Netflix uploaded a video this week that confirmed suspicions: Penn Badgley’s character from You, hardly speaks aloud. Ever.
His character, named Joe, is the narrator of the series, and the narration is frequent. Without his narration, the show takes a turn from dramatic to awkward and uncomfortable.
The show is narrated from Joe’s perspective as events unfold; he’s a bookstore clerk who becomes increasingly obsessed with a patron named Beck. Only the audience is subject to his inner thoughts as he wreaks havoc upon Beck and her loved ones.
Without Joe’s thoughts to guide viewers through the show, it appears as though Joe and Beck have literally nothing to say to one another. There are countless scenes where Joe, rather than responding to interactions with other characters, simply stares at them blankly.
To echo Netflix: “When the only word between a couple all night is ‘falafel,’ it’s probably not meant to be.”