Joe Goldberg from YOU: A case study on writing compelling main characters 👀
(No major spoilers for any of the seasons!)
YOU is without a doubt one of Netflix’s most successful shows till date—four seasons, each one better than the last (in my humble opinion, at least), with the most recent set of episodes dropping today. And the biggest reason for YOU’s success is the show’s main character, Joe Goldberg.
Joe is, frankly, neither truly likeable nor relatable to most of us (or so I hope). He’s a murderer, and believes he can “save” women that don’t actually need saving.
But every time he’s close to getting caught, viewers like you and me root for him to get away. Because he’s that well-written.
What makes Joe so compelling as a Main Character?
There are three things the show’s writers have mastered when it comes to Joe’s character, all of which are essential:
Joe has a solid GMC
He struggles with both internal and external conflicts
He has a rich, albeit problematic backstory and past
Let’s look at these three points in detail.
Joe’s solid GMC
GMC refers to Goal-Motivation-Conflict, aka the building blocks of creating a fleshed out fictional main character.
G: Joe’s goal in the first three seasons is to get the woman he “loves” to love him back, and to rescue her from her difficult life—even if he has to kill for her.
M: His savior complex makes him think he’s being the good guy here. And all Joe wants is to be “good.”
C: He can’t get caught at any cost.
Joe’s internal & external conflict
I believe his internal conflict stems from his experience of his tragic past, which we’ll get to in a moment. Even though he believes he’s doing the right thing, he’s always wary that the woman he’s trying to “save” will find out about his methods, which is why he lies and sneaks around, clearly showing that on some subconscious level, he’s conflicted—perhaps even ashamed or guilty—about his actions.
This is something that’s implied throughout the show but not explicitly shown to the audience until season 4.
On the other hand, the external conflict he faces is obvious: the fear of getting caught. Joe knows killing is illegal, stalking is wrong, and lying is manipulation. But he thinks it’s all for the greater good.
Throughout the show, he evades getting caught by the cops or other characters, and there are multiple near-misses where he risks the truth coming out. And if the truth does come out, he resorts to “taking care of it,” aka killing, which further reinforces the risk of getting caught.
Joe’s rich backstory and past
This man has a rich, tragic, complex backstory. I feel like the reason for his internal conflict and fear of the women he “loves” figuring out the truth is because the first woman he saved—his mom—sent him away for killing her abusive boyfriend.
Although this doesn’t stop him from trying to save everyone, it does instill in him the fear of losing the one he loves if the truth gets out. This tragic backstory might be another reason we root for him, although he’s a terrible, dangerous, psychopathic person.
Are you a fan of YOU and planning to watch the latest episodes of season 4? What are your thoughts on Joe Goldberg? Comment below if you’re on the Substack app and hit ‘reply’ if I’m in your inbox, and let me know!
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Until next time!
Love hard & dream big,
Swati