Netflix’s new psychological thriller “You” – which began streaming on Netflix on Dec. 26 – follows bookstore manager Joe Goldberg in his quest to be the perfect boyfriend for aspiring writer Guinevere Beck. Joe treads dangerous waters as he becomes a psychopathic stalker that manipulates Beck’s life from behind the scenes.

The cast is packed with incredible actors whose performances contribute to the show’s success. Penn Badgley of “Gossip Girl” leads the cast as Joe Goldberg. Elizabeth Lail of “Once Upon a Time” plays Guinevere Beck and Shay Mitchell from “Pretty Little Liars” plays Beck’s best friend, Peach Salinger.

The show does a great job making the viewer wrestle with the concept of Joe being a “bad guy.” It is not up for debate that Joe is a murderer and deeply troubled, yet a large part of the show’s following fawns over the character for his devotion to Beck – including the fact that he is willing to kill for her. Actress Millie Bobby Brown took to Instagram to claim the show’s events are justified because of Joe’s love for Beck.

This is all much to actor Penn Badgley’s dismay as he often took to Twitter over the show’s rise to popularity to tell viewers that the goal of the show was not for Joe to be seen as a heartthrob. In recent years, there seems to be a culture around humanizing killers and turning them into an icon.

The real mystery surrounding the series falls within its popularity. Prior to its Netflix debut, “You” aired as a regular series on Lifetime. While on cable television, the show did not receive nearly as much hype.

The show premiered on Lifetime this past September, a solid three months before it premiered on Netflix. While the show was airing on Lifetime, the episodes averaged 1.1 million viewers per week, according to The Washington Post. Once “You” moved to Netflix, the streaming service estimated that the show achieved 40 million views in its first month. So, what happened here?

When asking students why they think there was such a difference in the ratings, the consensus was that Netflix is simply more accessible to our generation, and with the power of social media outlets such as Twitter, the show gained popularity through word-of-mouth.

Additionally, students said that they view Lifetime as a channel with a target audience of middle-aged women.

Netflix was also very strategic with its release of the show. Dec. 26 was at the beginning of many students’ winter break and the lack of classes provided time to binge-watch shows on Netflix. Releasing the entire season at once rather than weekly is more appealing to viewers and could have provided more incentive to watch a show, especially since “You” starts off a little slow.

Nevertheless, the show was a hit. It contains a captivating story that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

“You” has been renewed by Netflix for a second season so stay tuned. There is much more mystery to come from Joe Goldberg.