Netflix has a ton of iconic shows thoughtfully addressing injustices and inequality. You are not one of those such shows. Season one of You follows around Joe, a patriarchal serial killer who ends up falling for a girl named Beck. Throughout the season, Joe spends his time stalking Beck around trying to control her so that she stays in a relationship with him. Joe follows Beck to work, kills her ex-boyfriend, and steals her phone in the name of love and protection. The problematic nature of this relationship isn’t just the fact that Joe is a serial killer, it’s the fact that he controls her, and the shows frames it as justified. Joe has several inner monologues in each episode where he justifies why he stalks and abuses Beck. These monologues had me sympathizing with Joe’s abuse at times, and it influences viewers like me to believe that his abusive behavior is tolerable. The power structure between Joe and Beck is very stereotypical as it has a man with control over a woman’s actions and he justifies it as having her best interests in mind. This power struggle between genders is centuries old in America and this show does nothing to help forward women’s push for equality. I found that the main culprit for this problematic power depiction in You stems from the fact that viewers get to hear Joe’s inner thoughts. This makes it challenging to view Joe as a bad guy at any point in the series. When I was watching this show, I was reminded of our readings on the Subaltern. Spivak states that the subaltern can have opinions, but because of their lack of power and stature in society, this voice cannot be heard. Beck in You is a perfect representation of a subaltern. She had many moments in the first season where she speaks her opinion of Joe and his actions. These opinions fall on deaf ears though, as Joe’s monologue takes over the show. Anyone from this class who read about the subaltern would feel the same way about You. I would recommend this show to anyone here that is looking for an entertaining show centered around murder and relationships. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a show portraying progressive gender roles and roles with empowered women.
