Netflix's You Will Return For Fifth And Final Season, And That's Definitely The Right Choice
The end is nigh for Joe Goldberg. After four seasons of stalking, killing, and pretentiously monologuing, his reign of terror is almost over. Netflix has renewed "You" for a fifth and final season, putting an end to our obsession with Penn Badgley's bookish serial killer.
Brace yourself for Joe Goldberg's final chapter.
You will return for a fifth and final season in 2024! pic.twitter.com/rbQBOnQPSJ
— Netflix (@netflix) March 24, 2023
"You" season 5 will also mark a change of showrunners. Series co-creator Sera Gamble originally developed "You" with Greg Berlanti and ran the show for its first four seasons. While Gamble will remain involved as an executive producer, she will be stepping back from the final season to work on other projects. In her place, executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo will share showrunning duties. In a statement, Gamble said:
Making the show alongside our writers, producers, directors, cast, and crew has been an honor and ridiculously fun. And I feel lucky to have worked with an artist as gifted and thoughtful as Penn Badgley. I'm proud of what we've all accomplished and feel privileged to pass the torch. I'm excited to watch and support the "You" team as they bring Joe Goldberg's journey to its delightfully twisted conclusion.
All good things must come to an end and "You" is no exception. It's always painful to bid a beloved show farewell — I'm already mourning the upcoming end of "Succession," "Barry," and possibly "Ted Lasso" — but at the same time, is there anything more satisfying than a well-deserved ending? What all of these shows share in common is being effective, emotionally-driven character pieces. And once those character arcs are complete, so is the overall series. If you've been paying attention to Joe's inner turmoil, then this news will come as no surprise: after everything that went down in season 4, Joe's story is quickly approaching its end.
Goodbye, You
This article contains spoilers for "You" season 4.
"You" isn't telling the kind of story that can endlessly drag on. Though I've enjoyed every season thus far, there's no denying that the show has gotten a tad repetitive. Season after season, Joe meets a girl, stalks his way into her life, murders everyone in her vicinity and then oops, kills her too. It's so predictable that the writers seize every opportunity to spin that construct on its head. But even so, how many ways can that be twisted before we tire of Joe's cycle? More importantly, I want the satisfaction of seeing Joe come to new conclusions about himself, and that can't happen if he keeps retreading the same ground. That's why the latest season of "You" completely upended Joe's internal status quo.
Psychologically splitting himself into two parts, Joe spends the season torn between his desire to truly change and his terrible, murderous impulses. When all is said and done, the second side wins out. He resolves to be with Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) and get rid of whatever stands in their way. He murders one of his students and frames another — typical Joe actions, but with a terrifying new twist. Joe acts without any of the hesitations or frantic moralizing that once plagued him. He doesn't need to hide behind some idealized version of himself anymore, because he has embraced his inner monster.
All along, the fourth season was setting the stage for Joe's grand finale. For the first time ever, our killer has come to terms with who he truly is. Instead of romanticizing murder as an unfortunate necessity, he now sees it as a tool. Joe has merged with his worst impulses (fake Rhys Montrose) and is gleefully willing to do whatever it takes to maintain his happy ending with Kate. He's gone from an anti-hero to a full-fledged villain. Surely, there's no coming back from that.
What will Joe's swan song entail?
The latest season also brings Joe full circle in another sense: he's back where it all began, in New York City. With his slate wiped clean and immense riches at his disposal, Joe is on the verge of purchasing a bookstore, raising a kid, and resuming life as normal. But that's all easier said than done.
Kate may have cleaned up his past, but having unlimited funds doesn't grant him the power to erase minds. Each season has its survivors, who have plenty of reason to track down Joe and seek some retribution. Thanks to Kate, Joe has become a public figure with a spotless record. But Ellie (Jenna Ortega), Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman), Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), and Paco (Luca Padovan) are still out there, and they know the truth. Is that where his story leads — facing the delayed consequences of his own actions? Will Joe be killed, caught, or otherwise punished for his laundry list of crimes? These are questions that demand answers and finally, we'll get the satisfaction of seeing it through.
For his part, Penn Badgley has basically spent the past four seasons dodging the open-ended question of Joe's ending but hinted at an answer during a recent Variety profile. "Is killing Joe enough?" Badgley wondered aloud. "Whoever kills him is brought down to his level." He didn't delve into specifics, but added that he has a good idea of what Berlanti and Gamble have planned for Joe's final chapter, saying: "I think it's the only way it can go."
The fifth and final season of "You" will debut on Netflix in 2024.