Hollow farewell to charming monster
Joe Goldberg returns for his final descent in ‘You Season 5’, delivering a toxic cocktail of obsession, self-justification and violence that fans have expected.
Joe (Penn Badgley) is no more hiding in bookstores, nor is he stalking anyone, at least not in the beginning. He’s now rich and famous, married to billionaire CEO Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie). He lives in a sleek London penthouse, makes public appearances with his wife and moves in elite circles. But beneath the polished surface, he’s unchanged, dangerous, delusional and still searching for justification for his darkest impulses.
When he meets Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a troubled writer whose raw, messy honesty stands in contrast to the curated perfection of his new life, his old habits come rushing back. Joe is drawn to her not just romantically but psychologically. She becomes the spark that reignites his obsession, pushing him back into a cycle he pretends to have outgrown.
The first episodes feel like we’re watching reruns. Joe’s inner monologue about love, literature and his righteous motivations is still there, but the magic that made it so captivating in the first seasons has faded. The tension of his double life is less sharp when he is surrounded by the trappings of wealth. Kate’s high-society family feels over the top. There is a subplot about business mergers, corporate espionage and media manipulation that drags the pace down. You long for the tighter, more focused storytelling of the show’s earlier seasons.
Yet, just as the momentum seems to falter, the show delivers a twist midway and drags us deep into Joe’s fractured mind. He begins to unravel. Joe’s struggles to connect with his son Henry and his deepening obsession with Bronte reveal that he is no longer in control. The show becomes less about the chase and more about the consequences. Old ghosts return, forcing Joe to confront the reality he’s spent years denying.
It’s here that Badgley truly shines, delivering a performance that’s both magnetic and repulsive. He makes Joe pitiable and monstrous, sometimes in the same breath. Brewer’s Bronte, who sees through Joe’s facade from the start, is a standout act as well.
Unfortunately, not every character gets their due. Kate, who should be a fascinating foil for Joe, is sidelined just as her story could have become most compelling. Her transformation from a cold executive to a redemptive figure is abrupt and unearned. The rich family intrigue, which could have added layers to the narrative, instead feels like a distraction.
The final episode is a misfire, a rushed, self-indulgent sendoff that betrays the show’s early promise. Joe’s confrontation with Kate lacks real tension, undercut by her sudden, unconvincing moral awakening after seasons of complicity. Bringing back Marienne and Beck as hallucinations doesn’t add much to the story.
Joe’s so-called redemption feels empty. It’s a reminder that ‘You’ was at its absolute best through its first three seasons. Back then, the series was a razor-sharp thriller, blending dark humour with genuine suspense. Joe’s obsessions felt fresh, his relationships were complicated in ways that kept viewers guessing and the show’s critique of romantic fantasy was both clever and unsettling. By ‘Season 5’, some of that edge has dulled. The formula that Joe fixates, Joe rationalises, Joe kills feels a bit worn.
Even as the finale season doesn’t quite live up to the earlier brilliance of ‘You’, it is still worth a watch for those curious to see how Joe Goldberg’s twisted journey finally ends.
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