Netflix's 5-Part Crime Series Should've Gone Wrong, But It Became A 10/10 Thriller

Published Mar 14, 2026, 10:15 AM EDT

Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.

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You Dealt With Some Incredibly Controversial Topics

You, starring Penn Badgley as the notoriously obsessed killer Joe Goldberg, follows a mild-mannered book enthusiast who develops unhealthy infatuations with women. From the first moment of episode 1, season 1, Joe reveals how intensely he observes the people he wants to connect with, and from there, things continue to spiral.

Throughout the first season, and indeed throughout the rest of the series, the show delves into stalking, unveiling toxic relationships, violence, abuse, kidnapping, drugging, and so much more. Evidently, these are all weighty subjects, and not to be treated lightly, but they play a pivotal role throughout the show's run.

Netflix Has Faced Backlash For Heavy Subject Matter Before

While TV shows can deal with heavy subjects, and they have the power to provide comfort and assurance, shows that follow the victims and the abusers open themselves up to being more visceral and potentially cause a great deal of distress. And in the case of Netflix approaching these weighty subjects, it's gone wrong in the past.

Most notably, when Netflix first released their original series, 13 Reasons Why, based on the novel by Jay Asher, they received intense backlash due to the irresponsible nature of the series exploring themes of suicide, grief, and abuse. This got so bad that Netflix had to make significant revisions to the series after its release.

In many ways, the subjects contained in the You series can be just as weighty, and the issues that the central characters face are incredibly distressing. For all intents and purposes, it feels like this should have been something Netflix strayed far away from after the previous disaster that was 13 Reasons Why's release.

You Became One Of The Most Popular Shows On Netflix

Despite heavy subject matter and a central character who is frequently the cause and source of some of the most disturbing behavior in the show, You managed to find its audience and become one of the most beloved shows on Netflix. There were moments that some audiences may have found confronting, particularly in the final season, but ultimately, the show was a hit.

There are several reasons behind why You managed to find favor with audiences while 13 Reasons Why ended up on the blacklist. For one, 13 Reasons Why was very blunt in addressing its darkest themes, while You introduced the darker side of Joe in a much more subtle way. You was also more stylized, and almost incorporated an element of fantasy in the way it characterized Joe, with the character often being an unreliable narrator who wasn't meant to be trusted.

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On top of that, the performances in You, especially from Badgley, were done with the intention to make Joe Goldberg's monstrous side an overt part of the character, and while there was some confusion about his morality in earlier seasons, the show invariably affirms the innate darkness in the character by the end of the series.

Thanks to these details, and the way the series addresses these topics, You managed to succeed where other shows fell short. Of course, there are still things that it gets wrong, and early seasons have been accused of romanticizing stalking, but the show decisively disavows that in a way that ensures there is no ambiguity by the end of its run.

Release Date 2018 - 2025-00-00

Showrunner Sera Gamble, Greg Berlanti

Directors Marcos Siega, Lee Toland Krieger, Cherie Nowlan, DeMane Davis, Kellie Cyrus, Marta Cunningham, Martha Mitchell, Victoria Mahoney, Erin Feeley

Writers Justin W. Lo

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  Penn Badgley

  Joe Goldberg

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  Elizabeth Lail

  Guinevere Beck