Netflix has dropped the highly anticipated fifth and final season of You, delivering yet another gripping chapter in the twisted life of Joe Goldberg. With the story going through a rollercoaster of suspense and dark twists, fans find themselves once again on edge as they await more carnage. So, how will this season balance its new conflicts while upholding the show’s signature psychological thrills?
You Promises Epic Final Season
Kate Lockwood, played by Charlotte Ritchie, is the focus in the first half of the season. Specifically, You explore the tense dynamic she shares with her ruthless sister Raegan, portrayed by Anna Camp, who is driven to seize control of the powerful Lockwood Corporation. In contrast, the show’s roots take over the latter half, which centers on Penn Badgley’s character, Joe, and his latest dangerous obsessions. Throughout the fifth season, Joe meets Bronte (Madeline Brewer), an aspiring writer who initially seems like another one of his romantic fixations.
However, in You‘s final season, this connection all changes when her shocking betrayal comes to light. In addition to Bronte, Clayton, played by Tom Francis, is the vengeful son of Dr. Nicky, portrayed by John Stamos. Notably, Francis was wrongly accused and imprisoned for Guinevere Beck’s (Elizabeth Lail) murder in the show’s debut season. Embarking on a relentless pursuit of justice with his allies, they’ve set the stage for a dramatic and unpredictable conclusion to Joe’s chilling saga.
Season 5 Reveals Joe Goldberg’s New Obsession
For Bronte, Beck was a former mentor and close friend, guiding her after she moved to New York to pursue her writing career. Ultimately, You‘s fifth season finds Bronte devastated when news of Beck’s tragic death reached her, but after reading Beck’s posthumously published book, The Dark Face of Love, she was puzzled as something didn’t sit right with her. Moreover, she was convinced that Beck didn’t write the book alone, with her scepticism eventually leading her to Clayton and his group of friends, all determined to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, their investigation inevitably drives them to Joe Golderg for answers.
Although Bronte’s interactions with Joe were part of a calculated scheme to expose him, her feelings became more complicated the more time she spent with him. Disregarding his dark past, Bronte eventually developed feelings for Joe, even defending him after his violent confrontation with Clayton that left him dead. Later in You‘s final episodes, Bronte admitted she could accept Joe despite his flaws, which left him both in shock and relieved. For Kate, however, she had finally come to terms with the reality of Joe’s true nature.
As a result, she decided she wasn’t going to ignore his crimes, instead choosing to undo some of the damage she had helped cause. This atonement started with Nadia, who had been wrongfully imprisoned for murder in You‘s previous season. Specifically, Kate used her influence and resources to secure Nadio’s release, forming an uneasy alliance between the two. As Joe and Bronte continued to get dangerously closer to each other, Kate realized that she had become a liability in his eyes, making her the next target.
You‘s Shocking End to Joe’s Violent Story
For many fans, You exemplify why appearances cannot be trusted. Moreover, Joe Goldberg’s psychotic creep tendencies are hidden by his tortured poet image, the show masquerades as a drama when it’s really just a high-minded soap opera. The final season was supposed to resolve multiple conflicts between these warring characters, but instead leaves them open-ended. While the series has its share of campy fans, it unsuccessfully attempts to speak on serious subject matters in an unserious way, failing to capture the excitement of previous seasons.
Still, audiences have been captivated by the hit psychological thriller, You, for five seasons, with its final chapter now streaming on Netflix. The series has not only proven itself to be unwavering in its core themes but also adaptable. Joe Goldberg, a romanticized psychopath who reinvents himself each season, remains the heart of the story. In each season, viewers follow Joe on a journey where he latches onto a new woman and molds her into the idealized version he craves. However, his illusions get shattered by reality time and time again when he realizes that these women will never live up to his fantasies, leading him to lean into his murderous impulses.
Joe’s obsessive devotion always drives him to murder, as his victims rarely appreciate his twisted displays of love. Ultimately, they resist his advances and assert their desires, making Joe interpret their actions as betrayal. Once they refuse to conform to his warped vision, Joe goes back to his psychotic ways and tries to confine them. After he traps his victims and their fates are sealed, the dark cycle defining Joe’s existence begins anew. With You‘s chilling final season here, can Joe finally break free from his murderous ways, or will he finally be brought to long-awaited justice?
