Netflix’s psychological thriller You returned for its fifth and final season, wrapping up the twisted journey of Joe Goldberg.
This show has been camp, trashy television at its finest, at times delightfully over-the-top. The show embraces its flair for the dramatic, allowing Joe’s descent into madness to unfold. It was a fitting, even poetic end to a show that has always flirted with the absurd.
Season 5 kicks off with Joe back in New York, like he’s hit the reset button on his whole messy life. He’s now living large with his super-rich wife Kate and their kid, pretending to be a new man. No more stalking, no more killing—just charity galas, brunches, and pretending he’s a normal husband and dad. But come on, this is Joe we’re talking about. That calm, polished life starts cracking real fast.
From the jump, it’s clear Joe’s trying really hard to convince himself he’s changed. But deep down, that creepy obsessive side is still very much there, just simmering under the surface. It doesn’t help that someone starts blackmailing him, and he has no idea who it is. That kicks off a spiral where Joe starts seeing things, hearing voices, and basically losing his grip on reality.
And then there’s Mooney’s bookstore. It’s back! The place becomes this big metaphor for who Joe used to be vs. who he’s pretending to be now. Old ghosts show up (some literal, some not), and the season gets really meta about Joe’s past, how he just keeps repeating the same toxic cycle no matter where he moves or who he dates.
Of course, Joe being Joe, he gets tempted by another woman—because five seasons later, he still hasn’t figured out how to keep it in his pants or his brain. Meanwhile, Kate’s starting to get suspicious, and the media is sniffing around his past. So now he’s juggling a failing marriage, murder cover-ups, and a full-blown identity crisis.
By the end, the show stops pretending Joe’s a misunderstood antihero and fully drags him for the manipulative, messed-up guy he is. He’s forced to look at everything he’s done, and the final episodes get super psychological, breaking down his delusions in real time.
You Season 5 is messy, intense, and occasionally off the rails—but it’s also bold and kinda genius in how it wraps things up. Whether you loved Joe or just loved hating him, this final ride doesn’t hold back.
You is available now on Netflix.
