After going to Los Angeles, Paris, and then London, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is back in New York, and boy, does it feel good. Well… as good as a serial killer who has obsessive stalking tendencies can feel, I guess. After getting off for his crimes in London, Joe has come back to the city that never sleeps; what’s more, he’s back as Joe Goldberg — not Will Bettelheim, not Jonathan Moore, and not Rhys Montrose. Somehow, through his marriage to Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), Joe has reemerged as himself, and now he’s the world’s perfect husband. But You doesn’t waste much time in the final season, kicking the story up ten notches as it weaves a complicated web of family drama, wraps up old storylines, and introduces a new subject of Joe’s desires.
‘You’ Season 5 Brings the Story Back to Where It Began
It’s never been more obvious than it is in You‘s fifth and final season that the series is at its best when it’s situated in New York. Los Angeles was fun mostly due to the addition of Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), and London offered the show’s take on Saltburn, but Joe belongs in the Big Apple — not to mention the fact that Penn Badgley just looks good in the series’ original setting, with each scene feeling like it could be plucked from some Gossip Girl revival as much as You.
With a return to New York also comes a return to Mooney’s, the iconic bookstore that Joe called home with its collection of rare books, inviting warmth, and, oh right, the hermetically sealed cage in the basement. While Joe now lives a comfortable life, essentially, as Kate’s trophy husband, with the two raising his son, Henry (Frankie Demaio), that doesn’t mean the itch to kill has disappeared.
When Kate’s philanthropic turn for her family’s company is announced, she has to face down a viper’s nest of family members who care more about their own interests than helping humanity. Chief among them is Kate’s half-sister Reagan (Anna Camp), as well as Reagan’s somewhat vapid twin, Maddie (Camp), Reagan’s himbo husband, Harrison (Pete Ploszek), and Kate’s half-brother, Teddy (Griffin Matthews). As Kate struggles to maintain her hold on the company, an impulsive decision leads Joe to begin to kill again, this time for her rather than for himself. This opens up the floodgates for Joe, and while Season 5’s Succession-esque shenanigans are interesting, they pale in comparison to seeing Joe in full form.
‘You’ Season 5 Gives Joe a New Obsession
Although it’s certainly amusing to see Joe trying to contain himself and live a “normal” life, let’s be honest: we’re here to watch Joe Goldberg the serial killer, not Joe Goldberg the loving father and husband. Fortunately, You wastes no time before throwing us back into the chaos of Joe’s obsessive life. Unlike the awful Season 4, there’s no attempt to make Joe some arbiter for the underprivileged, nor is there any attempt to hide behind convoluted plots involving hallucinations.
No, You Season 5 takes us right back to the beginning, literally, as we quickly meet the plucky and intriguing Bronte (Madeline Brewer), who admits to having been inspired by Guinevere Beck’s (Elizabeth Lail) book. Bronte, an aspiring playwright, loves books almost as much as Joe; she adores both highbrow fiction and a good smutty novel. The two instantly spark a connection and, in the face of his waning marriage with Kate, Joe finds a new “you” to center his life around.
However, this “you” is not like the others, and Bronte has more secrets than any of the other women before her. The twists and turns You‘s final season takes the viewer on are its most interesting yet. Brewer plays her character with an enigmatic charm, and when you learn the truth about her, suddenly all the pieces begin to fall into place. Brewer’s chemistry with Badgley also far outpaces his more antagonistic chemistry with Ritchie, making their scenes more magnetic. While You needs to maintain Joe and Kate’s relationship in some form, it often drags down the season right when it’s hitting its stride.
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Within a Cast of Strong Performances, Anna Camp Is a Standout in ‘You’ Season 5
While watching Brewer evolve throughout the season is a treat — she gives just enough away to keep you guessing, but not enough to make her character seem over the top — the surprise highlight of the season isn’t Brewer or even Badgley. Instead, that award goes to Anna Camp, who performs double duty as the cutting and cruel Reagan and the ditzy and silly Maddie. Among the other new characters introduced this season, Maddie and Reagan take the cake.
Reagan is viciously cruel to everyone around her, including her own child, and slices through the world and people easily. Her competitive nature comes out when she faces off against Kate, and it’s marvelous to watch. She’s fantastically easy to hate, which makes her a perfect villain, especially when she’s unknowingly in the same room as an unstable serial killer. On the flip side, Maddie is silly, sweet, and generally harmless. She’s got her issues, but compared to Reagan, she’s a saint — and her scenes with Joe are some of the best of the entire season. Camp plays both characters with ease and even manages a balancing act when she needs to switch up each twin’s personality.
‘You’s Final Season Isn’t as Bloody, but Remains Thrilling
Although past seasons of You have been gory affairs, with bodies being dragged around, blood trails leading through houses, and Joe in some heavy-duty rubber gloves disposing of evidence, Season 5 is different. Compared to the rest of the show, the season has a relatively low body count; instead, it favors looking into the past and recalling Joe’s previous crimes. If you’ve been watching You since the beginning, you’ll spot a lot of familiar faces, either in flashbacks or on screen.
While Season 5 isn’t as bloody as some of its predecessors, it’s still just as thrilling. Will Joe get what he deserves? Who is Bronte, really? What will happen to Kate’s family’s company? As one mystery or problem is solved, another one arises, and all the while, tension builds as Joe’s life spirals more and more out of control. Now that he’s essentially famous for being a husband, he can no longer remain anonymous. Ultimately, You Season 5 is a welcome back-to-basics conclusion. It isn’t reinventing the wheel, which is good considering how last season’s shakeups were received, and it doesn’t leave any glaring plot holes for us to ponder. There’s still a lot of TV logic about how things happen, but nothing outside the realm of the show.
As much as Joe Goldberg gaslights the people in his life, he also gaslights the audience into thinking there’s something redeemable underneath all of those good looks. For the guy who always says the right thing and can manipulate people into anything, even knowing his innermost thoughts doesn’t protect us from his charm. While this marks You‘s final season, its conclusion leaves the impression that there’s even more story to tell just when we thought it was over.
You Season 5 is available now to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
You brings us back to where it all began, with an exciting final conclusion to Joe’s story.
- Release Date
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2018 – 2024
- Directors
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Marcos Siega, Lee Toland Krieger, Cherie Nowlan, DeMane Davis, Kellie Cyrus, Marta Cunningham, Martha Mitchell, Victoria Mahoney, Erin Feeley
- Madeline Brewer and Penn Badgley have standout chemistry, and their scenes are enticing and thrilling.
- Anna Camp stands out in the season, playing two polar-opposite twins.
- Season 5 is a satisfying ending that wraps up major storylines cleanly.
- Too many storylines make the show feel bloated and conflict with the pacing.
