When You was released on Lifetime in 2018, thriller fans were immediately caught up in the story of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a seemingly regular guy who just wanted real, genuine love. As viewers watched more of season 1, it became obvious that Joe's "love" for Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) was totally toxic and also incredibly dangerous. Joe had trouble with anyone who was close to Beck, even going so far as to murder anyone who stood in the way of his goal. The show moved to Netflix after season 1 and has a large fanbase who can't stop watching everything that Joe is going to do next.

With 3 seasons so far and a fourth coming, You has totally ruled the thriller TV genre, featuring solid and interesting characters, stakes that are raised all the time, and even some jokes along the way. There are several things that You can teach other TV shows and films that are part of the thriller genre.

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Maintain A Sense Of Humor

Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) And Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) In You

You makes fun of suburbia in season 3, and every season that has been released so far maintains a great sense of humor while still being scary and creepy. Whether You is poking fun at an influencer like Sherry who is super afraid of fruit's sugar content or Joe makes jokes in seasons 1 and 2, the show never forgets to add some humor to the horror.

If You was simply terrifying and didn't have a fun, sometimes campy tone, the show would be much duller. From the beginning, it's clear that Joe Goldberg is entertaining while also freaking viewers out. Joe is aware of what he's doing and seems to realize that stalking people and hurting them is totally wrong while also having no idea how to stop. Joe also feels different from everyone around him, which allows him to make jokes at awkward and wrong times. While not every thriller can be hilarious, as it's not always going to feel appropriate, it would be fun if more stories had a bit of camp and humor to them. Ryan Murphy does a great job with the campy tone of American Horror Story seasons.

Make The Twists Count

Natalie (Michaela McManus) sitting holding a glass of wine In You

When season 3 of You opens with Joe crushing hard on his neighbor Natalie (Michaela McManus), which leads to a huge twist: Love is the one who becomes obsessed with and kills Natalie, not Joe. Joe actually hopes that he will never do that. While there are many TV thrillers with big twists, You always succeeds in truly shocking fans and upping the ante in every single season. Even though viewers know about Joe's game by now, it's still a massive surprise when he commits a crime because the show does such a good job with each plotline.

You makes its plot twists count, whether a cliffhanger at the end of an episode or a new piece of information in each episode. This is something that other thrillers should do, as You doesn't waste any time at all and if something shocking happens, it feels satisfying and earned. While some TV shows and films feature cheap or confusing plot twists, You never goes down that route. When Love kills someone or it turns out that the cocky TV reporter Ryan (Scott Michael Foster) is Marienne's evil ex, these moments make perfect sense and feel exciting. The season 3 finale in particular is incredibly well-done as Joe frames Love and figures out a way to get to Paris.

Sprinkle In Some Sympathetic Characters

Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle) smiling In You

Whether nerdy bookstore worker Ethan (Zach Cherry) in season 1, sweet teenage girl Ellie (Jenna Ortega) in season 2, or innocent Theo (Dylan Arnold) and smart Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) in season 3, You does a great job of adding some characters who are actually good people. This is something that other thriller movies and TV shows can learn from You as it makes Joe seem worse and it allows fans to sympathize more with the other characters. This makes the show feel somewhat realistic, as these other characters are just regular people living their lives. This is so necessary considering how strange Joe acts in all three seasons.

This is important and makes it more enjoyable to watch the series. Since Joe and Love are so evil, it would be difficult if everyone around them was a horrible person, too. You maintains a good mixture of sweet and scary characters, some who deserve what's coming to them and others who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Joe is still evil in season 3 of You, but there are some other people to get invested in.

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