We all know "Gossip Girl's" Dan Humphrey. Sweet little Dan. Always the nice one. He saves the day and protects Serena when she's doing all her crazy Upper East Side shenanigans. Whether she's drunk or high or just in any type of trouble, he's there to help her and to make her feel loved. Meanwhile, taking notes and blasting her personal life and deepest darkest secrets all over the web, humiliating her and exposing her, blindly. He was basically a closet stalker (at the time).
He had people sending tips on her whereabouts and what she was doing and who she was doing it with AT ALL TIMES. Now, of course, he was doing this to all of the other Upper East Side popular Constance students, too, but who did he end up with? Serena. And somehow, he came out the good guy?
Now, for those who haven't seen the new Netflix show, "YOU" and plan to, I recommend you don't read any further. For those who have, let's dig deeper.
Now I'm not about to give you some weird conspiracy theory but it does seem bizarre that Joe, or in this case Dan's character from Gossip Girl was foreshadowed by his underlying stalker-ish ways to a pretty blonde girl in NYC and is also majorly into writing and reading books AND is also following around a bunch of girls who clearly hold a higher societal rank, but it is a weird coincidence. And while we're talking about weird coincidences, isn't it weird that Peach, or Emily from "Pretty Little Liars" are both closet lesbians? Shay Mitchell plays a good young girl who questions her sexuality.
The similarity in the shows is that clearly, Dan was in the wrong in "Gossip Girl." He was exposing the people he loved and cared for and hurting them, but we were all rooting for Serena and Dan. Well, what about in the show "You"?
Joe was an actual psychopath who talked himself into weird and manipulative actions and justified them as if it were normal and all to protect the lovely blonde Beck. He stalks her every action and her every move. He kills the people she loves who seem to be in the way of their premeditated relationship. Yet, I hoped the whole time she wouldn't find out and they would stay together. Dan and Joe have such powers in this way.
It made me question every random encounter I've ever been in and how easily it would be to stalk my life. Every time I go out to eat with my friends, I tag the location of our restaurant in my snapchats or Instagram stories. Occasionally, I put my apartment complex as a tag if I'm tanning by the pool. I have my school in my bio when really, I should just write "stalk me." I felt as if I kept my life so private until this show. Joe did not go through too much trouble in the beginning to find Beck. He searched her name and there she was. I do this all the time. As soon as I meet a cute boy, I lurk his profiles to see who he is, or what's his story. Does this make me a stalker? Probably not Joe level, although he did give a lot of helpful hints. KIDDING!
