Looking Deeper Into The Characters Of YOU

"Hello... Who are you?" *SPOILERS AHEAD*

Joe Goldberg

Joe Goldberg is not the stereotypical serial killer/stalker/sociopath. Joe believes he is a good person and that every decision he has made is justified. In season Joe has convinced himself that he is protecting Beck. Joe struggles to fight his urges in Season 2, feeling guilt for the first time. Joe is basically the definition of someone who is the product of their environment. In Season 2 we learn more about Joe's childhood: neglected by his mother, abused by his father, moved to a group home and eventually ending up with another abuser - Mr. Mooney. Joe takes on a bit of Holden Caulfield tendencies. His inner monologue critiques others for being fake or "phony" in Holden's words. Joe also sees himself as a bit of a Catcher in The Rye, a protector, especially of children. From Paco to Ellie to his own unborn daughter, Joe is always looking out for children to ensure they have a better childhood than he did. He seeks out people who need to be saved in his eyes "The most important things are those that are fragile and must be protected." There are parts to Joe's personality that appear to be genuine which I think is what attracts a lot of people to him. In the final episodes of Season 2 we almost see Joe finally understanding that he is the monster he has been trying to protect others from. Joe sees himself for the first time. For a brief moment Joe seems as though he knows that he needs to be punished for his crimes, before changing his mind and resorting back to his old ways in an almost disappointing end. I think a lot of us wanted to see Joe Goldberg brought to justice for his crimes.

Guinevere Beck

Beck has been called "dull" and "boring" by some fans of the show. To me, Beck is real; she isn't perfect, she makes a lot of mistakes, she uses poor judgement, but she's also compassionate, smart, and strong. Beck has been used and abused by almost every man that has entered her world. So when Joe Goldberg enters the picture as a self proclaimed "Good guy" she is quick to jump on his subway car. Beck has a blind spot for many people in her life: Peach, Benji, Dr. Nicky, and Joe. Her trust in Joe results in her demise at the end of Season 1. Enter Season 2, you thought we'd seen the last of Guinevere Beck? She's back... Well, kinda... Beck is a guilt hallucination who follows Joe to LA, trying to show him that he isn't a good guy. He hurts people, he hurt her.

Peach Sallinger

Buzzfeed.com

Peach is another character victim to her circumstances. In another life, Peach is a happy, carefree, lesbian, who is living her best life as a dog walker/ boutique owner. In another life maybe she's Emily Fields! The Sallingers taught Peach that who she is, her romantic curiosities, aren't acceptable. Not to say Peach's behavior is excused, she knows right from wrong, but chooses to ignore it. Peach is self centered, narcisstic, and controlling, which is probably learned behavior from her family. Peach has become so used to getting what she wants that when things don't go her way she manipulates circumstances and people. On a positive note, Peach was one of the only people to know exactly who Joe was. Perhaps it was because she saw a bit of herself in Joe *cough* Joseph.

Forty Quinn

I went Beck, I mean Back and forth about Forty a lot through Season 2. At first, I thought Forty was annoying, entitled, and needy...Which he is. But Forty is also a recovering addict, a survivor of sexual abuse, and a victim of his horrible family. His parents don't know how to be parents and his sister allowed her own brother to believe he was responsible for someone's death. I would not be surprised if those things led to him being an addict. Forty is also deeply caring, he looks out for Ellie, tries to save Love, and even accepts Joe after learning he lied about being Will. Forty wants to see the best in people, initially being resistant to Candace's claims about Joe. Which unfortunately led to his demise. If things had ended differently and Forty went into some intense therapy, I think he could have wound up with a decent life. There was something endearing about Forty... I wanted better for him.

Candace Stone

Speaking of people who deserved better... We met Candace through flashbacks in Season 1, most believing her to be deceased. But Candace took a page out of Alison DiLaurentis' book and crawled out of the grave Joe put her in. After being rebuffed by the police, Candace started on a mission of vigilante justice for Joe Goldberg. Though her courage is impressive, the second Candace had solid evidence she should have gone to the police. It is also admirable that Candace came back to save other girls even though she could have stayed "dead" according to Joe. Though her method was flawed, Candace had good intentions. It is important to note that she noticeably suffers from PTSD, which may have influenced her decisions.

Love Quinn

There's a lot to unpack with Love. She has been hurt, her emotionally and physically abusive parents, the death of her husband, and having to take care of her brother. That said, Love is also a sociopath. She feels no remorse killing three people and feels both her and Joe's actions are justified. Upon discovering who Joe really is she felt they were meant to be together. What she didn't realize is Joe only wants women who he sees as needing to be saved, women who need him. Love showed Joe that she was "saving" him from Delilah, Candace, and she was saving Forty from his abuser. Love didn't need anyone to protect her, which immediately turned Joe off. The sole reason he stayed was so he could "save" his unborn child who needed a father. Love is similar to Joe in many ways, she has everyone fooled, is a master manipulator, and is self-righteous. Love may even be smarter than Joe, she discovers who he is on her own, but she has to tell him who she really is. I'll be interested to see what she gets up to in Season 3, will she be satisfied with her life? Or will she still be seeking ultimate control?

Delilah

popbuzz.com

One of my personal new favorites of the season. Delilah goes through a lot of inner conflict. Delilah wants to tell her own #MeToo story, but doesn't want to be seen as a victim. In a piece for Variety Delilah tells her truth and exposes Henderson. Because of her past Delilah has trouble with trusting men, but like others before her gets fooled by Joe "I'm a Good Guy" Goldberg. I was so disappointed when Delilah started trusting Joe, since it really seemed like she could see him for who he is, but she is conflicted by the kindness he shows her and Ellie. Delilah and Ellie have a similar sisterly dynamic to Lilo and Nani from Lilo and Stitch, complicated, but always loving. I felt so sad for Ellie after losing her only source of family in her sister. I hope in Season 3 we learn how Ellie is doing. I do believe that deep down Joe never intended for Delilah to be hurt, she was another woman he saw as needing to be saved. After the guilt Joe felt for hurting Beck, a woman he promised himself he would protect, he decided he wouldn't hurt Delilah... Delilah was one of the sadder deaths this season, I admired her strength and intellect and wanted her to be the one to expose Joe. Imagine what a good story she could have written...

Lastly I want to say I know it seems like I listed a lot of what these characters struggled with in their lives. I am not by any means excusing their behavior. I think one of the lessons of this show is that we don't have much control over what happens to us, but we can control where we go from there.