The fifth and final season of Netflix’s “You” has just come out! This season concludes the tragicomical saga of serial killer and shoplifter Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley. This season promises to explore deeper into Joe’s psyche as he navigates the consequences of his violent past while attempting to redefine his future. The series has captured audiences through its dramatization of an FBI manhunt for one of the first known modern serial killers. Yet he describes his actions as coming from a twisted sense of love.
The new season is filled with literary aspiration and familial disloyalty. Along the way, you’ll be introduced to a number of main players, each critical to the story’s development. Perhaps most importantly, Bronte (whose real name is Louise Flannery) becomes an unexpected superhero in Joe’s tale. She was a student of Guinevere Beck, Joe’s initial love interest, when Beck was a teaching assistant. Furthermore, their dear friendship spilled over into a warm camaraderie in real life as well. Bronte dreams of becoming an author and loves the written word. This passion grounds her character as she dives into grassroots campaigns to bring Joe to justice for his wrongdoing.
That story takes a turn for the better with the addition of Anna Camp. She welcomes the special challenge of playing twin half-sisters Reagan and Maddie, who both add their own layers of depth and screwiness to the narrative.
Over the course of the series, Joe has admitted to several murders—though he has a habit of sugarcoating his murderousness. He always reframes his violent outbursts as acts of protection for the people he cares about. He says he’s rewritten his story, with a greatly shortened kill list. Many audiences felt that the “You” formula was running on fumes starting in Season 4. The last season was able to carry its weight through a game-changing twist that left fans hooked all season long.
While Joe is on a journey to confront his inner demons this season, he’s left to deal with the consequences of what he’s done. His undoing is fueled by his natural appetites, leading to a dramatic confrontation as he stands off against police. In a rare moment of poetic justice, just moments later audiences see the always cocky Joe begging on his hands and knees. Maskin begs Louise to kill him before police are able to apprehend him.
Bronte joins a small but determined ensemble cast hoping to bring the real Joe—killer, liar, fraud—to light. This diverse coalition wants to bring justice to the victims who suffered under his tutelage. Nadia Farran, one of Joe’s former students, is set-up by him. She decides to go to New York City to pursue the dream she discovered in high school, and in doing so, transform the arc of her life.
Kate Lockwood, played by Charlotte Ritchie, faces the truth of her past. She admits that she has been keeping all-important documents from her father, Tom Lockwood. These documents directly resulted in heart-wrenching outcomes, causing thousands of children with successful cancer-removing surgeries to develop long-term cancers themselves.
Joe’s honorable mission takes him through a labyrinth of treachery and duplicity. The complex themes of love and violence run like vibrant, musical veins through the piece.
“Eat the Rich” – Joe Goldberg
As critics noted, this meant that the series at times became a bit redundant. Yet, despite that trend, it still achieved its through line in a super compelling way. The final season promises to confront the central question that has lingered since the beginning: what truly happens when love turns deadly?