YOU Season 1 Episode 8 Review: You Got Me, Babe
Jasmine Blu
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Joe and Beck may very well deserve one another.
It's no secret that Joe is an awful person. Most of us knew what to expect out of Joe when we signed up for this twisted journey, so for the most part, Joe's behavior is in line with what is expected of him most of the time.
So believe me when I say, I'm not blind to the many ways Joe is problematic. That said, Beck has to be one of the most loathsome characters currently on air. YOU Season 1 Episode 8 was Beck at her absolute worst yet.
How it's possible for Beck to be in the running for the most hated character on a series filled with cheaters, abusers, killers, stalkers and more is beyond me, but that's where we are now.
"You Got Me, Babe," took place three months after the events of You Season 1 Episode 7. In that three month span of time, Joe and Beck remained separated and moved on with their lives. At least, that's what appeared to be on the surface.
Shockingly, Claudia's friend Karen was not a one-and-done hookup for Joe. It's troubling that Joe is incapable of being alone. They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, and Joe took that to heart.
He jumped into a brand new relationship with Karen hoping that he could rid himself of all things Beck, but he's an obsessive stalker, so it wasn't that simple. He couldn't shake Beck, but he gets kudos for making a genuine effort to be happy with Karen.
He wasn't in love with Karen or anything like that, but he seemed to enjoy the simplicity of their relationship. It also showed that Joe, for the most part, is capable of being in a semi-healthy relationship.
He and Karen fell into a nice routine, and while he spent a lot of it trying to convince himself that he was at his happiest without Beck (which was bullshit), he was still content with Karen.
Babe. You said babe was a default for unimaginative lovers, but then you never cared for people the way Karen does. You were so caught up in you, you never thought to take care of me. And honestly, it's worth all the babe.
Joe Voiceover
When Joe is away from Beck long enough, he notices things about how undesirable their relationship is. It took for him to be paired up with Karen, a nurse, and natural nurturer, to realize that Beck was selfish when they were together.
She never did anything for his sake because it was all about her, and the reason they worked was that he was all about her too. If Joe weren't so obsessed with Beck and doing anything and everything to make her happy or "protect" her he would have realized sooner how one-sided their relationship was.
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It's hard to say if Beck ever realized how one-sided it was or if she flat out didn't care. Beck is always walking the fine line between being ditzy and deliberate. Is she cutesy or calculating? Is she a lovable mess or a hot mess?
Maybe Dr. Nicky is on to something, Beck. Karen doesn't expose me to toxic people like Benji and Peach. Dealing with them was, ugh, stressful. Trying to make sure you were OK all the time? Fine, I still need to know if you're OK. I'm happy. I want you to be happy. It's what happy people want for people. What the hell? No, no, no, no, no, no! Where'd you go? How the hell am I supposed to be great with you gone if you're really gone?
Joe Voiceover
Joe was in a healthy relationship for a change, but he still had to wean himself off of Beck. It was going to take time for him to do that, and who is to say he wouldn't have jumped fully onboard the crazy-train again if he suspected for a second that Beck was dating someone new?
He still stalked her social media religiously under the guise of needing to see if she was as happy as he was and other things one tells themselves when they can't get over an ex. The thing is, as far as Joe's obsessive behavior goes, that was relatively normal.
Joe freaked out when he saw that Beck took a social media hiatus thanks to Blythe. Blythe is a treasure in her own right because when she provided the ultimate shade by telling Beck no one would miss her insignificant presence on social media because she's a nobody, I laughed out loud.
Blythe: Kill all distractions surrender thy phone.
Beck: My phone? Blythe ...
Blythe: Goodbye Instagram. So long Facebook. Goodbye Twitter. I'm freeing your mind.
Beck: I can't just go dark out of nowhere.
Blythe: You're not J.K. Rowling. We'll all be fine if you take a time out.
Beck may have done well for herself in the months since she broke up with Joe, but she's still no J.K. Rowling. But then, that's one of the issues that made Beck maddening during this hour.
One of the crazy things about Joe and Beck's relationship is how he's the one obsessed with her, but Beck benefits the most from it. Addiction was the theme of the hour, and they both are addicted to one another for different reasons.
There has been an ongoing point where Joe has served as Beck's muse. It was due to be addressed, and it was as Beck used her writing and writer's block to gravitate towards Joe.
You want to hate Joe for thinking he's the reason she got her book deal (Yes, Beck has a book deal. Let's collectively snort in derision over that news) because he's taking responsibility and ownership over Beck and her achievements.
He's not wrong though. He killed Peach, and she wrote another great piece that landed her a book deal. It's not just the Peach thing, though. Joe has been the constant figure in her life encouraging her to write and improve.
He is the one that made space for her to write, and he gave her things to write about and helped her get rid of her writer's block. He inspires her in that regard.
If you didn't notice, Beck didn't start thinking about Joe and cyberstalking Karen's Facebook page until after she burned through all of her ideas. When she has writer's block, Beck turns to Joe. She's not addicted to Joe because she loves him as a person. She's addicted to all the ways he can service her.
The last vestiges of respect I may have had for Beck have all but disintegrated. Beck's transparent efforts to entice, seduce, and steal Joe away were despicable. It was apparent that's what she would do the second she "bumped into" them at the Fro-Yo spot.
Beck didn't bother hiding her attempts, so it's no wonder Karen saw right through Beck during that awkward scene. How do you look the woman in the face, meet her for the first time, and then proceed to do everything in your power to wreck what appeared to be a decent relationship?
Beck was at her most conniving, vindictive, and vile. She wasted no time sending Joe that text message and following up after she noticed the read receipt. She got a thrill from screwing with Joe right under Karen's nose, and it was disgusting.
It was also very manipulative of her. Beck knows that she has Joe wrapped around her finger, and she knows that he can't resist her, especially after how they left things. Joe didn't want to break up; Beck wanted to break up.
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Joe only broke up with Beck for her benefit and welfare and at the expense of his own (although it served him well for a while). So by rubbing together the last two brain cells she had left, Beck thought it was OK to dip back into the reserve of Joe after she went out and lived her best life.
But what if I know for a fact this man wants this mouse?
Beck
She expected him to be waiting for her, and when he wasn't, she chose to tamper with his relationship because she feels entitled to him as well. She had no real reason to trash talk Karen when she didn't know much about her.
Beck sending Joe "innocent" pictures of the book she's reading that just so happens to be resting on her lap while she was wearing nothing but a towel was inspired.
So very Beck of her to pull out her masturbation sleeping bag after such an innocent and friendly conversation. It's also a strong possibility she orchestrated the "moving in" party at Ethan and Blythe's new place.
Did anyone else laugh bitterly when she and Joe hooked up outside on the bench? Wasn't she the one who acted as if public sex hurt her delicate sensibilities when Joe tried it at the store? Sure, Beck.
It took both of them to start up their trysts while Joe was involved with someone else. There is no way anyone can absolve Joe of his role in them, but Beck's constant manipulation, badgering, and seduction was infuriating. At least Joe tried to resist.
He kept telling her that they made a mistake, and she wouldn't hear nor respect that and back off. Based on her sessions with Dr. Nicky, she was aware of (and smug about) Joe's inability to resist her.
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She knows she has him wrapped around her finger, and she didn't give a crap about what was best for him or the effects it would have on his relationship or his life. She only cared about what she wanted.
Beck supposedly had a moment of clarity after talking to Karen and realizing how selfish she was being. It lacked authenticity since she confided in Joe by telling him how much of a mess she is and that he deserved better than her, but then she welcomed him with open arms hours later after he dumped Karen.
Beck: What we're doing is wrong. I didn't get it, but now I see it. I really see it.
Joe: See what?
Beck: You are so good for me. I mean you help me so much, and you're the best thing that ever happened to my writing, which is everything.
Joe Voiceover: But ...
Beck: But the world is twisted and unfair, and let's face it. I am no good for you, but Karen Minty is, and I am jealous, and I wish I did things differently. I wish I hadn't shut down after Peach died and I hadn't pushed you away, but I think it came from how scared I was to need you. But I'm a mess, and you deserve better. You deserve to be with someone who is perfect for you.
Joe: You're right.
If she cared about him at all or believed any of the things she said, she would have let him go and not allowed him to sabotage his relationship after she told him that it's better for him.
Beck is confounding and must like to self-sabotage. She couldn't have forgotten how bad their relationship was before they broke up, right? Did she forget how spectacularly creepy and jealous Joe was?
Her gut is screaming at her, but the girl doesn't listen to it for anything in the world. But she's notorious for being drawn to the most toxic, abusive, and damaged people in the history of humankind.
But then Beck is so entitled and self-absorbed that she wants the "good guy" back to serve as her cheerleader. Screw his potential happiness and new girlfriend in the process.
What kind of women does Joe date where he assumed Karen would fly off the handle when he broke up with her? Did he think she was a hothead since she was the one chasing Ron away with a baseball bat?
Karen had her suspicions, so she saw the signs on the wall. I loved Karen. She picked up more about Joe in the three months they were together than Beck ever did.
I also loved her confrontation with Beck. She casually strolled Beck's neighborhood similar to Beck at the top of the hour and spoke her mind. The audacity and nerve of Beck to fix her lips to call Karen a "spiteful ex" after what she did.
Karen: I just had to say thank you. I owe you. It turns out you're my get out of Joe free card. You showed me who he really is.
Beck: And that is?
Karen: Besides a liar and a cheater?
Beck: I really have to go.
Karen: Of course. Just be careful. I got a feeling you're no Candace
Beck: Ok, what the hell is that supposed to mean?
Karen: Hey, look, I couldn't fill in those shoes either. Whoever this girl is, she really got her claws in him.
Beck: Well, this has been fun, you got to play the spiteful ex. Now let's just say goodbye.
Karen: Yeah I'm sure you two will be fine. Of course, you gotta know what he did to me one of these days, he's going to do to you, or worse. Maybe he's going to do to you whatever the heck he did to Candace. Enjoy it while it lasts, Beck.
It was amusing and satisfying to see Beck so shaken during and after their encounter. Her blissful bubble burst after Karen warned her about ending up like Candace. It's funny how Karen knows more about Candace either because Joe told her or because she did her research.
Beck doesn't know a damn thing about Candace because she rarely asks questions. Their entire relationship has been about her, and she never realized how little she knew about Joe.
Their relationship should be interesting. Beck got what she wanted, but she now realized it isn't what she thought.
Another unfortunate result of Joe and Karen breaking up is the effects it will have on Paco. That poor kid thought he had a family and now, as he said, everything is worse than ever.
With Karen, Joe noticed things and played the part of dutiful surrogate dad to Paco. He took care of the kid and looked out for him much like he did before he was immersed in all things Beck.
The second he got caught up in Beck again, he forgot about Paco and Claudia. It was sickening. He should know better than most that you can't check in and out of a kid's life. He knows how important he is to Paco.
You make me weak, Beck. Karen's handling Claudia, and I'm a bad person because I'm letting her while I'm letting you handle me. Paco, I was supposed to handle Paco. You're a drug, Beck. You're worse than pills. I am worse than Claudia. Everything, Beck. Once again you swallow me whole; you make me forget everything else, and other people pay the price for it.
Joe Voiceover
Beck is always the cause for him bailing on his responsibilities. Beck had a tearful reaction to Karen's comment about Joe being a support to Paco, but she didn't mind taking him away from Paco for loud, obnoxious sexytimes.
Claudia is a bigger mess than anyone could have anticipated. She's not just a battered woman who works too much and neglects her son. She's also an addict.
Karen did everything in her power to help Claudia detox and protect her. She didn't want Claudia to lose Paco, but it would be for the best if she did.
That poor kid has been through the ringer, and he needs a new, safer environment with people who can take care of him properly. Claudia, like a true addict, jumps from one addiction to the other.
They went through all the trouble of getting her clean, and she welcomes Ron back into their lives. She can't shake her Ron habit either, and she thinks she needs him. He was ready to swoop in and do what he does best too.
Claudia: This was never Ron's fault.
Joe: You can't be serious.
Claudia: He helps us every day.
Joe: You call that help?
Claudia: Yeah, I do. I can't do this alone.
Joe: Claudia, you're not alone.
Joe Voiceover: Karen was right. Addiction is a monster.
I'm concerned about Paco. Joe was his only solace; Joe let him down too though. Between the breakup and dealing with Claudia letting Ron back into her life, Karen quit on them.
You can't blame the woman. All of the security Paco had is now gone, so he's fraying at the seams. Paco is desperate, angry, and tired. He's on the brink of doing something rash, and it's disconcerting.
Additional Notes:
- Ethan and Blythe are that quirky, cute couple who gets on your nerves, but you love them anyway. They moved too fast, but they also are the only healthy relationship on this show.
- Please tell me Dr. Nicky has pieced together that Joe and Beck are involved with one another. Their stories were too similar to one another, and they both bailed on their appointments. Maybe that medical weed of his he was smoking in the dark led him to an epiphany.
- Beck is a crappy friend, and Lynn is not happy with her. Did she replace Lynn and Annika with Blythe?
- So now Beck's windows are open to all, and she has a hole in one?
- Joe keeps talking about Mooney as though the man is alive. Is he?
- Joe had a panic attack in the dungeon thinking about how he killed Benji. With Beck out of his life, does Joe's conscience get the better of him?
- "My neighbors are going to hate me." Not more than me, Beck. Not more than me.
- "I'm under the opinion that all penetration under patriarchy is rape." What?!! Blythe is unreal.
Were you 'shipping Joe and Karen? How long before Paco snaps for good? How did you feel about Beck's seduction of Joe? Hit the comments!
Don't forget that you can watch YOU online here via TV Fanatic anytime!
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.
