When any book is turned into a movie or series, the only question viewers have is whether the story was followed closely or not. And although almost all directors have some creative freedom, sticking to the original story is a better choice. Many also prefer to completely deviate from the original work and that turns out better in some cases.
Today we will discuss how Penn Badgley’s ‘You’ is different from the book written by Caroline Kepnes. There are some points in the series where the showrunners used their creative liberty to deviate from the book. And this habit of straying seems to increase with each new season. So let’s take a look.
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Joe Is Even Darker In The Books
Caroline Kepnes’ writing is as descriptive and as detailed as it can be. And so the book Joe is much darker than in the series. Joe’s witty and often brutally honest thoughts are much darker in the books. However, it could be that the showrunners did not wish to scare away the audience.
The basis of screen storytelling is to show. However, in novels, the story is played out through a character’s thoughts. Due to this, Joe’s thoughts in the novel are more elaborate and thus much darker.
One added factor in making reel Joe less dark is Penn Badgley’s charismatic performance. Badgley’s Joe felt more remorse for his actions than the book Joe although both share the delusion of his actions being justified. Instances in the series like Joe looking out for Ellie in season 2 and saving Paco from his abusive stepfather speak for themselves.
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Season Ending Vs. Book Ending
Like every book adaptation, ‘You’ also has a different ending at the end of the season and the book. In the book, Joe killed Candace. However, at the end of season one, we did notice that Joe killed Candace. However, the big surprise in season 2 was the return of Candace as Amy Adam. This ending was solely to progress the series and prevent it from ending in season one.
Season 2 of the series is completely different from what there is in the books. The storyline has been changed for the series and Will Bettelheim does not exist in the books. Joe does not change his name rather the book storyline deals with an alternate universe.
Love And Forty Quinn Are Different In The Books
Victoria Pedretti did a commendable job playing Love Quinn in the series. But her character also received some hate from the fandom. Reel Love is a chef and has very strong views about relationships and love. So much so that her possessive nature leads her to kill. The murderous Love Quinn of the series does not practically exist in the books.
Book Love has cotton candy hair and is a 35-year-old actress. And the surprising part is the murderous gene has been inherited by Forty Quinn instead of Love. Book Forty disappears for long periods without any contact with his family. It is safe to say that he is the absolute worst when compared to the puppy-like reel Forty.
Season 3 Of The Series Does Not Match With The Book
The third book ‘You Love Me’ was not published well into the production of Season 3. So season 3 of ‘You’ is not at all the same. The third book is about Joe moving to the Pacific Northwest after being bribed with $4 million by Love’s family. Book Joe falls for Mary-Kay. Although reel Joe meets Marienne in season 3 there are no other similarities between the book and the series.
The books also end after three books but ‘You’ continued with another season. So it is safe to say that the fates of the characters and the storyline has been entirely changed by the screenwriters. They have taken their creative liberties from season 3 onwards.
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