The author behind the books that inspired hit Netflix series You has spoken out about the twisted attraction fans have for the show's serial killer protagonist Joe Goldberg.
As season three makes its debut on the streaming service today (15 October), author Caroline Kepnes said she 'gets' why viewers love watching Penn Badgley as the narcissistic Joe, but said readers have had a deep love for the character long before Badgley took it on.
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Speaking to the Metro, Kepnes said: "In 2014, as soon as people started reading the book, I had this devout amazing readership that love Joe.
"They love him in the book way, I think that reading is you and the page, it's a different kind of love.
"Then when you bring an actor into it and you're watching something, that's a different kind of love.
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"How wonderful, how magical, when an actor and their kindness is as real as their [character's] capacity for evil doing. So I think Penn is brilliant that way, and I get anyone watching it and loving him.
"In the Twitter way of it, there's not enough room to explain all the dimensions about love. I think that they love that he's doing these kinds of things, they love that they get to think about why they come away loving him. That's just fun in real life."
Badgley has previously asked fans to stop romanticising his character online, which is something Kepnes said she could understand.
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She continued: "I remember being on set with that beautiful voice over.
"So many scenes are he's doing silent film work. He's walking around and he's alone and he knows there will be voiceover but he's standing in front of a building, and this is going on for a long time.
"He spends an enormous amount of alone time with this character in a way that's really interesting to me. So yeah, he's sensitive about it and I would be too.
"I think it's got to be a weird thing to be on a set and murdering someone, and have blood on your hands and then go home and someone's like, 'I love Joe Goldberg!' It's mad."
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You can watch season three of You on Netflix now, and - better yet - a fourth series has already been confirmed.
Netflix made the announcement with a video on YouTube, having compiled several flashback moments from the first two seasons, before ending the clip saying: "You 4."
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Netflix