REVIEW: ‘You’ Season 5 Ends On A High And Will Be Missed
- Christopher Mills
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
Disclaimer: This review contains minor spoilers for You Season 5.Â
You originally started off as a show on Lifetime before making its way to Netflix for its second season, stapling it as the best romantic thriller that the streaming service has to offer. The first three seasons of the show are You at its best, with the series only getting better as we followed our resident stalker Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). It's up for debate, but what keeps people so tuned in with You is that it tells a story from the perspective of a serial killer and one that's complex and a morally grey character, which can be up for debate depending on what side you take with Joe and how you perceive his actions.
After seven long years, You is finally coming to an end with its fifth and final season, which is making its way to Netflix after it got delayed from its original planned date of 2024 due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The fourth season of You was unfortunately its weakest and left fans of the show disappointed after they had just received three well-made seasons of television. There was no better time than now for You to come to its end, as the show was either going to further decline or it was going to end on a high note and stay in the good books amongst the fans. Sera Gamble, who acted as the showrunner for the first four seasons and developed this season alongside Greg Berlanti, was replaced with Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo, meaning that it truly could go either way. Did You get the ending it deserved, or does it end on a pathetic whimper?
You Meets Succession
This season picks up three years after Season 4 with Joe and Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), married, living in New York and with Joe's son, Henry (Frankie Demaio), back in his custody. Life seems to be going swimmingly well for Joe, and for the first time in a long time, there are no disturbances, but if you've watched even an episode of You before, then you know this peace isn't going to last. In the last season, Joe killed Kate's father, which left her as the CEO of Lockwood Corp. This season introduces her to her family, and it quickly starts to become You meets Succession, as Kate's own family members, specifically her sister Raegan Lockwood (Anna Camp) and Uncle Bob Lockwood (Michael Dempsey), make attempts to remove her from her seat.
They want Kate off the throne and will do anything to achieve this, even look into Joe's history as an attempt to blackmail them. This begins to threaten Joe's family and, most importantly, his son, which means that the cold stone killer has returned, and this is where the season truly kicks off. Up until towards the end of the season, we don't leave behind the drama between the Lockwood family and their company. Each season tries to bring something new to the table; last season it was teaching and socialites, but this season brings a strong business model allowing for the drama to feel refreshing and revitalising, which is needed after five seasons.
Kate wasn't a character that was much loved in the previous season, but that goes for most of the characters, as they were just written poorly. To be away from London, although I'm personally from there, is a godsend. Thanks to the new showrunners on board, Kate is better written, which allows for Charlotte Ritchie to work with better material, and the difference is night and day between the two seasons. Kate has another sister beside Raegan called Maddie, also played by Anna Camp. 2025 has been a year for dual roles, and Netflix decides to join in with the fun as Anna Camp gives a performance that can be breathtaking, allowing for the conversations between the twins to feel fluid. There's a scene in episode 5 where Anna Camp truly gets to shine, and getting to see her every time after that becomes a gift.
The Final Love Interest
Welcome back, Love. No, not Love Quinn but the idea of love and romance within You. Joe is sadistic, and it becomes clear rather quickly in this season that there's truly no hope for Joe. He's stuck in this vicious cycle that involves him showing love for people, losing their respective love and resorting to what he knows best, murder. It doesn't end and even in the final season it looks like there's no end to this violent cycle that Joe is stuck in.
Joe should be happily married with his new family, but a Bronte (Madeline Brewer) enters the picture as she first breaks into Joe's bookshop. They have an odd relationship, and one that puts you on edge, as we're used to Joe never being allowed to feel happiness. Madeline Brewer's performance as Bronte helps bring a mysterious aspect to the show unlike any we've gotten in the past. Their relationship is exhilarating, and with Joe trying to leave behind a past of killing, he finds other ways to tame that need which finds its way into his relationship with Bronte.
There have been many relationships throughout the duration of You, but this season highlights the strong female characters and how they're able to overcome Joe's abuse. There are some returning characters that really work well with the new characters, making for a sequence that feels like the Avengers: Endgame of You. As we follow from the point of view of Joe, we're led to believe that how he treats people and specifically women is okay, and the show dives into how the world views Joe Goldberg through the lens of social media and how men and women react to his actions. There are signs of Stockholm syndrome within this season with a specific character, and it never gets named as such, but it becomes clear through Joe's narration and how he manipulates this character that this is the only reason they stick with him no matter how many red flags they're provided with.
You Season 5 is a grand improvement from its previous season, and the new showrunners work hard to deliver an ending that feels befitting for Joe. As you edge closer to the final episode, it begins to dawn that there isn't any other way Joe's story can end. Once you reach those final moments, you're left with satisfaction and a sigh of relief knowing that these characters were written spectacularly well. This final season is a return to form for You and is a season that should be binged in one go. Penn Badgley remains the star of You and delivers a performance that's striking and memorable, leaving him with some of his best work yet on the show.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About You
Premiere Date:Â April 24, 2025
Episode Count:Â 10
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Michael Foley, Justin W. Lo, Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble, Penn Badgley, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Leslie
Morgenstein, Gina Girolamo, Marcos Siega and Neil Reynolds.
Writer: Michael Foley, Justin W. Lo, Hillary Benefiel, Kelli Breslin, Neil Reynolds, Maren Caldwell, Kara Lee Corthorn, Dylan Cohen, Amanda Johnson-Zetterström, Leo Richardson.
Director:
Production:Â Warner Brothers Television
Distribution:Â Netflix
Cast:Â Penn Badgley, Charlotte Richie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews.
Synopsis: In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after... until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.