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Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy stalks girl, goes deep into her social media life and inserts himself into her real one.
You may be forgiven for thinking this (available on Netflix). Dysfunctional relationships are great television, mixing in drama, emotion, violence, sex and love in one appealing package. takes this one (psychopathic) step further. Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a bookstore manager, falls for customer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and the attraction quickly turns obsessive. Over the course of the season, we are taken deeper into Joe's obsession, through a constant voice-over, as he spies on her and clones her phone to read her texts. This is harmless compared to the zeal with which Joe pursues his goal of 'protecting' Beck and removing the perceived threats to her life: a soda-loving ex, bourgeois friends and a creepy professor. Badgley plays the perfect anti-hero, charming and interesting and easy to like even if we hate what he is doing. Beck, a writer with daddy issues who wants to fit in with the popular crowd, is less interesting than expected. A side story follows Paco, the neighbour's kid with a troubled family life taken care of by Joe. Guest appearances include Shay Mitchell as the one friend who sees through Joe, and John Stamos as a therapist. is not just any love story but a commentary on how obsessive a romance can get and the perils of a world obsessed with technology and social media. It also explores how relationships and childhoods define a person and their actions. The psycho-thriller is based on the 2014 novel by Caroline Kepnes and developed for television by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble. Yes, there's a second season.
