Moments In You That Made Viewers Gasp
Since its release, "You" has been a series predicated on subverting expectations and shocking its ever-growing fanbase. Based on the bestselling book series, written by Caroline Kepnes, the show keeps in tune with its source material's thrilling and salacious nature. The series focuses on book aficionado/psychopath Joe Goldberg and his disturbing quest for the perfect romantic partner. Due to past abuse at the hands of various individuals, Joe's idea of love is a disturbing and toxic one.
What ensues are three seasons worth of stalking, dangerous deceptions, gruesome murder and, most importantly, blindsiding revelations and shocking moments. As the series progresses, the stakes grow ever higher and the reveals become increasingly more spectacular in their insanity. Whether it be Joe's increasingly gruesome actions or various characters revealing their disturbing true nature. These are the moments that made fans' collective jaws drop as their remotes clattered to the ground in shock.
Joe kidnaps Benji
From its first episode "You" quickly established itself as a show not afraid to venture into the darker side. Joe, from the first scene, was already giving off massive psychopath vibes, shown most clearly in his inner monologue. This would become a key staple of the series, but it's used to masterful effect in this inaugural episode. We, the viewer, are still figuring out just who Joe is and are unsure of just how far he'll go. Would he remain only an intrusive stalker only to slowly work his way up to legitimate hostile actions? The first episode sees fit to answer that question in perhaps the most blunt fashion possibly — with a hammer.
The show's unwavering dedication to upending the viewers' expectations began with Joe's first truly sinister act. That being tricking and subsequently kidnapping Beck's on-again, off-again organic soda swilling boyfriend Benji. He then proceeded to keep him trapped in, what would be his first, plexiglass vault. Joe finally opted to dose him with a peanut-infused beverage which, due to his peanut allergy, killed him.
Peach is (also) obsessed
Continuing its first season's streak of subverting viewer expectations would be the introduction of a quasi-secondary villain. After disposing of Benji the next obstacle standing between him and Beck would be the incredibly vain Peach Salinger. Introduced as one of Beck's emotionally hollow "instagirls", Peach does very little to hide her caddy and shallow attitude. Not only that but she maintains an egregiously toxic relationship with Beck, who she wants all to herself. This is shown to be more than a toxic friendship as it's revealed, much like Joe, Peach is obsessed. Not only does she have a digital treasure trove of Beck's photos, but tries to coerce her into a threesome. It's a very shocking moment because as a viewer you've already perceived Joe as the singular threat to Beck. So when it's revealed that Peach is also engaging in invasive behaviors much like Joe, it instantly blindsides you.
The dark comedy of this entire reveal stemmed from the hypocrisy of Joe's reaction. His inner monologue maintains that Peach's behavior — which isn't too far removed from his own — is somehow abhorrent. This all culminated in Joe stalking Peach and Beck while she was on a girl's getaway, even hiding under Peach's bed to get a better look. After a heated confrontation, Joe eventually got the better of Peach and added her to his ever-growing body count.
Beck finds the box
After a season of Joe being fairly ahead of Beck, it's shocking to see her finally put the pieces together. Just as Beck's investigative efforts hit a wall, we get to see just how disastrous Candace's breakup with Joe was. What's impressive is how this episode plays a sinister little game in terms of its formatting and pacing.
Viewers see how Joe's previous relationship ended, all the while his current one is creeping closer to its end game. This of course all culminates in Beck, after recalling a previous comment from Joe's young neighbor Paco, finding his secret box. What Becks finds is not an embarrassing snapshot of Joe at the Christmas party, but rather all his accrued mementos. The mementos in question include the likes of Beck's panties, her phone, a used tampon, and the missing Candace's necklace. It's all the darker, and more tragic, when considering what this ill-timed discovery leads to in the finale.
The Death of Beck
If you were thinking that "You" Season 1 would have a happy ending, this moment quickly torpedoed those hopes. After finally putting it all together and seeing Joe for the monster he is, Beck reacts in an appropriate fashion — in that she freaks out and is immediately thrown in Joe's vault against her will. This is when Joe finally comes clean about all of his psychotic actions and deceptions towards her. She seems fine with everything at first, even going as far as to show Joe some sympathy, but this is of course a ruse that she uses to attempt an escape.
Sadly Paco, Joe's young neighbor, thinks Beck is aware of Joe killing his abusive stepfather and denies her any help. This gives Joe enough time to run and, after catching Beck at the top of the stairs, he kills her offscreen. Joe then publishes her writing posthumously, which helps frame Beck's therapist, Dr. Nicky, for her death and solidifies Beck as a famous writer. It's a moment that is still painful for fans of the show, especially given how much they'd gotten to know Beck. It served as a fittingly disturbing ending for the show's first season and still resonates after subsequent seasons.
Henderson's Abuse
In terms of shocking moments that "You" has provided this is most certainly the most realistic and disturbing. After being introduced to his neighbor Delilah and her precocious sister Ellie, Joe quickly learned of Henderon's actions. Delilah elaborated that, when she was Ellie's age, she was subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of Henderson, an afluent comedian. A disturbing revelation, one that Joe simply can't ignore, especially when Ellie looks to intern with Henderson. Despite trying to avoid getting involved with the potentially volatile lives of Delilah and Ellie, Joe went to work. While in Henderson's house looking for evidence, Joe discovered a disturbing photograph collection featuring many of his young victims. It's a disturbing revelation, and one that is all too connected with the Me Too movement that swept through Hollywood.
The situation only intensifies when Ellie, there to show Henderson her short film — is roofied by him during her screening. Joe quickly acts, doing the same to Henderson, making the act of subduing him in his own basement even easier. In the midst of a struggle, Henderson's head collides with the wall — finally putting him down for good. A swift and shocking end for a thoroughly loathsome character, making him of Joe's few victims that actually deserved it.
What Joe did to Candace
One of the bigger questions left dangling from the first season is what exactly Joe did to his ex, Candace. The details of their breakup is shown in chunks throughout the penultimate episode of season one, omitting Candace's ultimate fate. Given her shocking return and immediate vendetta against him, it most certainly warranted rampant speculation from viewers.
It would be in the second season where Candace's fate at the hands of Joe would be revealed in flashbacks. After bluntly stating that she doesn't love him, Joe responded by knocking out Candace and kidnapping her. He attempted an ill-timed reconciliation via picnic, but Candace quickly tried to escape again upon waking up. Sadly, Joe once again acted quickly and, after thinking he's killed her, buried her in the woods. She regained consciousness and attempted to report Joe, but having no evidence of his crimes, would be unfairly dismissed.
It's a shocking moment, especially considering this was one of Joe's first major incidents following his traumatic childhood. Candace revealed herself to Joe following the death of Beck, and became essential to Season 2's events.
Love is (also) Crazy
In a moment that had the jaws of viewers hitting the floor en masse, we meet the true Love Quinn. By the end of season two time seemed to be up for Joe, especially with the vengeful Candace gunning for him. Compounding matters were his strained relationships with Love, Forty and his neighbor Delilah. The latter of whom was trapped in Joe's second murder vault, with him fully intending to free her. This was upended when Joe discovers her already dead at what is revealed to be the hands of Love Quinn.
All because in a complete doozy of a reveal, Love has also been obsessed with Joe — more so even. Not only that, but she reveals she dug into Joe's background history and immersed herself in Beck's writing. She proclaimed herself superior to Beck and her undying devotion to the true version of Joe.
Love caused the demise of Candace as well, removing Joe's biggest obstacle to his freedom. She also revealed she killed her family's au pair who was predatory towards Forty. The fandom's reaction to this can be easily summated by Joe's three-word response of "What. The. F–k."
The Death of Forty
Forty Quinn, for better and for worse, was a major player in the events of "You" season two. The brother of Love, a substance-abusing screenwriter, definitely complicates things for Joe during their "friendship." Forty, almost immediately, becomes a repellent figure for Joe, but one he had to tolerate due to his relationship with Love. The two relied heavily on each other because of their sibling bond, though their relationship turned out to be rather one-sided. Due to his various addictions, Forty was a walking disaster that often needed to be supported by Love almost constantly.
His naivety led him to Candace who, using a fake name, used Forty as a tool in her revenge. She convinced Forty to craft a screenplay based on — of all things — Beck's book in order to to get back at Joe. This led Forty down the rabbit hole of Joe's previous misdeeds and subsequent coverups, including Dr. Nicky being framed. He attempted to protect Love from him, but unfortunately, Love had already revealed herself as a psychopath in her own right. Forty ended up threatening Joe with a gun, but was shot by a police officer for his troubles. A definitely shocking end to a flawed character who, despite his various issues, was still trying to do something good.
Love kills Natalie
The third season of "You" certainly kicked off with an absolute bang. Love Quinn took center stage right along with Joe in terms of focus and importance to the ongoing story. This shared focus was cemented quickly by the season's first episode. Joe and Love, having recently relocated to the suburbs to raise their son Henry, have started settling in. This is of course easier said than done for Joe, who quickly began falling back into old habits. Their neighbor Natalie, a very wealthy and book savvy woman, quickly became the newest object of Joe's obsession.
In a rare break in form things quickly escalate when, during a friendly drink, Natalie attempts to seduce Joe. This eventuality quickly makes itself known to Love, revealed in season two, to be even crazier than Joe. She baited Natalie by taking her up on an offer to rent out a space for a new bakery. This results in the shocking close of episode one, Love killing Natalie Patrick Bateman-style with an axe. As a viewer, you would fully expect Joe's obsession with Natalie to be the crux of the season, so this comes out of nowhere. This moment messes with every preconceived notion you would have by this point in the series, hence its shocking nature.
Couples Night is Cancelled
Any moment where Joe or Love show their true nature is always a shocking moment, and this is no exception. Sherry, who runs a mommy blog, and Cary, the epitome of dudebros everywhere, served as consistent annoyances to Joe and Love throughout season three. Things escalate when, in an attempt to aid their failing marriage, Love is convinced by Sherry to try swinging. After some deliberation, Joe and Love decide to dip their toes in the idea of an open marriage.
Things, naturally, become awkward with both having clear reservations about the idea of being intimate with multiple partners. Love, upon seeing Joe straddled by Sherry, went from zero to one hundred in mere moments. This led to a loud argument and an accidental reveal of Love's recent murder of Natalie and their subsequent coverup. Sherry and Cary, lacking any form of poker face, attempted to escape and even fought off the murderous married couple. This went south immediately with Sherry and Cary being apprehended and locked in the bakery's murder vault.
Love knocks out Theo
Introduced as Natalie's son, Theo was immediately thrust into the spotlight following her murder at the hands of Love. The situation, not helped by his step-father Matthew, only intensified Theo's emotional vulnerability and tendency for emotional outbursts. This instability led to him forging a bond with Love who, for obvious reasons, took responsibility for his current situation. They bonded over their mutual unhappiness and eventually began engaging with each other physically behind Joe's back. Love attempted to push him away, but Theo became increasingly more entangled in her and Joe's ever-escalating crimes. This is made even worse when Theo makes it clear that he's fallen head over heels for Love.
After becoming a pawn in their blood-drenched agenda, Theo eventually fell down the rabbit hole and learned the truth. Theo went to Love's bakery and discovered both Sherry and Cary trapped in another one of Joe's kidnapping vaults. Not being able to hide his recent discovery from Love, she quickly blindsided him with a rolling pin. However, in a rare act of mercy, Joe eventually took pity on Theo and dropped him near the closest hospital. Oh Theo, you poor, delusional, love-sick boy — you truly deserved better.
The Death of Love
Throughout Season 3, Joe has one singular goal: dispose of Love Quinn by any means necessary. Joe had been shanghaied into marrying Love, the mother of his child who sufficiently matches his own crazy. Ever since her shocking reveal at the end of Season 2, Joe's been acutely aware of just how far Love will go to keep him. This season shows that as twisted as her previous actions were, that was just a preview for coming attractions. This leads to them honestly trying to make their macabre marriage work, despite this, things only get worse. After becoming aware of Joe's own infidelities, Love puts her own plan into action and proceeds to incapacitate Joe, similarly to her previous husband, so she could kill Joe's new obsession: his boss Marianne.
However, being one step ahead of her, Joe had ingested adrenaline to counteract her homegrown wolf's bane and recover. The wolf's bane is a morbid callback to their long-running couple's joke of saying "I Wolf You" to each other. He proceeds to poison her and shares a somber goodbye with his greatest love — and greatest obstacle. Through some well-placed toes in a pie and forged confession, Joe is able to fake his own death. Additionally, he cements Love as a twisted icon in her own right, branded as "The Mrs. Lovett of Madre Linda." Much like with Guinevere Beck, he has created a tragic legend out of another of his failed romantic obsessions. Fans can only wait to see what happens in Season 4.