Joe Goldberg isn't a hero. Honestly, it's weird we even have to say that, but back in 2018 when You TV series season 1 first dropped on Lifetime—and later exploded on Netflix—the internet was deeply divided. Some people were genuinely swooning over a guy who masturbates in bushes and steals tampons. It was a mess.
The show, based on Caroline Kepnes’ 2014 novel, basically flipped the script on the classic rom-com. It took every trope we love—the "meet-cute" in a bookstore, the guy who "just cares too much," the protective boyfriend—and revealed the rotting corpse underneath. If you rewatch it now, the red flags aren't just waving; they're screaming.
The Bookstore Encounter That Started the Nightmare
Everything begins at Mooney’s. Guinevere Beck walks in. She’s a struggling MFA student, kinda messy, definitely broke, and looking for a specific book. Joe Goldberg, the manager, sees her. He doesn't just see her; he dissects her. Within three minutes of screen time, he’s already decided who she is and what she needs.
It’s creepy.
Penn Badgley plays Joe with this specific brand of "nice guy" charisma that makes you almost want to believe his internal monologue. That's the trap. His voiceover is the heart of the show. It’s justifying every single crime. When he breaks into her apartment to scroll through her laptop? He’s just "protecting" her. When he steals her phone to monitor her texts? He’s just "getting to know" her. It’s a masterclass in gaslighting the audience.
The Problem With Benji and Peach
Joe’s first real obstacles aren't his own conscience. They’re Beck’s friends. Benji, the artisanal soda douchebag, is the first to go. He’s objectively terrible, sure. He’s a poser and a cheat. But Joe locking him in a plexiglass book vault in the basement? That's a bit much. The death by peanut oil—because of an allergy—was the moment the show signaled it wasn't playing around.
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Then there’s Peach Salinger.
Shay Mitchell was perfect as Peach. She was the only one who saw through Joe, mostly because she was running her own obsession-based game on Beck. It was a battle of the stalkers. Peach’s "investigation" into Joe was the closest he came to getting caught early on, but her wealth and entitlement were no match for Joe’s calculated desperation. The confrontation at the Greenwich estate felt like a different show entirely—a high-stakes thriller hiding inside a Brooklyn drama.
Why We Keep Falling for the "Nice Guy" Trope
The brilliance of You TV series season 1 lies in how it uses social media as a weapon. In 2018, the conversation around digital privacy was peaking, and Joe Goldberg was the personification of our worst fears. Beck’s life was an open book because she put it all on Instagram. Her public profile was Joe’s roadmap.
But it’s more than just a cautionary tale about "private" accounts. It’s about the narrative we project. Beck projected a life of literary sophistication and effortless charm. Joe projected a life of intellectual depth and romantic devotion. They were both lying, just in very different ways.
One of them was just a murderer.
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People often compare Joe to Dexter Morgan, but there’s a massive difference. Dexter had a code. He targeted "bad" people. Joe targets anyone who gets in the way of his "love." There is no moral compass here, only a series of justifications that get more unhinged as the season progresses.
The Ending That Gutted Everyone
If you thought Joe and Beck were going to have a "happily ever after" in the traditional sense, you weren't paying attention. The final episodes of the season are suffocating. Once Beck finds the "box of trophies" in the bathroom ceiling—the teeth, the phone, the used items—the mask finally slips.
The basement sequence is hard to watch. Beck’s attempt to write her way out of the cage, the desperate plea for her life, and Joe’s genuine belief that he is the victim in this scenario... it's dark. When Joe kills Beck, the show loses its "romantic" veneer completely. It’s not a love story. It’s a tragedy about a girl who met the wrong person at a bookstore.
The Candace Twist and What it Meant
Just when you think the show is over, Candace walks into Mooney’s. "I think we have some unfinished business to talk about."
This was a massive departure from the book. In the novel, Candace is dead. Gone. Joe killed her. By bringing her back for the TV adaptation, the showrunners (Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble) gave Joe something he couldn't control: his past. It set the stage for everything that happened in Los Angeles and London in later seasons, but that first season remains the most grounded and, honestly, the most terrifying.
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What You Probably Missed in Your First Watch
Rewatching the season reveals some wild details.
- Joe’s relationship with Paco, the kid next door, is a psychological tactic. It’s there to make the audience think Joe has a "good heart." It’s manipulation, pure and simple.
- The set design of Mooney’s basement is based on real-world archival preservation units. It’s supposed to be a place where things are kept "safe" and "unchanged."
- Beck’s poetry wasn't actually that good. The show subtly hints that her talent was mostly a product of her own ego and Joe’s worship.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Binge
If you're planning on revisiting You TV series season 1 or recommending it to a friend who hasn't seen it, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience.
Watch the Body Language
Pay attention to Penn Badgley’s eyes when he isn't speaking. The difference between the "Joe" he shows Beck and the "Joe" who is thinking in the voiceover is startling. He does this thing where his face goes completely blank for a split second before "activating" a smile.
Critique the Internal Monologue
Every time Joe says "we," ask yourself if Beck actually agreed to whatever he's talking about. Spoiler: She never did. Challenging Joe’s narrative while you watch makes the horror elements stand out much more than the romantic ones.
Compare the Digital Footprints
Look at how Beck uses her phone versus how Joe uses his. Beck is a consumer; Joe is a predator using the tools of consumption. It’s a fascinating look at how technology was perceived in the late 2010s.
Read the Source Material
Caroline Kepnes’ book is even darker. If you think TV Joe is bad, Book Joe is a literal monster with zero redeeming qualities. Reading the book after watching the season gives you a much better appreciation for how the showrunners softened him just enough to keep you watching.
The legacy of the first season isn't just that it launched a hit franchise. It’s that it forced us to look at the "Stalker as a Romantic Hero" trope and finally call it what it is: a crime. Joe Goldberg didn't change the world; he just reminded us to lock our doors and maybe, just maybe, set our Instagram profiles to private.