YOU Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Maybe
Jasmine Blu
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YOU is making me sympathize with a stalker and murderer.
That's not to suggest Joe didn't come across sympathetic before. He has a tragic backstory, so sympathy always factored into the equation.
But YOU Season 1 Episode 3 illustrated that a twisted, entitled deranged Joe is more sympathetic than the woman who is supposed to be his victim.
It needs to be said; Beck is unlikable.
It was foolish of me to expect that she would be though. She's not obligated to be likable, right? Gender roles strike again. In fact, it was amusing and validating when Beck batted her Disney Princess eyes and asked Joe if he thought she was unremarkable.
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That's what was used to describe her in previous reviews. Yes, Beck is unremarkable but in an intentional way. That inquiry confirmed it.
She is; unless you can think of anything about her that justifies Joe's obsession with someone so utterly unlike the woman he envisions in his head. I can't think of shite, can you?
If I'm sending mixed messages it's because I don't know who I am, so how do I know what I want? I know I sound super gross like so, I don't know, Millennial. Don't say anything. If you know who you are, it's not like you share it.
Beck
We kicked it around in the comment section of the You Season 1 Episode 2 Review, but what does it say when a person is more willing to hang out with twisted, pretentious, ass Joe over Beck?
She's the type of person who fangirls over a woman who glamorized eating disorders.
Blythe will end up being like the cultural appropriating under the guise of being enlightened version of Madonna who tells dramatic stories about herself and her exotic travels when someone asks her a simple question like, "would you like whipped cream on top of your $20 crappaccino?"
Apologies, I might have spent too long inside Joe's head. Moving on; Blythe is a character.
She's another pretentious caricature to toss in with the lot. Benji is dead, but his spirit lives on in his female version, Blythe. Beck is smitten with the woman. Beck's taste is abysmal, aside from the bespectacled bed-breaking bartender she banged.
Speaking of, Beck's feelings of inadequacy brought on by Blythe, and her need to rebel against Peach, drove her to Joe. All of that brings us to Beck's likability or lack thereof. Beck is a user.
Again, Benji may not have been off about her. Beck gossiping about men and penises at the bar with her friends was enlightening. Peach is unimpressed by them which is no surprise, but it revealed that Beck is very sexually liberated and had a Millennial Manboy for every day of the week.
She's far from the blushing virgin precious flower Joe conjured up in his head. Joe wasn't thorough. In his defense, it's hard out there for a part-time stalker and full-time bookstore manager especially when there was a pressing body disposal matter.
Beck must have been on Tinder for a while, and that means she and Benji both may have been self-destructive in their toxic relationship.
Beck is a playgirl. More power to her for playing the field. Guys do it all the time. It's the way she uses Joe by treating him like a safety blanket that's offputting.
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It's hard to say if the way she manipulates him is intentional or subconscious. Up until the end, she gave him just enough to make him think there was a possibility he wasn't in the friend zone (minus the fact that Joe is already thinking about their children).
Beck: Joe is still a maybe.
Joe Voiceover: A maybe? I'm a maybe? And you're still screwing other guys? Beck, how did I miss this?! How did I read this so completely wrong?
Beck uses Joe to feed her ego. He's the guy she calls when she wants a self-esteem boost and flattery (or to help her put together a bed after breaking hers with another guy). Joe is an emotional salve for her after a bad day, or after she's been challenged or feels she has something to prove.
When she's finished hanging out with her snobby friends, or the quarterback, or the bad boy, she basks in the adoration of the geek because he makes her feel good. Does Beck like Joe or does she think he's the nice guy she's supposed to like?
I snorted when Beck, the exhibitionist who regularly has sex in front of the massive window of her first-floor apartment where any passer bye could see recoiled at the idea of Joe going down on her at a furniture store.
Sure, Jan Beck.
Her interest in Joe seemed like an attempt to prove something to Peach. Oh, Peach! She is such a piece of work.
She came all the way to Beck's house knowing that Joe was over there, and probably saw (through Beck's wide-open windows) that they were getting frisky, and wanted Beck to take her to the hospital when she could have gone herself. Beck doesn't even have a car.
Peach is the queen of cockblocking.
Ironically, Beck didn't start chasing after Joe until he was blunt with her on the phone. Joe was afraid he ruined everything. What does it say about him that he thinks an entire relationship can be over if he sounds cranky on the phone or is too honest?
These books are more alive -- more worthy than most people I know. You want to know who I am? This is it.
Joe
Little did he know, Beck was probably more drawn to him than ever before because he wasn't the nice guy at that moment.
Anyone notice how Beck flipped things on Joe afterward by suggesting that he's not forthcoming with information? Aside from asking about Candace, she barely attempted to get to know him because she was too self-absorbed.
Of course, none of that matters to Joe now because Beck has rewarded him with a relationship. But damn, Joe needs to learn to contain his excitement. It's a good thing Beck got her thrills earlier. She may have canceled her Tinder too soon because Joe didn't even last as long as Benji!
Yikes, my guy. That was the most cringe-worthy scene of the night, and Joe spent most of it trying to dispose of Benji's rapidly deteriorating body.
So, where are we on whether or not Joe has killed before? If he has, he never had to deal with the cleanup. He had Benji in the basement rotting for days and then drove around with the guy in his trunk.
Joe using Paco to retrieve the items he needed to move, bury, and burn the body was either very smart or very stupid. Kudos to him for coming up with a fantastic explanation for everything he had Paco get.
I couldn't help but root Joe on when Ron came with the cops. I even had a satisfied smirk when Joe turned the tables on Ron. He'll pay for it later, but it was worth it at that moment.
People. They're easy to fool, like these cops. I'm the nice straight-edge guy, so there's nothing to worry about. People believe whatever supports their world-view. Unfortunately, that seems to include you, Beck. You believed you deserved Benji and his neglect, and you believe you deserve Peach and her drama, and on and on.
Joe
Ron didn't do himself any favors. For one, he was trying to appeal to them as brothers in blue; most cops don't view parole officers as real cops though. Plus, he stood there reeking of bourbon and failure and was incapable of suppressing his animosity towards Paco. Where is Paco's mother?
Who is Ron to be calling all these shots? Ron is right about Joe, but he's also the worst.
Additional Notes
- Ethan is adorable. More Ethan, please.
- Peach knows Joe took her book. The combative nature of their relationship is more interesting than Joe and Beck attempting to have a real romantic one.
- Did anyone else get weirded out over the red ladle? Beck talked about it reminding her of pancakes with her dad, but Benji mentioned she likes to be spanked with it during sex. WTF?
- Beck's father was an addict. What if she's one too, and she's addicted to sex and attention? Whatever the case, Beck must have some serious daddy issues.
- If Joe has Mooney's car, then where is Mooney?
- Isn't it crazy how everyone wants Beck to be with someone who can take care of her instead of expecting her to take care of herself? It's so sexist and condescending.
- How long do you think Joe can keep things going with Benji before people realize he's dead? Also, will those joggers factor in if someone discovers Benji's remains?
- A laugh-out-loud moment was when Joe accidentally let it slip that Beck's room was too small for a king-sized bed.
Do you think Beck is using Joe, or is she genuinely interested in him? How long will Joe be able to keep Ron at bay? What happened to Candace? Hit the comments below!
If you want to join the fun in the comments but need to catch up first, you watch YOU online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
