YOU Season 5 Review: Joe Goldberg's Final Act is a Mirror, Not a Murder

Joe’s final chapter doesn’t kill — it cuts deeper.

For almost 5 years, I have been fascinated (and frankly disturbed) by Joe Goldberg and his romantic, often murderous escapades. So when Netflix announced that Season 5 would be Joe’s final ride, I had one hope: “This guy has got to die suffering.”.

Now, having watched the series finale, I won’t spoil what happens, but I will say this: it was one hell of a ride.

Let's talk about it.

Season Recap: Joe’s Last Rebrand

In its final chapter, YOU brings Joe back full circle to New York City. But this isn’t the scruffy bookstore clerk we first met. He’s now rich (somehow), happily married (allegedly), reunited with his son, and has a public image of Mother Teresa meets Prince Charming. Thanks to a redemption arc straight out of a PR expert’s fantasy, Joe’s got it all, but with him, there's always more.

Old Dog, Same Tricks

The first half of this season felt slow, not because the writing was bad, but because we’ve seen this version of Joe before. Every time he promises change, he ends up back where he started: blood on his hands and a twisted justification in his head.

Still, just by the strength of his performance, Penn Badgley was able to keep me thoroughly invested in the character and by extension, the story.

After seven years playing Joe, he shifts effortlessly between charming, creepy, and full-blown homicidal. His performance alone kept me engaged even when the plot felt repetitive.

And let's not forget about the monologues. Still as fun as ever.

Double Trouble Steals the Show

Speaking of performances, the surprise standout this season is Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect, Desperados) in a wild dual role as Joe’s twin sisters-in-law: Reagan, a corporate shark who only cares about winning and making sure everyone else loses, and Maddie, the ditsy but lovable party girl.

At first, I wasn’t sure why they cast her in both roles, but by mid-season, she became the highlight.

Watching her switch between characters (sometimes in the same scene) was a masterclass in range. Camp brought emotional depth, chaotic fun, and real momentum to a season that really needed it.

Marriage, Mayhem, and Mini-Joe

For me, YOU has always been at its best when it frames an aspect of modern relationships through Joe's warped perspective. Season 1 played on new love/infatuation, season 3 had a marriage in suburbia.

This season followed the same formula (for a bit) by asking a question: What happens when the person you married isn't who you thought they were?

This plays out through Joe's marriage to Kate, a billionaire CEO. At the start of the season, the couple are unshakable, but as Joe continues being Joe, we quickly see their union unravel in crazy but entertaining ways.

This also presented another intriguing sub-plot: Joe navigating fatherhood with his son, who may have those same violent tendencies as him. Both storylines created new motivations and stakes for Joe.

However, I wish they were explored more. I think building the season around both threads would have created a more focused season, but thinking through it, I don't think they would have made for the finale we got. Which brings us to…

The Brontë of it all

A big part of why I couldn't get into the first half of this season was Joe's dynamic with this season's YOU: Brontë, an aspiring playwright who crosses paths with Joe.

Personally, I don't know if it was a lack of chemistry between the 2 characters or my complete disdain for Joe's schtick at this point. I just couldn't get into his relationship with Brontë.

But then, the end of episode 5 hit and the show flipped on its head.

Brontë isn’t just another object of Joe’s obsession. She is us. She’s the “I can fix him” fantasy personified. She doesn’t represent a love interest. She’s a stand-in for the viewer who once sympathised with Joe. And that makes what follows even more powerful.

YOU Goes Meta

The back half of the season pulls off something YOU only did with subtlety: it boldly turns the lens on us.

For years, viewers (myself included) excused Joe’s actions. “He’s just damaged.” “He means well.” “He’s killing for love!” By season 5, most of long-term viewers had already accepted the fact that Joe is just a stone-cold killer.

However, the problem remains: at some point, we all thought that Joe was, by some measure, a “good” person. This season holds that delusion up to the light, and exposes it.

Through Brontë, the audience is forced to confront their complicity in making Joe the beloved character that he is. And it’s jarring. Because deep down, who doesn't love to be loved?

So, How Does it All End?

Is the finale satisfying? That depends. Episode 9 would have made a more climactic end, but within the context of our reality (in which the show exists), what we got was smarter and more honest.

To me, what was most important was that Joe faced the consequences for his many heinous actions. I won't spoil those consequences, but you will be shocked by at least one of them.

The final message? This story was never really about Joe. It was about us.

We were seduced. We excused. We watched, entertained and cringed as he charmed and murdered his way through five seasons.

We loved the fantasy of him so much that we couldn't see the reality. Thus, just like his countless inner monologues, the show asks us to look within because maybe in the end, the problem was YOU.

Final Thoughts: A Clever Close to a Twisted Saga

Season 5 isn’t perfect. It stumbles with pacing and stretches believability at times, but it’s thematically rich, well-acted, and self-aware in ways few shows dare to be.

Joe Goldberg may not be gone in the exact way I hoped, but the show made sure I’d never look at him or myself the same way again.

ScreenStuff Rating: 8.5/10

A messy, thoughtful, well-acted send-off.
Season 5 leans more on commentary than chaos, and it works. Joe may not go out in flames, but we walk away scorched.
YOU ends with a whisper… that echoes.