After seven years, Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) murderous tale on the You television series is wrapping up. All 10 episodes of the fifth and final season of the psychological thriller will be released on Netflix on April 24, 2025. Like the previous entries, You season 5 is expected to thrill and shock audiences with Joe’s dark fantasies coming to a peak. Based on Caroline Kepnes‘ novels, You focuses on the twisted life of Joe, who charms audiences as a book-loving hopeless romantic until his penchant for stalking and killing the women he supposedly loves surfaces. Anyone who gets in the way of his love exploits also suffers.
Joe’s first escapade in season 1 was with Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) in New York. Leaving a trail of blood, he moves to Los Angeles in Season 2 and later meets his match after moving to San Francisco and marrying Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) in Season 3. In the penultimate season, Joe starts a new life in London, but his dark past prevails. In Season 4, Joe finally accepts he’s not a good person, but will his new shot at a normal life change anything in Season 5? One of the highlights of the series finale is that Joe is famous and can’t fly under the radar anymore. Here are more exciting threads to look out for in the fifth and final season of You.
1. Joe Goldberg Still Believes He’s Killing for the Right Reasons
His life may have evolved, but being a serial killer is one constant trait in Joe’s existence. From season 1 to 4, Joe left a trail of dead bodies as he moved from one city to another. His victims include his love interests and anyone who stands in his way of getting what he feels he deserves. Perhaps the most disturbing part of Joe’s bloody past is how he justifies his killings. In the You Season 5 trailer, Joe appears to still hold on to the fantasy that justifies his killing spree.
2. Joe is Back Where it Began
What better place to end the show than where it all began? In You Season 5, Joe and his wife, Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), are building a new and successful life in New York. The season picks up three years after they left London. Joe is also back to Mooney’s Rare & Used Books, where he first discovered his killer instinct. However, he now owns the shop. Bringing the show back to New York means many things but definitely not a happy ending for Joe.
3. Joe Has Become a New York Elite
From working as a bookstore manager in season 1, Joe’s life has seen exponential growth. With Kate now CEO of the Lockwood Corporation in the final season of You, Joe has become famous and is fondly called Prince Charming by several members of the public who adore him. His current social status puts him among New York elites, and Joe’s life is seemingly in the best place ever, as seen in the photos and trailer released by Netflix.
4. Joe Hasn’t Killed Anyone Since His Last Victim in Season 4
Picking up three years after the events of the previous entry, You Season 5 tidbits reveal that Joe hasn’t killed anyone since the last time fans saw him. While this sounds like a step in the right direction, Joe’s killing instinct must not be underestimated. Notwithstanding, he’s been busy raising his son Henry and helping Kate run the Lockwood Corporation charity wing. Most importantly, Joe is doing his best to keep the spot he never dreamed of among New York’s elite.
5. There’s a Free-Spirited New Character on the Show
You Season 5 has a few newcomers, but Bronte (Madeline Brewer) stands out for obvious reasons. In addition to being a free-spirited playwright who works for Joe at Mooney’s, she reminds him of his old life before he left the city, stirring Joe’s darkest impulses to life. Being around Bronte puts Joe in a dilemma of being the perfect husband to Kate and going back to his old ways of stalking and killing victims. Can Joe Goldberg have it all by indulging his inner darkness and still keep his Prince Charming status?
6. Will Joe Goldberg’s History of Violence Catch up with Him?
While Netflix didn’t give much away in the You Season 5 trailer and pictures released on TUDUM, it seems Joe’s perfect little world is about to crumble under his feet. Having a loving wife, a smart son, and a sterling reputation that comes with wealth may not stop Joe from giving in to the darkness inside him. Complete episodes of You Season 5 will be available on Netflix on April 24, 2025.
Follow Us
