What is You about?

Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble created the American psychological thriller television series You, which is based on Caroline Kepnes's books. The show revolves around Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley), who is a stalker and serial killer who will stop at nothing to be close to the ladies he is attracted to. The first season of the series debuted in September 2018. So far, the series consists of 5 seasons, with the latest one released on April 24, 2025. A+E Studios, Berlanti Productions, and Alloy Entertainment collaborate with Warner Bros. Television to produce the series.

What is the plot of You?

The show mainly centers around Joe Goldberg, a stalker and serial killer. In the first season, he works as a manager of a bookstore in New York City and falls in love with Guinevere Beck, an aspiring author. Using social media and other technology, he drives his passion by tracking her whereabouts, watching her in her home, and removing any barriers to their romance, such as her friends and ex-boyfriend.

In the second season, Joe Goldberg leaves New York for Los Angeles and assumes a new identity to avoid his ex-girlfriend Candace, who wants exact revenge on him for burying her alive before he was with Beck. After meeting passionate chef Love Quinn, Joe returns to his violent and obsessive tendencies. In an effort to avoid the outcome of his previous romantic attempts, Joe seeks to make his relationship with Love successful at any cost. He is unaware that Love carries sinister secrets of her own.

In the third season, Joe and Love are married and living in the Madre Linda area of California with their newborn baby, Henry. With a growing interest in Natalie, the next-door neighbor, and local librarian Marienne, Joe keeps repeating the cycle of obsession as their relationship dynamic changes. This time, Love makes sure that Joe's obsessive behavior won't easily destroy her dream of having the ideal family.

Joe pretends to be Jonathan Moore in the fourth season, who lives in London and works as an English professor at a reputable university. He has also been trying to find Marienne by following her around Europe. He establishes relationships with a group of affluent socialites. When a serial killer targets their elite group, they begin to disappear one by one. After being blackmailed by the murderer and set up for the murders, Joe returns to his previous behaviours. Joe grows fond of Kate, another woman, as he tries to hide his true identity from the group and works to find the murderer.

Joe finally comes to New York City in the fifth and final season, determined to live an ideal life, but his dark ambitions and past will clash with this new life.

Joe Goldberg in You

Throughout the series, Joe Goldberg's character journey dives into themes of obsession, the rationalisation of violence, and the repercussions of his acts, revealing the intricacies of his mind. To escape the consequences of his crimes, Joe consistently changes who he is throughout the series. His cleverness enables him to control everyone around him, frequently convincing both himself and others that his acts are acceptable in the name of love. But in the end, his innate narcissism and incapacity to build healthy relationships push him into destructive cycles.

Where to watch You?

The American psychological thriller television series You is available to stream on Netflix. The series is also available on Prime Video in some regions.