You Is A Very Dark Version Of Gossip Girl & Here's The Proof

When sexy teen drama Gossip Girl exploded onto The CW in 2007, the world was ready for it. Here was a show that had everything a soap-loving audience could want: Beautiful people! Incredible clothes! Teen angst and oodles of melodrama! Yet, at the heart of the series, was a love story — the one between Upper East Side princess Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Brooklyn's very own "Lonely Boy" Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley).

Most Gossip Girl fans rooted for this uptown/downtown love story, over the course of six dramatic, will-they-won't-they-stay-together seasons. Then, in the series finale, Dan was revealed to be the show's titular omnipresent stalker — the one who tracked Serena's every move, obsessed over her endlessly, and, on more than one occasion, made her life a living nightmare by spilling her secrets to the masses. It was all in pursuit of one thing: for Dan to write himself into the narrative of Serena's life.

Many fans barely batted an eye at this clearly problematic plot development. Maybe that's because Dan and Serena got married, suggesting that, if Dan's actions were a little icky, well — at least he did it all for love.

Flash-forward to 2018, and Badgley is once again a leading man on an NYC-based drama. You, however, is not exactly a love story: It's a tale of obsession. As Badgley's Joe inches closer and closer to the Serena-esque Beck (Elizabeth Lail), so does his willingness to do anything possible to keep the romance alive. That includes, shall we say, some less-than-legal antics, to put it mildly.

Now, Dan never went that far, but he did use the internet to stalk and taunt Serena mercilessly for years — which doesn't seem like a particularly healthy way to start a relationship. You and Gossip Girl bear even more similarities than just Badgley's face and Dan and Joe's less-than-ideal wooing tactics, though. What are they? Click through to find out!

Looking for more theories, recaps, and insider info on all things TV? Join our Facebook group, Binge Club. The community is a space for you to share articles, discuss last night’s episode of your favorite show, or ask questions! Join here.