'You' season 2: Stalker Joe's fandom makes us wonder why women fawn over violent, obsessive and abusive men
'You'—the Netflix series based on a psychotic stalker—has left the internet utterly divided.
The psychodrama tells the story of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a bookstore manager in New York, who falls in love with a customer, Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail).
Joe begins to stalk Guinevere as he develops an unhealthy obsession with her.
When Joe "bumps into her" after their first encounter at the bookstore, she thinks it is a coincidence. However, Joe knew exactly where she was going to be and had orchestrated the run-in.
As the show progresses, Joe and Guinevere keep running into each other. The charming man that he is, Joe makes her feel special each time they encounter each other.
Guinevere takes this is a sign that he's the guy she needs in her life. She starts talking about him all the time with her friends and also feels a sort of attraction toward him.
A few meetings later, they begin to date—just as Joe had planned.
Joe is very content with the way things worked out. Guinevere also feels that she made the right choice.
However, from the get-go, Joe's obsession hangs heavy over their relationship.
Joe is chronically self-centered and believes the decisions Guinevere makes are indirect messages to him.
His character begins to unravel as the show progresses. The charming personality soon fades leaving Guinevere—and his fans—questioning why they liked him in the first place.
Guinevere, blinded by her love for Joe, does not realize what she has gotten herself into.
Her world falls apart when she discovers that Joe has been manipulating her all along. She begins to question every feeling she has for him.
We have all fallen for the charms of a person only to later discover their true colors. Usually, a little too late.
Guinevere meets a tragic fate when Joe kills her at the end of season one.
Joe, over the course of the first season, developed a massive fan following. He was widely loved despite his violent and manipulative ways.
Some fans went as far as expressing their desire to be "kidnapped" by the psychotic stalker.
However, some believe that romanticizing the character of Joe is dangerous as it paints an untruthful and rosy picture of the horrific reality of stalking. Some even slammed the show for encouraging that kind of behavior. "lmao y’all gotta stop romanticizing his character simply because he has a pretty face," a fan tweeted.
The question, however, remains: Why do women fall in love with violent, troubled men?
