You (Netflix/Lifetime)

[SystematicThought]

I searched around and couldn't find it here, although I swear I remember talking about it with people here..

Anyways, we just watched the second season today and it was a lot of fun. It's like a lighter version of Dexter with a more comedy and romance. The second season was a great parody of LA culture and millennial culture. Really looking forward to what's next.

Anyone else catch this show? It was originally on Lifetime last year and kinda flopped then moved to Netflix last Christmas and it blew up as soon as it hit streaming.

[Zantera]

I think I liked S1 a bit more than S2 but I'm enjoying the show. I think it's quite interesting to follow a main character who is a bad guy believing himself to be a good guy and I actually think some of his stalker traits have become normal behavior. Like looking someone up on social media, that level of interest or curiosity of finding out things about someone you meet. He obviously crosses a lot of lines and he's not the most sympathetic character but I find it interesting when they get into grey areas when he means to do well but things go wrong.

[Logain Ablar]

I watched S1 and liked it, but have only watched the first 2 episodes of S2. For some reason it's not grabbing me this time.

Maybe the novelty has worn off, but some of the shocks seem a bit forced, like the finger cutting scene. Will maybe try to pick it up again when I get time.

[Stadler]

My wife, daughter and I just finished the second season.  VERY polarizing response.  I really liked it - well, I liked the idea - but the other two seemed to be very indifferent. 

Neither one read "Crime And Punishment", if that matters (and I'm not sure it does).

[Zantera]

For me s2 started off a bit weird I think mainly because I felt the way Love got romantically involved with Joe all happened so fast it felt unbelievable, especially compared to Beck in s1 where it was a bit more 'back and forth' before he got to that point, but I feel like once you get to the end of s2 and you learn more about Love as a person, the start of the season made a lot more sense to me.

[SystematicThought]

It's kinda funny because by the end of the season, Joe's body count is 1(I don't think H was intentional) for the season, compared to the 4 from last season. He didn't really do too much wrong this season compared to last, so in a way it was tame. I thought when Jasper came along and his arc happened, I thought we were in for a bloody season, it really wasn't. I also really hated Forty to start the season, but by the end of it, or at least by episode 5, I started to really like his character.

Also, I would never shop at Anavrin. All the personal stuff going on in the kitchen, nobody ever really working except for Calvin, even he disappeared for awhile. Not my kinda place 

For me s2 started off a bit weird I think mainly because I felt the way Love got romantically involved with Joe all happened so fast it felt unbelievable, especially compared to Beck in s1 where it was a bit more 'back and forth' before he got to that point, but I feel like once you get to the end of s2 and you learn more about Love as a person, the start of the season made a lot more sense to me.

I will admit, I felt it was kinda rushed, like they felt like they needed to establish the love connection right away. Him finding a job as well. There also wasn't the Benji tension as much this season (Milo to a degree I guess), but Benji was more fleshed out. At first I thought it was gonna play out like last season with Love in the cage, but I'm happy with the direction it went.

Maybe the novelty has worn off, but some of the shocks seem a bit forced, like the finger cutting scene. Will maybe try to pick it up again when I get time.

I will say, I thought that scene in question would set the tone. It doesn't, I'd say go a few more to see if you get time.

Neither one read "Crime And Punishment", if that matters (and I'm not sure it does).

I only ever read Karamazov in college. Does Crime and Punishment have any correlation to the season?

[Stadler]

It's been a long time for me as well, but I think there are a lot of parallels.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

The alienation that Raskolnikov and Joe both feel.  The relative level of "above the law" that Raskolnikov and Joe both feel (you'll note that Joe never feels challenged or stressed by intrusions of the law, only other people that infringe on the relationship he's focused on).  The similar role that Love and Sonia play, in that they are seen as potential compadres and confidantes (though not till later in Love's case; I think the presence of the actual novel C&P in the plot is a foreshadowing of that twist).  I think there are other areas of comparison that I can't really dig into because it's so long since I read it, but the role of St. Petersburg/Los Angeles in the plot, the initial hostility then acceptance of Sonia's/Love's influence, the controversy about the appropriateness of the epilogue, the questionableness of the "punishment" and "repentance"...   

If nothing else, C&P is an excellent novel and should be read on it's own.

[DTA]

I love shows like this...suspenseful, vaguely comedic, and lots of twists and turns. I wish Candace was utilized a bit better, but Love & Forty were great characters. There's some theories that the woman at the end is actually his mother and that's where season 3 is going to go.

[Stadler]

I love shows like this...suspenseful, vaguely comedic, and lots of twists and turns. I wish Candace was utilized a bit better, but Love & Forty were great characters. There's some theories that the woman at the end is actually his mother and that's where season 3 is going to go.

Both my wife and daughter said that within minutes of watching the scene. 

[SystematicThought]

It's been a long time for me as well, but I think there are a lot of parallels.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

The alienation that Raskolnikov and Joe both feel.  The relative level of "above the law" that Raskolnikov and Joe both feel (you'll note that Joe never feels challenged or stressed by intrusions of the law, only other people that infringe on the relationship he's focused on).  The similar role that Love and Sonia play, in that they are seen as potential compadres and confidantes (though not till later in Love's case; I think the presence of the actual novel C&P in the plot is a foreshadowing of that twist).  I think there are other areas of comparison that I can't really dig into because it's so long since I read it, but the role of St. Petersburg/Los Angeles in the plot, the initial hostility then acceptance of Sonia's/Love's influence, the controversy about the appropriateness of the epilogue, the questionableness of the "punishment" and "repentance"...   

If nothing else, C&P is an excellent novel and should be read on it's own.

Interesting, I definitely don't think it's a coincidence that C&P was used in there, especially when you bring up the points you did. I'm not gonna lie, I thought it was used because it was going to get political. Going in, I was afraid, because it was set in LA, that it was going to get political and when I saw a Russian novelist, I thought for sure it was going to be talking point throughout the season. Luckily, it didn't. In fact, I was really happy it never got political. Sometimes, I just want to escape and not think about politics. That, and I was watching it with my dad, and he will complain out loud anytime.


And I agree. I think it's his mom. There's no accident that they talked about his mom all season and that he moved next door to a neighbor that he already is spying on. It fits Joe's profile.

[MirrorMask]

Bumpetee bump for I have seen both season. It was good, maybe not mindblowing, but entertaining enough.

I can see the comparisons to Dexter but there's a fundamental difference in the characters: Dexter knows he's a monster (actual quote from him and more than once I believe), Joe is completely and totally oblivious to what a goddamn psycho he is. He rationalizes and justifies everything in his head, but the way the narration is portrayed and being inside his head with his thoughts makes him "almost" sympathetic. Well, sympathetic maybe isn't the right word, guy's a total creep and deserves to be brought down, but they managed to make him interesting enough to watch. The actor gives a perfect Ted Bundy vibe, he can really be both charming and scary.

Both seasons have their meh moments (the plot often strains plausiblity at times) and great // "funny" ones, as funny as a dark humoured drama about a psycho stalker can be. But all in all it was an enjoyable ride and I will be back for Season 3.

[Volante99]

Pretty good show, definitely twisted.

The tone of the show is all over the place. Part horror, part Dexter, part soap opera, part Gilmore Girls...it’s just allll over the place. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.