No plans tonight? No problem, Netflix has you covered. The Netflix Original, 'YOU,' has sparked the interest of many because of its eerie, yet captivating, romantic plot. The main character believes that love is worth any sacrifice, even murder. Anything that gets in Joe's way is easily rid of because that is simply what he believes is the right thing to do. Joe may be slightly obsessive -okay maybe not slightly- but he is not all that unique. He came to be a murderer because of his heavily abusive past; he is convinced that he is a hero, and it's hard for him to admit his actions or flaws.
The Netflix show, 'Dexter,' revolves around the main character who is willing to kill just as frequently as Joe is, just for a different reason. Dexter was born lacking empathy, and easily admits his actions to himself, but still envisions himself as a hero of some sort, eliminating the earth of the negatives. Neither characters enjoy doing this for their own mere enjoyment, yet they still do because those killed are obstacles of some sort. Joe's pattern is killing anyone who gets in his way from achieving "love," while Dexter's goal is to ironically extinct murderers to satisfy his twisted instinct urges. Being a blood splatter analysis for the Miami Metro Police Department, Dexter has access to a full criminal database, where he finds most of his victims. As the inner workings of both serial killers are witnessed by viewers, viewers are forced to reevaluate their definitions of what it means to be just and unjust. Although the characters' motives are different, the series are more alike than most watchers realize.
Both 'YOU' and 'Dexter' are narrated by voice-overs of the main characters -we know how and what they are thinking. Like most movies and shows, a particular character-type pattern is present: a villain character and a hero to be specific. The unique types of characters that both of these shows possess is a mentor and a traumatizing memory of a mother. Both Joe and Dexter were shaped into the people they are because of who taught them "right from wrong."
Joe had a mother who was involved in an abusive relationship with his father. His mother used to abandon Joe for hours to have affairs with other men. Joe, young but not naive, was eventually left hopeless at a group home and landed in the hands of Mr. Mooney, a book store owner who influenced Joe immensely. As Joe grew up and became more capable and powerful, Mr. Mooney would say things like, "we do difficult things out of caring for someone," or "I know the demons that tried you, I have them too," and "some people deserve to die." Hearing these things made Joe feel comfortable with committing these crimes because, in his mind, they were done in order to achieve his version of perfection afterward.
In Dexter's case, his mother was killed right before his eyes. This traumatic experience left him helpless, where he was adopted and mentored by his adopted father, Harry Morgan, who also reassured Dexter that demons exist inside him, and if he follows Harry's "code" to "murder those who deserve it, but just don't get caught," then he will be okay.
After watching both 'YOU' and 'Dexter', it is evident to me that many more similarities are present between the two. If you've watched one show and haven't watched the other yet, it's worth it. They are undoubtedly similar, but also just the right amount of difference in their own way.