S01.E01: Pilot

[Lakebum]

I'll accept that she can't afford curtains. And I'll accept that she likes the idea of being seen. But I have to think that if that girl was living in a curtain-free first-floor apartment with big windows, and was not afraid to walk around in a towel (or less), masturbate, and have sex... some entrepreneur would have built bleachers across the street and would be making a fortune selling tickets. Because there is no way that Creepy Joe is the first person to have noticed the show...

[Drumpf1737]

Quote

I find myself rooting for Joe the way I rooted for Dexter Morgan. I know I shouldn't, but sometimes his victims sort of have it coming, you know?

You were rooting for him when he put her panties in his pocket? If the woman in this show deleted her social media accounts would she then be allowed to live her life whatever way she wants? I'm just trying to gauge what it is about women going about their lives that's so offensive to certain types of people. Should we be at home waiting for our prince to come?

So it's a bunch of judgemental douchebags writing this show?

For some insane reason, the people that live in those first-floor townhomes tend not to have window coverings. I've never really understood it. However as a born and raised NYer I've never seen a woman in a towel in front of one of those uncovered windows. 

I'm confused by this attitude that one should admit they're depressed and lonely or broke on social media. For what? It's certainly not because you'll receive overwhelming support. 

On 9/3/2018 at 10:26 AM, saoirse said:

Joe meets and falls in love with Beck and goes down a social-media rabbit hole to learn everything about her; while this may be a real shot at real love, there are some things standing in the way, such as her ex, Benji.

This is an incredibly inaccurate description of what occurs and what this show is about. Stealing someone's panties is not love.

[methodwriter85]

On 9/10/2018 at 2:57 PM, tennisgurl said:

I kind of love that Penn Badgley is basically playing a variation of the character he played for years in Gossip Girl. A bookish "nice guy" type who is obsessed with a pretty blond girl who hardly knows he exists...except here, instead of him being kind of a creepy that the show thinks is the nicest guy in New York, its a creep the show knows is a creep, who thinks he is the nicest guy in New York. 

I love that Penn is basically playing Dan, but a Dan who's absolutely psychotic but really doesn't know that he is. Joe thinks he's just doing what he needs to do in order to win the girl. That's how insanity tends to work in real life instead of scenery chewing.

It's great to see him get a good adult role. I don't think I've seen him outside of the teen/young adult roles he was known for but then aged out of. (He was absolutely dreamy in Easy A.)

Edited January 4, 2019 by methodwriter85

[tennisgurl]

I once described Joe to a friend as a Slytherin who thinks he’s a Gryffindor. No offense to Slytherins in general, but I think it’s pretty apt.

[methodwriter85]

23 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I once described Joe to a friend as a Slytherin who thinks he’s a Gryffindor. No offense to Slytherins in general, but I think it’s pretty apt.

I just find him utterly fascinating because he really does think he's the hero.

[bettername2come]

Penn Badgley is doing some great work here. Like, he's a creepy stalker, but there's enough observations he makes that I agree with to not hate him. It's far more nuanced than I expect a Lifetime show to be.

[announcergirl]

On 9/17/2018 at 1:15 PM, MaggieG said:

I had an issue with the lack of curtains as well.

I'm so in for this show. I really liked the pilot and I can't wait to see where this goes.

I would have an issue if I hadn’t seen this a lot. Especially wealthy people ‘s homes. It screams “kill me!” I have seen gorgeous homes and no damn curtains. Like, WTF? 

Loving this show.

[Meedis]

On 9/10/2018 at 10:00 AM, poeticlicensed said:

Well, I was expecting some Lifetime schlock, but this surprisingly  good. I have never heard of the book, and I was watching the Bad Seed, which was on right before, and this show started. I'm hooked. I thought Joe was super creepy. I was a bit disappointed in Beck's character, I thought it was a bit cliche, pretty student, who is oblivious. And as a faculty member at a large university, I detest the trope that  professors are out to sleep with their students. Most of my colleagues are super dorky and being on the make with students is so far apart from their lives. A couple of issues I had from the start are the lack of blinds or curtains in Beck's apartment. I mean seriously, who lives on the first floor, doesn't put up curtains and walks around in a towel, has sex and masturbates right in front of the window?? Also, if money is an issue, how about getting a roommate in your ginourmous by NY standards, apartment? Most people I know who live in a major city live in apartments the size of broom closets.  I'm hoping the writers have Beck break out of her just a pretty girl persona. 

OMG.... that majorly bugged me as well.    No way I'm living on the first floor and having no blinds on what seemed like a main street.    

I couldn't believe Joe was standing out there as long as he was watching Beck and nobody noticed.    A part of me couldn't help thinking if it was a black guy doing that someone would've called the police...LOL.     When he was standing by the unit across the street and helping the old lady who was hilariously direct in her demands, I half thought he'd kill her at some point so he can live across from his one true desire.

With that said I'm hooked... liking Shay for PTL in this and am curious to see if she becomes a victim of Joe.

[Jax7917]

On 9/10/2018 at 1:01 PM, Deni said:

I only knew about this from the commercials, not from the book. Based on the reviews, I didn’t realize that it was rated Mature, so I was surprised by the strong language and sexual stuff. I don’t mind it, I’m not a prude, but I didn’t realize that beforehand.

I wish that sometimes an ugly girl would be stalked, and that we’d get inside the head of someone who isn’t doing this based on beauty per se. Beck seems like an airhead in many ways, not securing her social media, and just being oblivious in general. I always wonder why people don’t close their curtains, especially at night, and especially when they are fully nude getting down on the sofa in front of the window.  I like this show so far, and will continue to watch.

It’s funny that you said that because in my head I was thinking , he’s obsessed with THIS girl ? I find her very bland looking and nothing is too exciting about her personality . 

[Black Knight]

On 1/26/2019 at 5:17 PM, Jaclyn88 said:

It’s funny that you said that because in my head I was thinking , he’s obsessed with THIS girl ? I find her very bland looking and nothing is too exciting about her personality . 

I do think she's attractive (though I preferred her with the darker hair color she had for OUAT), but that's subjective anyway. But her (at least so far - maybe she just doesn't reveal much early on) relatively unexciting personality would actually be most of the attraction for him anyway. He's looking for someone he can mold to his tastes, and she comes across as somewhat unformed and malleable, which makes her perfect for him.

He would never go for someone like Peach, who has a strong, distinctive personality that would make it very difficult for him to project fantasies onto her or think that he can get her to start being exactly the person he wants her to be.

He's not obsessed with Beck the actual woman. He's obsessed with an idea he has of her, and even that idea is not so much about how he views her presently as it is about how he can change pretty much everything about her. One of his monologues about that was really chilling - he's even planning to change what she eats...

[Atlanta]

A friend recommended this show to me. Wowza!

I'm glad they cast a girl next door type. On the surface, she seems wholesome, but she's got some cray underneath. Great anti-hero.

Yes, he is a creep, but for some reason (yes, I'm a woman), Penn and his narration sell it. I dunno how else to explain it. A lesser actor wouldn't have made me semi like him. He's a cross between Ted Bundy, Jason Dean (Heathers), and from what I keep reading here, Dexter. His big bro relationship with Paco and compassion for his mom gives him layers.

Who names their daughter Guinevere or Peach? I've binged the series on Netflix so eps may blur together, but is that Peach's family's place in NYC or just hers?

I didn't know this was based on a book. Will have to head to the library.

[methodwriter85]

8 hours ago, Atlanta said:

I'm glad they cast a girl next door type. On the surface, she seems wholesome, but she's got some cray underneath. Great anti-hero.

I thought it was a smart move. Beck on the surface is the generic pretty blonde girl, but she's weird and twisted underneath all that.

[Aliferously]

I must say I find this show surprisingly compelling.

Not sure what to make of Joe, or if I find him creepy or astute or a bizarre mix of both.

Yes, curtains are good. 

I also like the idea of seeing past the superficial mirrors people put up on social media. 

[LeGrandElephant]

On 9/10/2018 at 1:57 PM, tennisgurl said:

I kind of love that Penn Badgley is basically playing a variation of the character he played for years in Gossip Girl. A bookish "nice guy" type who is obsessed with a pretty blond girl who hardly knows he exists...except here, instead of him being kind of a creepy that the show thinks is the nicest guy in New York, its a creep the show knows is a creep, who thinks he is the nicest guy in New York. 

Just watched the pilot and, while it’s super creepy and making me tense, I love this subversion of the “nice guy” trope. One line that really stood out about that was the one where he’s hiding in her shower and his voiceover says he knows it’s not that big of a deal because romantic comedies have taught him this kind of thing is normal and cute. What a great callout of that side of our culture. 

Agree some things were over the top from a practical standpoint, especially the lack of curtains (should have put her on a higher floor and had him have to climb a fire escape or something to watch her). And it might give me nightmares. But I’m onboard to keep watching, for now at least. 

 

I can buy the bookstore having a special climate controlled room, but would it really be designed to lock from the outside, withstand the strength of a grown man, etc? (Is this why there was a cage in the library in Buffy?). Maybe a more plausible story would have involved an old bomb shelter, but then the lighting and film angles are totally different. Maybe they’ll reveal the old owner built it for creepy purposes, thst would explain the contrivance. But given that they’re sticking with the contrivance of her not having curtains on the first floor in NYC, I don’t expect them to avoid contrivances. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by LeGrandElephant

[DanaMB]

On 9/21/2018 at 7:01 PM, DanaMB said:

The book has been on my radar for awhile now, but I never dove in.  Now, I'm completely hooked on the show and am not even sure I want to read the book just yet. I love the actor who plays Joe and I have been looking forward to the new eps since I watched the pilot.  I thought for sure it being Lifetime it would make it cheesy crap, but it's actually really good. Enjoying the ride.  

Quoting myself because I decided to do a rewatch in anticipation of season 2 and I’m just as hooked the second time around.  I forgot Benji was put in the cage during the first ep. For some reason I thought it was later in the series. 

[Chaos Theory]

The lack curtains on the first floor home screams more of priveldge and wanting other people to see what you have or even just see you if that makes any sense.   My sister and her husband were looking to buy a house and they came across this beautiful home with so many windows on the main floor.  She asked if the family before had taken the curtains and the woman showing the house had said there never were any.     This was in an upper middle class suburban neighborhood that you would expect to feel safe in.  So I can see someone like Beck who probably felt safe in her home just not thinking about curtains because she has other things on her mind.  

[Scarlett45]

I had heard of this show forever ago, but had never made time for it. My nail tech LOVES IT, and I saw the ads for season 4 and decided to give it a shot. 
 

I really enjoyed the pilot. Penn is a strong actor and I’m loving him in the role. He’s so creepy yet likable, yet so creepy. I do think he cares about Paco and Ron is such a POS, terrorizing a child. 
 

Of all the things Beck has done that I found so unbelievable, is NOT LOCKING HER PHONE, who does that?

 

Damn son! The way he just bashed Benji’s head in, I was SHOCKED. I am looking forward to reading all of your comments as I watch the episodes.