You Season 5 Review: The Netflix series You has long been a guilty pleasure, a show that thrived on its over-the-top absurdity. However, by the time it reaches its final season, the show has lost much of the self-awareness and satire that once made it entertaining. What started as a fun, twisty ride exploring a sociopathic stalker who could never be quite the hero he pretended to be, has now overstayed its welcome. The show’s core issue is its inability to figure out whether Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) is supposed to be the villain or the hero.
Joe Goldberg: A Villain or Hero?
In the final season, Joe finds himself in a different place: he’s no longer pretending to be someone else or hiding his identity. Now married to billionaire Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), Joe is living in New York with his son Henry, and his days of stalking women seem to be behind him. But this doesn’t last long. Despite his new life, another young woman, Bronte (Madeline Brewer), soon catches Joe’s attention, and once again, the cycle of obsession, manipulation, and violence begins. This predictable twist forces us to ask: Is Joe a bad guy, or are we supposed to root for him?
A Shift in the Plot
The show initially seemed to shift gears, hoping to give Joe the opportunity to finally be “himself” in a more open way. As a famous public figure, he starts seeing his actions in a more righteous light. In his eyes, he’s simply “ridding the world of assholes.” This is a move by the show to make Joe’s behavior seem justified, though it’s hard to shake the creepy undertones of his actions. But as the season progresses, the plot gets messier, and the story gets bogged down in convoluted twists that become almost laughable.
Returning to Its Roots
In its final chapters, You attempts to return to the essence of its first season. Joe is back in New York City, his creepy bookshop and murder basement making an appearance. The show’s dark humor reemerges, poking fun at the ultra-rich through characters like Kate’s eccentric twin siblings, Reagan and Maddie. But while there are brief moments of fun, the show mostly plods toward its end.
Misogyny and Joe’s Delusions
While You does try to touch on serious topics such as misogyny and Joe’s delusional tendencies, it only skims the surface. The show briefly introduces themes like “incels” and online mobs, but these discussions are hardly explored in depth. Ultimately, You can’t help but return to the question that has always haunted the show: Is Joe a knight in shining armor or just a dangerous, abusive stalker? The finale doesn’t give us a clear answer, leaving viewers with more questions than satisfaction.
The Final Twist
As You ends, the show offers one final twist that seems to point the finger at the audience. In an almost insulting way, it suggests that the viewers are just as much a part of the problem as Joe, implying that we have been complicit in his actions by continuing to watch. This attempt at cleverness feels tone-deaf, especially considering the focus on the elite throughout the season.
You Season 5 Review: ENDING
In the end, You struggles to reconcile its dark themes with the desire to make Joe an oddly sympathetic figure. The series, which once thrived on its wild, unpredictable nature, ends with a whimper rather than a bang. It’s a show that has long crossed the line from guilty pleasure to frustratingly preposterous, with a finale that might leave fans questioning why they stuck with it.
