By Muzammil subhani  

When I started watching YOU on Netflix, I didn’t expect it to mess with my head the way it did. It’s one of those shows where the main character, Joe Goldberg, seems normal at first, he works at a bookstore, he’s quiet, he reads a lot. But the more you watch, the more you realize something isn’t right with him. And that’s what makes the show so interesting.

The story starts when Joe meets a girl and quickly becomes obsessed with her. He doesn’t just like her, he wants to know everything about her. He watches her from a distance, looks at her social media, and even finds ways to show up in her life. At first, it’s kind of romantic in a weird way, but then it gets dark fast. Still, I couldn’t stop watching.

What really got me is how the show makes you hear Joe’s thoughts. You’re inside his head the whole time. He tells himself that everything he’s doing is for love, but you can tell it’s not healthy or normal. The way he justifies things really makes you think about how people can lie to themselves and to others  and still believe they’re the “good guy.”

Another thing YOU does well is showing how easy it is to find out personal information online. Joe uses people’s public posts, tags, and stories to track where they are and what they’re doing. Watching this made me think twice about what I post on Instagram or who can see my location. The show doesn’t preach, but it makes you realize how careful you need to be in today’s world.

As the story continues, Joe ends up in new places and meets new people, but the same pattern keeps happening. That’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers. What I liked is that every season builds more tension, and the situations keep getting more complicated. Sometimes you’ll even catch yourself feeling bad for Joe even though deep down you know he’s dangerous. That’s the power of the writing and acting.

Penn Badgley, who plays Joe, does an amazing job. He’s can be romantic and psychotic at the same time. You believe him, even when you don’t want to. The side characters are also well-written. Some are funny, some are annoying, and some are in just as deep as Joe without realizing it.

Overall, YOU is more than just a thriller. It’s a show about obsession, privacy, and how far someone will go to feel in control. It made me think about the people we trust and how easy it is to hide who we really are. If you like suspense, drama and a story that keeps you guessing, YOU is worth the watch just maybe not before bed.