A Once-Great Show Stumbles at the Finish Line
Netflix’s You—the darkly addictive thriller about Penn Badgley’s charming yet terrifying serial killer, Joe Goldberg—has finally reached its conclusion. But instead of a satisfying send-off, Season 5 delivers a messy, tonally confused finale that leaves fans frustrated. What started as a sharp, self-aware satire on toxic romance and obsession has devolved into a convoluted, half-baked mess.
Joe Goldberg’s Final Chapter: Redemption or Repetition?
After four seasons of murder, manipulation, and new identities, Joe (Badgley) is now a married public figure living in New York with his wealthy wife, Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), and their son, Henry. No longer hiding, he’s embraced his dark side—claiming to “rid the world of assholes” while still falling into the same old patterns.
Enter Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a troubled playwright who reignites Joe’s obsessive tendencies. The show recycles its tired formula—Joe fixates on a new woman, debates his morality, and inevitably spirals into violence. Despite attempts to evolve, You can’t escape its own repetitive structure.
A Failed Satire on Wealth and Power
This season tries to critique elite hypocrisy, with Kate’s billionaire circle and Anna Camp’s delightfully chaotic twin siblings providing some much-needed humor. But the satire feels shallow and underdeveloped, especially when compared to earlier seasons’ sharper takes on toxic masculinity and social media obsession.
A mid-season twist injects some energy, but the momentum fizzles out as the show struggles to balance Joe’s “hero vs. villain” duality. Is he a monster? A tragic antihero? You can’t decide—and that indecision ruins its final act.
Fan Service That Can’t Save the Story
The season does offer nostalgic callbacks, including returns from past characters and references to Joe’s infamous murder cage. But these moments feel like empty fan service rather than meaningful storytelling. Even the inclusion of incel culture and online mobs is glossed over, missing a chance to deepen the narrative.
The Final Scene: An Insult to Fans?
Without spoilers, the series’ last moments defy logic and leave key questions unanswered. Worse, the ending shifts blame onto the audience, suggesting we are the problem for ever rooting for Joe. It’s a baffling choice for a show that spent years romanticizing his crimes.
Was You Always Doomed to Fail?
The show’s biggest flaw was never resolving its central conflict: Can a serial killer be a protagonist without glorifying his actions? Early seasons masked this with twisty plots and dark humor, but Season 5’s attempt at introspection falls flat.
Final Verdict: A Weak Goodbye to a Once-Great Thriller
You’s finale is a disappointing, incoherent mess—betraying the clever satire that once made it addictive. While Penn Badgley remains magnetic, the writing collapses under its own contradictions. For a show about obsession, it’s ironic that the only thing worth forgetting is its ending.
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Hi, I’m KABIR, a passionate blogger & web story creator dedicated to sharing insightful content on entertainment, sports, trends, science, history etc. With a focus on quality, authenticity, and value, I aim to inform, inspire, and engage readers through every post. Welcome to my corner of the web.