Is asking someone her kill count an appropriate first date question?

Welcome to “You,” a Netflix original series about Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a New York native and bookshop manager with a haunting past. In the show’s first season, viewers watched him fall in and out of love with Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), only to ultimately end up killing her in the season’s finale. 

Hoping for a fresh start and a clean conscience, Joe, now Will Bettelheim (I will continue to refer to him as Joe), moves to Los Angeles for the brand new season of “You,” which Netflix released in December. The show’s second season revolves around Joe’s new romantic interest, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), a down-to-earth aspiring chef who instantly captures Joe’s attention. As the show progresses, the story emerges that Love, like Joe, is a stalker/murderer. 

Could it be true love for her and Joe? Are they the perfect match for each other? Spoiler alert — apparently so. The season concludes with the shocking revelation that Love is pregnant with Joe’s child.

Viewers will rightly feel complete disgust about Joe’s murder habit. But there’s also a loyal side to Joe that is almost admirable. Viewers see Joe’s hopeless dedication to Love and her family when he helps her (annoying) brother with his writing aspirations. On top of this, the new season plays flashbacks of Joe’s childhood where he watches his mom get brutally beaten by his alcoholic father and is later taken to a foster home. Despite his sinister actions as an adult, the show finds ways to get viewers to sympathize with Joe because of his upbringing. 

What I loved most about “You” was how intellectually stimulating it was. I found myself in an internal boxing match, questioning why I was rooting for Joe. I knew I was supposed to be extra critical of Joe’s harsh treatment of women. However, his unwavering loyalty to Love was heartwarming. He was always on Love’s side, supporting her amidst familial struggles and comforting her when things got tough. Perhaps I just fell for the seductive appeal of Joe, with his sultry voice and piercing gaze, but my tendency to find the positive aspects of Joe reflects how we as viewers can recognize brutal wrongdoings and still feel for the characters who commit them.

Either way, watching “You” is worthwhile, because it not only toys with your mind, making you question your morals, but also makes you wonder if you should really be talking to that cute bookstore employee.