June 28, 2025 • 18 mins
Joe Goldberg is finally in jail, but after five seasons of stalking, murder, and love bombing, is that really justice?
In this episode of Thanks, I’ll Take It From Here, Kami breaks down the final season of You on Netflix, covering the chaos, the character arcs, and how the show turned the audience into accomplices.
Plus, stick around for a bonus interview with indie author Alastair. His thriller The Silent Hunt explores trauma and moral complexity through another dangerously complicated lead.
🔗 Connect with Alastair: @alistairs.desk___
📄 Full transcript available here
📱 Wanna keep up with me? Follow me @takeitfromherepod on Instagram and Tik Tok
💌 Send this to someone who still defends Joe (you know who you are).
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
I just finished you and y'all what the actual free my man Joe,
He's innocent. We're all a little toxic
sometimes. I'm just kidding.
What we need to be doing is throwing away the key and double
checking he don't have one secretly stashed inside his
body. The fact that I even have to say
that should tell you how unhinged this show got by the
(00:23):
end. If you're new here, welcome.
I'm Cami and this is things. I'll take it from here.
The podcast where we breakdown the stories that made us feel
something, challenge the ones that almost went somewhere bold,
and sometimes rewrite the ones that miss their moment.
Make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and send this
episode to someone who still defends Joe Goldberg because
(00:43):
clearly they need someone to hold their hand through this and
I'm going to be the one to do it.
So let's get into it. After five seasons of stalking,
murder, emotional gymnastics, wefinally end with Joe in jail.
This season also gave us some new characters, but still that
maximum mess. We meet Kate's chaotic twin
(01:06):
sisters, one who murders the other because I guess Joe
decided to outsource the killingthis year.
But it gets worse. Not only did she murder her twin
sister, the surviving twin had been secretly sleeping while her
dead man, like for a while. And after murdering her sister,
(01:26):
she assumed her sister's identity.
Despite all of that, the show ends with her pregnant,
forgiven, serving no jail time, and living happily ever after.
Where her dead sister's man y'all?
Then there's her brother Teddy. Honestly, Teddy is the only man
I've ever truly loved on this show.
He was the most grounded character this season and I feel
(01:48):
like he reacted to Joe being a serial killer exactly how we all
should have been reacting day one with a side eye and a call
to the police. Now Kate, she went full
vigilante. She made it her mission to
finally takedown Joe and you know what y'all?
She did that and just when we thought she was dead, she
(02:10):
somehow survives getting shot and locked up in a burning
building. I don't know how but we just
going to call it Netflix magic. Last we get Bronte and her
little band of misfit, includingDoctor Nikki's son.
And if y'all don't remember Doctor Nikki, he was the one
that got blamed for Beck's deathin season 1 and he was kind of
(02:32):
inappropriate as a therapist. He's over here smoking weed with
his clients and hooking up with one of his clients.
I'm not a therapist but I'm pretty sure they probably tell
you like day one that you shouldn't do that.
But anyway, so the son is in Bronte's little Scooby-doo in
the gang and he seemed to have inherited his dad lack of
(02:53):
respecting people's boundaries because he was acting a fool in
that show. But let me get back to Bronte.
So she started out catfishing Joe to expose the truth about
Beck's murder, but somehow endedup as his love interest.
Like a home girl lost the plot and she fell head first for the
(03:14):
love bombing. Now somebody send this to a
writer on the show. I know somebody got an auntie,
cousin, uncle, mom, dad or something that was a writer on
this show. I need you to send them this
podcast because I have a question.
Were we supposed to relate to Bronte?
Was she meant to be our stand in?
(03:35):
Because she spent most of the season making excuses for Joe
before finally listening to the people he hurt.
And I think the writers were hinting at something deeper that
we, the audience, have been doing the same thing.
Was that the point of the final season, to make us reflect on
the way we excuse Joe to? Maybe, but I'm not convinced
(03:59):
Bronte was the best character todeliver that message, especially
not this late in the game. Like, girl, we don't even know
who you are. We were calling you the wrong
name for like most of the season.
And listen, I would have cut a lot of her scenes.
I'm sorry y'all, I have to say it.
I think the whole post Fire LakeHouse arc could have been cut.
(04:23):
We didn't need that whole detour.
Like I appreciate that they use that as an opportunity for her
to get Beck's book edited down to just her words.
Like I think that was sweet. Kudos to them for that.
But I think what we needed was aftermath, right?
We need to see the consequences.We needed justice and and I'll
(04:45):
get into how I would have rewritten the finale a little
bit later, but don't get me wrong, I see what the show tried
to do. It was ambitious but also low
key kind of manipulative. Especially that moment when Joe
stares in the camera and says maybe it's you, Sir.
What? You mean me now?
Why am I in it? But fine, I'll bite.
(05:06):
Because as messy as that line was, it does ask something worth
exploring. It wants us to reflect and maybe
we should. I saw a TikTok where someone
said we all dated a Joe and at first I was like, have we?
Who is we? But then I thought about it and
yeah, I've definitely dated guyswho thought they were the nice
(05:28):
guy. You know, emotionally self aware
on the surface, but underneath passive aggressive, avoidant and
just charming enough to keep youconfused.
I've fallen for that act, I've made excuses for that act.
Thankfully none of them were outhere actually murdering people
(05:49):
in my honor. I mean if they were I, I would
have just folded for a free tripor $1,000,000.
Like you wouldn't have to hurt anyone I guess.
Unless it was like a evil billionaire cuz then like maybe
they had it coming. But wait y'all, this is how it
starts. I get it now.
We might really be the problem. He he's right.
(06:12):
It is you and me. But as I said, I feel like we
all have dated a Joe Lake character.
And if you're still listening orif you've ever dated a Joe, go
ahead and hit follow because clearly we got some healing to
do together. But let's be honest, for years
people thirsted after Joe to thepoint that Penn Badgley had to
(06:37):
step in and be like, y'all know Joe is toxic, right?
Y'all know Joe is a serial killer, right?
And I think it says a lot about the kinds of men we give the
benefit of the doubt to in fiction and in our real life.
Joe was presented as this intelligent, book loving, soft
voice man with trauma. And I think a lot of people this
(07:00):
took that for depth. Like, sure, he's attractive,
he's articulate, and he has childhood wounds.
I think people kind of fell for that, right?
And they were like, he's not that bad, He's complicated but
y'all he's a serial killer be for real now.
If you ever wondered how people ended up following cult leaders,
(07:24):
this is the pipeline. It starts with someone who makes
you feel seen even while they'rehiding the worst parts of
themselves. Joe isn't some misunderstood
anti hero. He's a textbook narcissist with
obsessive control issues. He kills people who
inconvenience his version of love.
(07:45):
And yet the show let him narrateevery step of it.
We lived inside his mind, and I think that had a real effect on
how some people saw him. But here's the thing, When the
story is only told from the predators point of view, it's
easy to forget about the victims.
And Joe's victims weren't all perfect.
(08:07):
Sure, some were flawed, selfish,messy, but that's life.
That's humanity. Their imperfections never
justified their deaths. I mean, maybe some of them stop.
See, this is how it starts, y'all?
Anyway, I do appreciate that theshow started to shift focus in
the later seasons, giving us more time with the fallout with
(08:31):
characters like Marianne and Bronte, but I still felt like I
pulled his punches because they let Joe control the overall
tone. Now let's talk about the ending.
While I like the idea of turningthe camera on the audience, I
think the execution was kind of shallow.
I think it was a bit fast and a little too neat.
(08:53):
Joe's arrest sure was satisfyingbecause this man done spent five
seasons killing people, but thenit skipped the actual reckoning.
It left so much potential on thetable.
What the show you needed was an ending that forced Joe to
everything he's done and force us to sit with why we ever found
(09:16):
him likable. So here's how I would have
rewritten the finale. EU finale tried to show us
justice. We got Joe arrested, Bronte
empowered, and the fantasy finally broken.
But it happened too fast. If I were writing the final
episode, I'd keep that moment ofarrest, but then slow everything
(09:36):
down after it. That final hour would unfold in
the aftermath, not just legally,but emotionally and socially.
Joe would go to trial, but instead of making the trial
about him, the episode would center around the people he
heard. We'd hear from survivors, from
the families of his victims. Their story would take up space,
(09:58):
not filter through Joe's voice over like we got when seeing him
react to all the people coming out sharing their stories after
he murdered Doctor Nikki's son. We wouldn't get Joe trying to
twist and manipulate us into thinking they're wrong and he
was justified. So I think I would really have
him sit and hear the weight of every life he tried to narrate
(10:20):
away. And as Joe listens, unable to
interrupt because, you know, he loves control, I think we would
see something break in him. Not for redemption, but
realization that he was never the hero, That he didn't kill
for love, he killed for control.And the episode wouldn't stop
there. It would turn towards us because
(10:40):
let's be real, a lot of people rooted for Joe.
They said things like, he's not that bad, or at least he's not
like other killers. My finale would use the
courtroom not just to hold Joe accountable, but to hold us
accountable too. Why did we ever excuse this man?
Why did we mistake trauma for goodness?
(11:01):
Why did we romanticize a predator?
This wouldn't be a lecture. It wouldn't be to shame the
audience, but it would be to leave us with something heavier
than a cute song and a stare into the camera.
It would leave us questioning the stories we consume and the
stories we tell ourselves about good guys who do terrible things
(11:22):
Because, and a world full of JoeGoldbergs.
It's not enough to just recognize the monster.
We have to ask why we ever let him feel like the main
character, period. Now, before we wrap up, I want
to introduce you to a young author whose work really caught
(11:42):
my attention. His name is Alistair and he
recently published The Silent Hunt.
It is a psychological thriller that dives deep into the mind of
a very complicated protagonist. Since this episode is all about
untangling how fiction plays, what morale I bought on someone
(12:05):
whose novel dives deep into thatvery theme.
Alistair, thank you so much for joining me.
Let's jump right in. What inspired you to write The
Silent Hunt? I was just bored, a little
lonely, and had way too much time on my hands, so I started
reading a bunch of trailer novels to keep my mind busy.
(12:25):
Somewhere along the way I got this idea.
The Silent Hunt was never supposed to be a novel.
It was meant to be a short six part series I post online.
But then I kept going and it alljust kind of happened by
accident. But looking back, it was my way
of dealing with loneliness and everything I was feeling at that
time. I didn't plan for it.
It just sort of became a novel. I guess so.
(12:48):
One of the reasons that I wantedto pair our conversation with my
breakdown of the TV show You on Netflix is because both stories
dive into how trauma shapes people's choices.
In the show you, the main character's trauma heavily
influences his actions. So how does Victor, the main
(13:10):
character in your novel? How does his paranoia and trauma
affect the decisions he makes throughout your book?
Victor's trauma ran deep. His childhood was rough.
An absent father and a drugged up mother who later got
arrested. Victor was buying his mother
liquor at 7 and bouncing from 1 foster home to the next.
(13:32):
Nothing ever felt safe or stablefor Victor.
Victor then joined the military hoping for some kind of freedom
and for a while it kind of worked.
But then his helicopter got shotdown during a mission and
everyone on board died except for Victor.
That moment changed everything for Victor.
The PTSD, the guilt, the nightmares.
They hit him hard. So he went back to what he knew
(13:54):
best. Victor hit, he ran, and he
started killing. This part didn't make it into
the book, but Victor started with animals.
He would go hunting in the wild,but then he started killing
people. He called them his little
adventures, stalking his targetsuntil the world got quiet, then
making his move. His paranoia has always been
(14:16):
there, but it gotten worse afterhe killed a girl named Emily in
the woods. After that, he felt like he was
being hunted, so once again, he ran.
Victor's whole life is shaped bysurvival.
His trauma doesn't just affect his action, it defines them.
So I guess to answer your question, basically Victor had a
rough childhood and after the accident in the helicopter, then
(14:38):
that's what shaped his actions. Interesting, that's just like in
the show you the protagonist hasa lot of childhood trauma and
that definitely is what influences the way he just
behaves and reacts when things don't go his way.
So in You many viewers felt conflicted about Joe somewhat in
(15:02):
him to get away with his crimes and that reaction made some feel
disturbed. I think part of this comes from
how the character frames himselfas the good guy even though he
is a serial killer and we all know he's a serial killer.
Since many of his victims are portrayed as bad people, a lot
of the viewers saw his his actions is justifiable.
(15:24):
It's really not until the final season or even maybe the final
two seasons that we get more insight into how his behavior
impacts other people, especiallyhis victims and the loved ones
of his victims. The shift in perspective makes
it clear that Joe isn't an anti hero, he's the villain.
(15:48):
Does The Silent Hunt explore similar Gray areas around
morality? And how do you want readers to
feel about Victor in the end? Is he a hero or is he just a
villain? Or is he complicated?
This is a good question. I never wanted people to wonder
(16:08):
if Victor's action were justified, because they're not.
But what I did want for readers to understand why he became the
person he was. Victor Cain isn't a villain to
me. He's someone who went through so
much way too young. He grew up with an absent father
and a mother who was either drunk, high, or completely gone.
And by the time she was arrested, Victor was already
(16:30):
broken. Then came the foster homes, the
military, the trauma. Victor survived a helicopter
crash that killed everyone else on board, and he lived with that
every single day. Mental illness is seriously no
joke. Victor struggled with severe
PTSD, but he didn't understand it, didn't talk about it, and he
didn't know how to ask for help.So Victor ran, and running
(16:52):
wasn't enough. He turned to what he know best,
violence and survival. So I don't want readers to see
Victor as the bad guy. I hope they see the pain, the
fear, and the boy who grew up without safety.
Victor just wanted peace. But he didn't know how to
achieve it. Yeah, in a healthy way.
I would think he didn't know howto achieve it in a healthy way.
(17:13):
That's very similar to Joe, the main character, and you.
He justifies everything that he's doing because he says he's
doing it for love. And we know that that's not how
you show love, right? We know that's not the healthy
way to show love is by murderingpeople, so that's really
powerful. Is there anything else you
(17:35):
wanted to add about your book orwhere people can find you?
Any upcoming books you have releasing?
Is Victor's story going to continue after The Silent Hunt
or is that a spoiler if you answer that?
Well, I am planning on making The Silent Hunt Part 2 because I
(17:57):
was thinking of continuing Victor's story and more depth.
Basically it's just the same book but a longer version.
And to find me, you can search up Alistair's desk on Instagram
and you can find me there. I will also include Alistair's
socials in the show links, so you can go there to connect with
(18:21):
him and see what else he will have out soon.
Thank you so much, Alistair for sharing your insights and your
incredible book, The Silent Hunt.
If you love deep dives into movies, TV shows and books,
follow things I'll take it from here wherever you get your
podcast and for bonus content, follow me on TikTok and
Instagram. I'll take it from here pod.
(18:42):
Thank you again, Alistair. This has been another episode of
Thanks. I'll take it from here.
Make sure you subscribe, follow or leave a review.
See you next time.
I just finished you and y'all what the actual free my man Joe,
He's innocent. We're all a little toxic
sometimes. I'm just kidding.
What we need to be doing is throwing away the key and double
checking he don't have one secretly stashed inside his
body. The fact that I even have to say
that should tell you how unhinged this show got by the
(00:23):
end. If you're new here, welcome.
I'm Cami and this is things. I'll take it from here.
The podcast where we breakdown the stories that made us feel
something, challenge the ones that almost went somewhere bold,
and sometimes rewrite the ones that miss their moment.
Make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and send this
episode to someone who still defends Joe Goldberg because
(00:43):
clearly they need someone to hold their hand through this and
I'm going to be the one to do it.
So let's get into it. After five seasons of stalking,
murder, emotional gymnastics, wefinally end with Joe in jail.
This season also gave us some new characters, but still that
maximum mess. We meet Kate's chaotic twin
(01:06):
sisters, one who murders the other because I guess Joe
decided to outsource the killingthis year.
But it gets worse. Not only did she murder her twin
sister, the surviving twin had been secretly sleeping while her
dead man, like for a while. And after murdering her sister,
(01:26):
she assumed her sister's identity.
Despite all of that, the show ends with her pregnant,
forgiven, serving no jail time, and living happily ever after.
Where her dead sister's man y'all?
Then there's her brother Teddy. Honestly, Teddy is the only man
I've ever truly loved on this show.
He was the most grounded character this season and I feel
(01:48):
like he reacted to Joe being a serial killer exactly how we all
should have been reacting day one with a side eye and a call
to the police. Now Kate, she went full
vigilante. She made it her mission to
finally takedown Joe and you know what y'all?
She did that and just when we thought she was dead, she
(02:10):
somehow survives getting shot and locked up in a burning
building. I don't know how but we just
going to call it Netflix magic. Last we get Bronte and her
little band of misfit, includingDoctor Nikki's son.
And if y'all don't remember Doctor Nikki, he was the one
that got blamed for Beck's deathin season 1 and he was kind of
(02:32):
inappropriate as a therapist. He's over here smoking weed with
his clients and hooking up with one of his clients.
I'm not a therapist but I'm pretty sure they probably tell
you like day one that you shouldn't do that.
But anyway, so the son is in Bronte's little Scooby-doo in
the gang and he seemed to have inherited his dad lack of
(02:53):
respecting people's boundaries because he was acting a fool in
that show. But let me get back to Bronte.
So she started out catfishing Joe to expose the truth about
Beck's murder, but somehow endedup as his love interest.
Like a home girl lost the plot and she fell head first for the
(03:14):
love bombing. Now somebody send this to a
writer on the show. I know somebody got an auntie,
cousin, uncle, mom, dad or something that was a writer on
this show. I need you to send them this
podcast because I have a question.
Were we supposed to relate to Bronte?
Was she meant to be our stand in?
(03:35):
Because she spent most of the season making excuses for Joe
before finally listening to the people he hurt.
And I think the writers were hinting at something deeper that
we, the audience, have been doing the same thing.
Was that the point of the final season, to make us reflect on
the way we excuse Joe to? Maybe, but I'm not convinced
(03:59):
Bronte was the best character todeliver that message, especially
not this late in the game. Like, girl, we don't even know
who you are. We were calling you the wrong
name for like most of the season.
And listen, I would have cut a lot of her scenes.
I'm sorry y'all, I have to say it.
I think the whole post Fire LakeHouse arc could have been cut.
(04:23):
We didn't need that whole detour.
Like I appreciate that they use that as an opportunity for her
to get Beck's book edited down to just her words.
Like I think that was sweet. Kudos to them for that.
But I think what we needed was aftermath, right?
We need to see the consequences.We needed justice and and I'll
(04:45):
get into how I would have rewritten the finale a little
bit later, but don't get me wrong, I see what the show tried
to do. It was ambitious but also low
key kind of manipulative. Especially that moment when Joe
stares in the camera and says maybe it's you, Sir.
What? You mean me now?
Why am I in it? But fine, I'll bite.
(05:06):
Because as messy as that line was, it does ask something worth
exploring. It wants us to reflect and maybe
we should. I saw a TikTok where someone
said we all dated a Joe and at first I was like, have we?
Who is we? But then I thought about it and
yeah, I've definitely dated guyswho thought they were the nice
(05:28):
guy. You know, emotionally self aware
on the surface, but underneath passive aggressive, avoidant and
just charming enough to keep youconfused.
I've fallen for that act, I've made excuses for that act.
Thankfully none of them were outhere actually murdering people
(05:49):
in my honor. I mean if they were I, I would
have just folded for a free tripor $1,000,000.
Like you wouldn't have to hurt anyone I guess.
Unless it was like a evil billionaire cuz then like maybe
they had it coming. But wait y'all, this is how it
starts. I get it now.
We might really be the problem. He he's right.
(06:12):
It is you and me. But as I said, I feel like we
all have dated a Joe Lake character.
And if you're still listening orif you've ever dated a Joe, go
ahead and hit follow because clearly we got some healing to
do together. But let's be honest, for years
people thirsted after Joe to thepoint that Penn Badgley had to
(06:37):
step in and be like, y'all know Joe is toxic, right?
Y'all know Joe is a serial killer, right?
And I think it says a lot about the kinds of men we give the
benefit of the doubt to in fiction and in our real life.
Joe was presented as this intelligent, book loving, soft
voice man with trauma. And I think a lot of people this
(07:00):
took that for depth. Like, sure, he's attractive,
he's articulate, and he has childhood wounds.
I think people kind of fell for that, right?
And they were like, he's not that bad, He's complicated but
y'all he's a serial killer be for real now.
If you ever wondered how people ended up following cult leaders,
(07:24):
this is the pipeline. It starts with someone who makes
you feel seen even while they'rehiding the worst parts of
themselves. Joe isn't some misunderstood
anti hero. He's a textbook narcissist with
obsessive control issues. He kills people who
inconvenience his version of love.
(07:45):
And yet the show let him narrateevery step of it.
We lived inside his mind, and I think that had a real effect on
how some people saw him. But here's the thing, When the
story is only told from the predators point of view, it's
easy to forget about the victims.
And Joe's victims weren't all perfect.
(08:07):
Sure, some were flawed, selfish,messy, but that's life.
That's humanity. Their imperfections never
justified their deaths. I mean, maybe some of them stop.
See, this is how it starts, y'all?
Anyway, I do appreciate that theshow started to shift focus in
the later seasons, giving us more time with the fallout with
(08:31):
characters like Marianne and Bronte, but I still felt like I
pulled his punches because they let Joe control the overall
tone. Now let's talk about the ending.
While I like the idea of turningthe camera on the audience, I
think the execution was kind of shallow.
I think it was a bit fast and a little too neat.
(08:53):
Joe's arrest sure was satisfyingbecause this man done spent five
seasons killing people, but thenit skipped the actual reckoning.
It left so much potential on thetable.
What the show you needed was an ending that forced Joe to
everything he's done and force us to sit with why we ever found
(09:16):
him likable. So here's how I would have
rewritten the finale. EU finale tried to show us
justice. We got Joe arrested, Bronte
empowered, and the fantasy finally broken.
But it happened too fast. If I were writing the final
episode, I'd keep that moment ofarrest, but then slow everything
(09:36):
down after it. That final hour would unfold in
the aftermath, not just legally,but emotionally and socially.
Joe would go to trial, but instead of making the trial
about him, the episode would center around the people he
heard. We'd hear from survivors, from
the families of his victims. Their story would take up space,
(09:58):
not filter through Joe's voice over like we got when seeing him
react to all the people coming out sharing their stories after
he murdered Doctor Nikki's son. We wouldn't get Joe trying to
twist and manipulate us into thinking they're wrong and he
was justified. So I think I would really have
him sit and hear the weight of every life he tried to narrate
(10:20):
away. And as Joe listens, unable to
interrupt because, you know, he loves control, I think we would
see something break in him. Not for redemption, but
realization that he was never the hero, That he didn't kill
for love, he killed for control.And the episode wouldn't stop
there. It would turn towards us because
(10:40):
let's be real, a lot of people rooted for Joe.
They said things like, he's not that bad, or at least he's not
like other killers. My finale would use the
courtroom not just to hold Joe accountable, but to hold us
accountable too. Why did we ever excuse this man?
Why did we mistake trauma for goodness?
(11:01):
Why did we romanticize a predator?
This wouldn't be a lecture. It wouldn't be to shame the
audience, but it would be to leave us with something heavier
than a cute song and a stare into the camera.
It would leave us questioning the stories we consume and the
stories we tell ourselves about good guys who do terrible things
(11:22):
Because, and a world full of JoeGoldbergs.
It's not enough to just recognize the monster.
We have to ask why we ever let him feel like the main
character, period. Now, before we wrap up, I want
to introduce you to a young author whose work really caught
(11:42):
my attention. His name is Alistair and he
recently published The Silent Hunt.
It is a psychological thriller that dives deep into the mind of
a very complicated protagonist. Since this episode is all about
untangling how fiction plays, what morale I bought on someone
(12:05):
whose novel dives deep into thatvery theme.
Alistair, thank you so much for joining me.
Let's jump right in. What inspired you to write The
Silent Hunt? I was just bored, a little
lonely, and had way too much time on my hands, so I started
reading a bunch of trailer novels to keep my mind busy.
(12:25):
Somewhere along the way I got this idea.
The Silent Hunt was never supposed to be a novel.
It was meant to be a short six part series I post online.
But then I kept going and it alljust kind of happened by
accident. But looking back, it was my way
of dealing with loneliness and everything I was feeling at that
time. I didn't plan for it.
It just sort of became a novel. I guess so.
(12:48):
One of the reasons that I wantedto pair our conversation with my
breakdown of the TV show You on Netflix is because both stories
dive into how trauma shapes people's choices.
In the show you, the main character's trauma heavily
influences his actions. So how does Victor, the main
(13:10):
character in your novel? How does his paranoia and trauma
affect the decisions he makes throughout your book?
Victor's trauma ran deep. His childhood was rough.
An absent father and a drugged up mother who later got
arrested. Victor was buying his mother
liquor at 7 and bouncing from 1 foster home to the next.
(13:32):
Nothing ever felt safe or stablefor Victor.
Victor then joined the military hoping for some kind of freedom
and for a while it kind of worked.
But then his helicopter got shotdown during a mission and
everyone on board died except for Victor.
That moment changed everything for Victor.
The PTSD, the guilt, the nightmares.
They hit him hard. So he went back to what he knew
(13:54):
best. Victor hit, he ran, and he
started killing. This part didn't make it into
the book, but Victor started with animals.
He would go hunting in the wild,but then he started killing
people. He called them his little
adventures, stalking his targetsuntil the world got quiet, then
making his move. His paranoia has always been
(14:16):
there, but it gotten worse afterhe killed a girl named Emily in
the woods. After that, he felt like he was
being hunted, so once again, he ran.
Victor's whole life is shaped bysurvival.
His trauma doesn't just affect his action, it defines them.
So I guess to answer your question, basically Victor had a
rough childhood and after the accident in the helicopter, then
(14:38):
that's what shaped his actions. Interesting, that's just like in
the show you the protagonist hasa lot of childhood trauma and
that definitely is what influences the way he just
behaves and reacts when things don't go his way.
So in You many viewers felt conflicted about Joe somewhat in
(15:02):
him to get away with his crimes and that reaction made some feel
disturbed. I think part of this comes from
how the character frames himselfas the good guy even though he
is a serial killer and we all know he's a serial killer.
Since many of his victims are portrayed as bad people, a lot
of the viewers saw his his actions is justifiable.
(15:24):
It's really not until the final season or even maybe the final
two seasons that we get more insight into how his behavior
impacts other people, especiallyhis victims and the loved ones
of his victims. The shift in perspective makes
it clear that Joe isn't an anti hero, he's the villain.
(15:48):
Does The Silent Hunt explore similar Gray areas around
morality? And how do you want readers to
feel about Victor in the end? Is he a hero or is he just a
villain? Or is he complicated?
This is a good question. I never wanted people to wonder
(16:08):
if Victor's action were justified, because they're not.
But what I did want for readers to understand why he became the
person he was. Victor Cain isn't a villain to
me. He's someone who went through so
much way too young. He grew up with an absent father
and a mother who was either drunk, high, or completely gone.
And by the time she was arrested, Victor was already
(16:30):
broken. Then came the foster homes, the
military, the trauma. Victor survived a helicopter
crash that killed everyone else on board, and he lived with that
every single day. Mental illness is seriously no
joke. Victor struggled with severe
PTSD, but he didn't understand it, didn't talk about it, and he
didn't know how to ask for help.So Victor ran, and running
(16:52):
wasn't enough. He turned to what he know best,
violence and survival. So I don't want readers to see
Victor as the bad guy. I hope they see the pain, the
fear, and the boy who grew up without safety.
Victor just wanted peace. But he didn't know how to
achieve it. Yeah, in a healthy way.
I would think he didn't know howto achieve it in a healthy way.
(17:13):
That's very similar to Joe, the main character, and you.
He justifies everything that he's doing because he says he's
doing it for love. And we know that that's not how
you show love, right? We know that's not the healthy
way to show love is by murderingpeople, so that's really
powerful. Is there anything else you
(17:35):
wanted to add about your book orwhere people can find you?
Any upcoming books you have releasing?
Is Victor's story going to continue after The Silent Hunt
or is that a spoiler if you answer that?
Well, I am planning on making The Silent Hunt Part 2 because I
(17:57):
was thinking of continuing Victor's story and more depth.
Basically it's just the same book but a longer version.
And to find me, you can search up Alistair's desk on Instagram
and you can find me there. I will also include Alistair's
socials in the show links, so you can go there to connect with
(18:21):
him and see what else he will have out soon.
Thank you so much, Alistair for sharing your insights and your
incredible book, The Silent Hunt.
If you love deep dives into movies, TV shows and books,
follow things I'll take it from here wherever you get your
podcast and for bonus content, follow me on TikTok and
Instagram. I'll take it from here pod.
(18:42):
Thank you again, Alistair. This has been another episode of
Thanks. I'll take it from here.
Make sure you subscribe, follow or leave a review.
See you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.