitant on labeling Joe, as a few readers argued that his actions, classified him as a
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
. The author then, clarified her position on the matter, citing that "I remember when I wrote ''You'' and someone first referred to Joe as a serial killer. I argued 'he's not a serial killer, he meets these terrible people and has these awful thoughts, but he's very sensitive. It's very strange to realize you have written a serial killer."
Sera Gamble, the showrunner and co-creator of the series, stated in an interview with ''
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
'', that when envisioning Joe, the main protagonist of the series, she wanted to delve deeply into the root cause of the pathology of his behavior that shaped his amoral position to justify and rationalize stalking, kidnapping and killing his victims. When she was writing the character, she stated that "I want to understand what coaxes behavior of this nature out of that very tiny percentage of men. I like to think it's a very tiny percentage of men who would cross a line like the line that Joe Goldberg crosses".
In an interview at The Contenders Emmys 2019 panel, Gamble highlighted the importance of casting the right person to play the role of Joe Goldberg. She stated that "it had to be a love story and a horror movie in every single scene", further adding that if they "cast someone who was sort of creepy, then the story wouldn't work; the idea is that it's a lead in a romantic comedy who works in a bookstore and a woman walks in, they have a cute meet and fall in love and live happily ever after. That's the show." Expanding on her commentary on the show's themes and origin, Gamble stated at ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' roundtable interview, that she was not surprised to hear an overwhelming reception to Joe's character amongst online fans and viewers, citing that "There's a very vocal contingent of fans of Caroline Kepnes' book
n which You is basedwho were like, "I heart Joe." Essentially what she's done is taken the classic romantic hero and just peeled back the gloss and sheen and
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his ol ...
with the boombox and she followed it to its logical conclusion. I mean, if you turn off the sappy music and turn on a
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
score, romantic comedies are stalker movies. The plot of pretty much every one I can think of — and we have watched all of them many times in the writers room — is contingent on the guy ... well, first of all, he has to do a certain amount of fucking up so she can forgive him. And he has to get over some of her shortcomings. I mean, that's love, right? But also, he's chasing her through a fucking airport, chasing her on a freeway, watching her sleep because he feels protective. Romantic comedy behavior in real life is criminal! And that was basically the starting place for the show."
After the series was acquired by Netflix, Gamble noted in several interviews on the changes that would occur in the following season. In an interview with ''
New Musical Express
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', Gamble highlighted that an exploration of Joe's descent in future storylines will further necessitate a focus on underlying issues that inform his skewed worldview. She later added that "We're interested in exploring the character and we're well aware that what the character is doing is not ok – it's deeply, deeply problematic. So what's interesting to us is: what does he think he's done wrong, what does he think he has to do differently, and to really explore that while still keeping that clinical cold eye on the whole show. And that eye is on a show that's about a guy who kills people."
Given the hands off approach that Netflix is known for, Gamble added in an interview with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' that the second season will be different, explaining that "Certain things are changing in the way we are thinking about Season 2 of ''You.'' We have a little more flexibility around timing, since we don't have commercial ads, and also we can say the word
xpletivea lot more. As someone who swears a lot, that's a great thing. Netflix lets you give as many
xpletiveas you want." In an interview with LadBible, Gamble declared that the team's approach to writing the second season would necessitate a change in the formula, noting that "We knew that it wouldn't be possible to repeat it as the audience is very much onto Joe now and will see through him". Furthermore, she highlighted that the second season will be "gorier and scarier than anything we had in season one."
Due to narrative changes, the second season would necessitate a shift in setting to Los Angeles from the prior season. As a result, Gamble noted in an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' that the season will have a different feeling, citing that "Los Angeles is full of people who are really trying to live their best life and self-actualize," and that "When you put somebody who needs a lot of healing into a city that advertises itself basically as this Mecca full of cutting-edge healers, the alchemy is a little unexpected for him." She further added, that there will be more deviations in the ongoing story compared to Kepnes' sequel novel ''
Hidden Bodies
''Hidden Bodies'' is a Thriller (genre), thriller novel by Caroline Kepnes, published in February 2016. It is the sequel to her 2014 novel, ''You (Kepnes novel), You''. It was loosely adapted in the You (season 2), second season and third season o ...
'' but stressed that some plot elements will still be adapted in the second season. Speaking in an interview with ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', the showrunner explained that the second season, offered an opportunity for the writers to satirize and dig beneath the
Hollywood scene,
influencer lifestyle and
wellness culture that permeates the surface of Los Angeles. Though, Gamble mentioned that it was imperative to balance the pokes at L.A. culture by representing a different side to the city, citing that "I think when you squint at it from far away, it seems like a city that's sprung up around the entertainment business which is technically true to a certain extent, but a lot of the portrayal of LA that people have seen in stuff like ''
Entourage
An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...
''... and what you see in tabloids, where you think it's all famous people running around to their plastic surgeon and in BMWs, and that's actually a very small slice of a city that's this vast patchwork of neighbourhoods. We're all very lucky that Hollywood is here because it's paying our bills... the reach of Hollywood is vast... but people have much fuller, deeper more expansive lives than that, once you're here." In an interview with ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'', Gamble stated that "Joe will always have biting thoughts about other people," further highlighting that "so it's fun to drop him into an environment that gives him a lot of fodder. He had judgments about the crowd in New York, and he also does about the crowd around him in L.A. And since we
he show's creative teamall live in Los Angeles, that's a lot of fun for us. We're really excited to do the other side of the coin."
Reception and impact
Audience viewership
On January 17, 2019, Netflix announced that the series was on track to be streamed by over 40million viewers within its first month of release on the streaming platform. On December 13, 2019, Netflix announced over 43million viewers had completed watching the whole season since its release on the service.
On December 30, 2019, Netflix issued a number of official lists, including the Most Popular TV Shows of 2019. The series was among the most viewed in the U.S. market, where ''You'' was ranked fifth among series. On January 21, 2020, Netflix announced that the second season had been viewed by over 54million viewers on its service within its first month of release, referring to viewers who had watched at least 2 minutes of one episode.
According to the year-end summary from
Nielsen, ''You'' was in the group of top ten most-watched original series in the U.S. market between December 30, 2019, through December 27, 2020, where it ranked tenth based on minutes watched, with a 10.96billion total minutes of streaming.
Critical response
On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website,
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the first season has a 93% approval rating with 60 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''You'' pairs thrilling drama with trashy fun to create an addictive social media horror story that works its way under the skin – and stays there." Review aggregator
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
gave the first season a normalized score of 74 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an 87% approval rating with an average rating of 8.01/10, based on 45 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Penn Badgley's perversely endearing serial stalker keeps looking for love in all the wrong places during a second season that maintains the subversive tension while adding some welcome variations on the series' formula." On Metacritic, the second season has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.00/10 based on 53 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "''You'' takes its thrilling saga to the suburbs with superb results, made all the more delicious by Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti's committed performances." On Metacritic, the third season has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Cultural influence
''You'' gained a dedicated following soon after its release on Netflix. Once the first season became available to stream worldwide on Netflix, the series' popularity increased dramatically with an estimated 40million people having viewed it, in its first month on the streaming platform,
dwarfing its viewership from Lifetime.
The series later became the subject of numerous online discussions and debates surrounding the romanticization of the serial killer and stalker protagonist in question. According to many reporters and critics, concerns were expressed regarding the viewers who have positively identified and connected with Penn Badgley's character on multiple social media platforms, despite the transgressive acts that the protagonist displayed and committed over the course of the season. Among the viewers who took an affinity to Joe was ''
Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
'' actress
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown (born 19 February 2004) is a British actress and producer. She gained recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series ''Stranger Things'' (2016–present), for which she received nominations for two Prim ...
. Brown took to social media, sharing her initial thoughts in a video by downplaying Joe's questionable acts but subsequently, changed her position on the matter after watching the entirety of the first season.
After Badgley received tweets from various fans and viewers of the series about how the series seemingly glorified Joe's violent behaviors, the actor responded with tongue-in-cheek replies on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
and noted the importance of not romanticizing the actions of a psychopathic murderer. In response to the growing concerns of viewers romanticizing Joe's vicious behaviors, Elizabeth Lail conveyed her thoughts surrounding the conversation in an interview with ''
Image
An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...
''. Lail expressed she initially had concerns about the audience's reactions but explained that "I think we are programmed that way. Myself included. With all the rom-coms and fairytales we've read, we're programmed to root for the hero at any cost, unfortunately. And so, my hope is that these women notice that inside themselves; and ask themselves, 'oh gosh, why do I love this terrible man?' I hope they recognize it as an unconscious bias (that's inside most of us), and actively work against it."
Victoria Pedretti, the lead actress of the second season, responded in a commentary to the audience's strong alignment to Joe's perspective. In an interview with ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', Pedretti stated that, though she is aware of the phenomenon behind the reactions and concerns after the series gained a remarkable following, it is fueling the conversation, citing that it "talks about the kind of horrors of being a young person on the internet today.
. .I think it's a really smart way to discuss this trope that we've romanticized so much — this idea of this man that Penn plays. We know these people, and they're really hard to pluck out because they see themselves, and we see them, as the nice guys."
Accolades
Notes
References
External links
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{{Netflix original continuation series
2018 American television series debuts
2010s American crime drama television series
2010s American LGBT-related drama television series
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Works about stalking