Netflix’s psycho-romantic serial killer story has come to an end with the release of Season 5, and audiences are more divided than ever.
One thing I like to do when watching a movie or TV show, is counting how many times the so-called heroic protagonist commits an immoral act and gets away with it. I always find it amusing when the main character is aligned with true north of the moral compass, and then throughout the story commits atrocities that would otherwise be considered evil if done by literally anybody else. For example, a recurring archetype I often see in action movies is pro martial artist/gun-slinging badass who beats up bad guys and seduces beautiful women. Listen, I’m not a total hater, but let’s not ignore that this is a type of power fantasy is sometimes fun and interesting to watch. But occasionally, I’ll burst out laughing when the story just glosses over the sheer absurdity of what the hero gets away with, like getting into a high speed chase with no regard of other people in traffic, firing bullets in crowded areas, and my personal favorite, brutally beating up minimum wage thugs to the edge of death via blunt force trauma. Those poor stunt people.
Then there’s stories that are self aware of their hero’s flaws and push the boundaries of what we think is acceptable to create an interesting and complex dynamic. You is one of those shows I came across randomly after it was added to Netflix, and it immediately sucked me in even though the protagonist was a literal serial killer. Though he started off as a “morally gray anti-hero with just reasons”, the guy was irredeemable to me just within the first few episodes and for some sick reason I wanted to see more. The performance of the cast and the plot twists into unexpected surprises made You incredibly engaging to watch despite the protagonist being a literal villain.
Now that the final season of You has been released on Netflix, audiences have had time to watch and collect their thoughts on the show as a whole. Within a week, tons of discussions have popped up all over social media on the quality of the writing and direction the show-runners took the story in. Let’s find out what fans and critics are saying, and dive into the hotly debated finale of You.
What is You About?
You is a thriller TV show about Joe Goldberg, an intensely passionate man with a twisted sense of romance who takes his frequent crushes on strangers to nightmarish levels of stalking, manipulation, and murder. Once he attaches himself to a woman, either he’ll have her or no one will.
You is based on the books series “You” by Caroline Kepnes. The first book served as a script for the first season of the show, and later as inspiration as the show’s plot diverged from the novels.
This article will mainly explore Season 5 of the show and some relevant plot lines from past seasons. If you are planning to watch You and wish to avoid spoilers, stop reading here. Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you get back and will be delighted to hear your thoughts on the show.
[SPOILER WARNING]
You – Season 5 Main Characters and Cast
Penn Badgley – Joe Goldberg
Penn Badgley continued to charm, manipulate, and shock audiences as veteran serial killer, Joe Goldberg. In Season 5, Badgley took his role back to its hunting ground in New York City, where the story first began.
Badgley has starred in You since 2018, and was nominated four times for this role. He was also nominated twice for his role as Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl.
Charlotte Ritchie – Kate Lockwood
Charlotte Ritchie returned in Season 5 of You as the sophisticated CEO, heiress, and Season 4 love interest, Kate Lockwood.
Charlotte Ritchie was nominated 3 times for her lead role in the sitcom Ghosts, during which she joined You in 2022. She has also appeared in Fresh Meat, Feel Good, and Call the Midwife.
Madeline Brewer – Bronte
Madeline Brewer joined the cast regulars as Bronte, a playwright with an ulterior motive, who became Joe’s next obsession when he caught her breaking into Mooney’s.
Madeline Brewer made her TV debut in one of Netflix’s first original shows, Orange is the New Black. She was nominated 9 times and won an award for starring as Janine Lindo in The Handmaid’s Tale, and also appeared in Separation and Braid. Given Brewer’s diverse range, fans are excited to see how her portrayal of Bronte will add to You’s thrilling atmosphere.
Anna Camp – Reagan and Maddie Lockwood
Anna Camp donned two opposite personalities as the twin sisters of Kate, Reagan and Maddie Lockwood. Reagan, a cunning and ruthless businesswoman, competes against Kate for the throne of the Lockwood Corporation. Maddie, a more aloof and uninterested socialite, is just here for a good time.
Anna Camp’s double role was a highlight of Season 5. No surprise that she nailed it given her acting range across award winning roles such as the villainous Sarah Newlin in True Blood, and comedic Aubrey Posen in the film trilogy Pitch Perfect.
You – Seasons 1 to 5 Reviews and Reception
Season 1 had a very positive reception from audiences and critics alike. It’s debut on Lifetime attracted 40 million viewers in the first month and scored an impressive 94% from critics and 83% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and an average of 7.96/10 across its episodes on IMDB. Audiences were thrilled by Penn Badgley’s creepy yet charming inner monologues and morally gray killer intent. Framing the show from the perspective of the killer was also a refreshing flip on the dark romance genre.
In 2019, You moved to Netflix and began consistently topping the viewership charts. Season 2 beat the crappy sequel allegations by bolstering the show’s ratings and spreading its popularity even further. It scored 89% from critics and 84% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and averaged 8.17/10 across its episodes on IMDB. It also contained the highest rated episode in the series at an incredible 9/10 on IMDB. Reception was ecstatic, with many reviews and media outlets calling this season a step up from Season 1 in terms of both story and performance, and proof that the concept was not a one-and-done deal. Fan reception was similarly off the charts, with Victoria Pedretti’s portrayal of Love quinn quickly making her a fan favorite.
Season 3 was still received well, scoring 93% from critics and 71% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and averaging 7.69/10 on IMDB. Critics rated it higher than Season 2 and, in agreement with audiences, pointed at the nightmare union between Joe and Love unleashing terror on their unsuspecting neighborhood as its most appealing plotline.
Season 4 is where critics and audiences diverged in their enjoyment of the story. Critic reviews averaged at 92% but the audiences score dropped to 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. The episode ratings slipped to an average of 7.46/10 on IMDB. Common criticisms revolved around the staleness of the socialite characters, frustrating plot holes, and deviation from the small life of Joe into the rich, public facing, British high society.
Season 5 released just over a week ago and audiences are divided. As of May 2025, Rotten Tomatoes scores stand at 83% from critics and a sunken 54% from audiences. The average IMDB score bounced back for this season’s episodes at 7.82/10, but also featured the series’ lowest rated episode, the series finale, at 5.5/10. Season 5 didn’t end in a way most viewers were hoping and it seems that the lingering criticisms of the show had finally broken the watch experience. Albeit, the finale season wasn’t entirely or universally disliked. Anna Camp became a fan favorite for her incredible dual portrayal of Reagan and Maddie Lockwood, and Penn Badgley was praised for his jaw dropping performance as a fully realized, guilt-free maniac in the final three episodes.
You – Season 5 Controversies, Criticisms, Debated Plotlines and Story Moments
You has been running for 7 years now, so audiences and critics have had plenty of time to think about the narrative as a whole and its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s my opinion and what audiences have to say about the best and worst of You and its finale season.
The Peak – The Guilty Pleasure of Rooting for a Serial Killer
When it comes to watching shows like You, there is a certain mindset that I have to adopt to enjoy the perspective of a main character who is straight up evil. I won’t sugar coat it, Joe Goldberg is a vile human being. He constantly lies, manipulates people to get what he wants, preys on vulnerable women, and justifies his worst actions by shifting blame and victimizing himself. By all metrics he is unlikable, but the show does a great job of presenting his disturbed mind in an entertaining way. His sociopathic behavior is paired with charming elements uplifted by Badgley’s talented performance and voice acting. For example, one of the best parts of the show is Joe’s witty and humorous inner monologue. His commentary on the personalities of the people around him is so easy to agree with, especially since the show places him in environments filled with pompous jerks. Furthermore, the show mixes in some noble intentions with his selfishness, such as targeting abusive men to save their victims.
Joe is written to be an intelligent and calculated serial killer, which makes his meticulous planning and social engineering fun to watch. I’m not hoping for Joe to win at the end, rather I’m tuning in to see how he gets away with this time. It’s like watching a flipped murder mystery. Instead of the smart detective deconstructing the murder, we get to see how the smart killer carefully constructs and executes his crimes. Joe Goldberg’s appeal is strongest when he’s allowed to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, hiding amongst the public and plotting his next move.
The Trench – You Season 5’s Most Debated Issues
Joe Lost His Edge
You at its best features Joe as a highly intelligent and methodical stalker and killer. His natural intuition and judgement keeps him aware of other people’s motivations so he can plan several moves ahead. Thus it was disappointing to see him become complacent and reckless in Season 5. He kidnapped the wrong twin sister, didn’t thoroughly background check Bronte, and got fooled by Kate’s duplicate.
Joe felt very out of character, but given that his development this season was a regression into a remorseless, animalistic killer, it made sense that he would lose his edge. However, this edge is what maintains his appeal, and watering it down resulted in a frustrating viewing experience. It would have been more satisfying to see him outsmarted at his best since his best is what’s kept him alive and out of jail this whole time.
Bronte Saves Joe from the Fire
Bronte’s character acted as a stand in for the audience. She suspects Joe is a serial killer, but succumbs to his charm. While under his spell, she rationalizes his actions and turns a blind eye to his wickedness. Audiences are split over her character, but for me, it was interesting to see the perspective of someone who had the intention of exposing him, but fell for him anyways. After she snaps back to reality with Marianne’s help, she decides to save Joe from the fire. This does make sense as keeping Joe alive was necessary not only for the police to interrogate him and uncover his victims, but also because Joe deserved to be locked for life, never again allowed to experience the human connection he so greatly desires.
What rubbed viewers the wrong way was how Episode 9’s climactic set up was dismissed to extend the story for another episode. Episode 9 received a 8.7/10 on IMDB, the highest rated episode in Season 5 and 2nd highest rated episode in the entire series. Joe was locked in the cage and forced to face his surviving victims who were plotting to kill him, a perfect reversal of the typical power dynamic. It was satisfying to see Joe on the receiving end, pouting and screaming while locked away in his infamous cage. But then, the story dismisses this epic set up to make room for another episode where Bronte becomes the sole hero.
The execution of this plot line felt messy, with many viewers expressing that Episode 9 would have made a better finale.
Kate Lockwood Faces No Consequences
In Season 4, Kate helps Joe dispose of Gemma’s body out of fear of being framed, and later covers up Joe’s murder of Rhys. Joe goes on to tie up his loose ends by framing Nadia for Edward’s murder, and Kate remains complicit. She confesses that she oversaw a pipeline project knowing the children could get cancer. At the start of Season 5, Kate has a pseudo-redemption arc going for her as she turns the Lockwood Corporation into a charitable business and helps Joe suppress his dark urges. But when her position is threatened by COO Bob, she invites Joe to kill him and covers it up. She kept Joe on a leash for the past 3 years, but as soon as she faced real consequences for covering up Rhys’ death, she let the monster get his way. At the end, she lives a happy life with Henry and returns to her art curator career.
Kate’s remorse and attempts to right her wrongs doesn’t absolve her of her numerous crimes. Furthermore, her complicity was intentional not accidental or forced. She’s no serial killer, but she’s far from a hero. Kate’s character arc in Season 5 dealt with themes of penance, and if she was fully realized by the finale, she would have turned herself in. Her perfect ending is simply unearned.
That being said, the show has repeatedly commented on how rich billionaires get away with everything, so this technically aligned with this established status quo. Kate doesn’t deserve what she got, but she gets it anyways.
The Dangers and Pitfalls of Vigilantism
The mid-season twist was that Bronte was working with her friends, Clayton, Dominique, and Phoenix to manipulate Joe into confessing to Beck’s murder or at the very least catch him killing someone else. I thought this was an interesting reversal of Joe’s dynamic with his victims. His next victim, Bronte, was the one socially engineering his life instead of the other way around. This echoed what Love had done in Season 2 to make Joe fall in love with her.
Rooting for vigilantes naturally feels good because their goals are noble. However, like in real life, You shows that vigilantism can be dangerous to both parties, and without lawful resources and authority can fall into stalking and harassment. Bronte expresses to her friends that she’s unsure about trapping Joe given that they are working off suspicions and rumors rather than irrefutable evidence. She’s in a tough position, but tries to act rationally in case they got the wrong guy. At the same time, she’s afraid that if Joe truly is a killer, her own life could be threatened. All of these are valid points, but her friends are jerks about it and argue that they’ve dedicated 3 years to investigating Joe and feel they are on the verge of a discovery. This plot point set up a great commentary on the dangers of vigilantism and how acting on impulses developed in internet echo chambers can lead to disastrous consequences.
And this is exactly what happens when Clayton pokes the bear and gets his head smashed open. Dominique and Phoenix rush inside the house and live-stream the whole incident. I honestly thought this was supposed to be a dark parody of internet obsession and parasocial behavior, especially given that Clayton, one of their closest friends, just died and they’re more interested in getting his dead body and Joe in frame. But then the story makes them heroes and they just… get over it? None of them appear to be particularly bothered in the days after Clayton’s death. In fact, Dominique and Phoenix are still fixated on Joe, and ask Bronte, who is shaken up from the whole incident, to get on camera again so they can post their “takedown of Joe Goldberg”. WTF. As the audience, we know they’re right, and nothing would be more satisfying at this point than to see Joe in cuffs. However, this feels rather negligent. They still have no hard evidence or witnesses of his crimes, meaning as far as they know there’s a chance Joe is innocent. To make things worse, their shoddy plan led to someone dying. In the last minutes of the finale, we see Dominique and Phoenix sitting in a podcast studio, triumphantly smiling and being praised by the host as they tell her they’re going to continue their internet detective work to catch more killers.
If this was intended to be a dark parody, it would be kind of peak, but given the tone of the finale, I’m inclined to believe the show was really trying to paint them as heroes. Ironically, the stalking, social engineering, and entrapment Bronte and her friends did is all the things that Joe does. They even justify it the same way by calling upon their noble intentions and desire for justice. Although this wasn’t the show’s intentions, the final message conveyed that all of these behaviors are okay as long as you aren’t actually a serial killer.
Captain Bronte and Kate the Winter Soldier
Generally I’m okay with plot armor and bending reality to keep the drama is thrilling and interesting. At the end of the day, You is a fictional story. But damn, Season 5 had some unbelievable moments that left me flabbergasted.
Reagan Lockwood was a badass character who dished out well deserved punishment on Joe. After showing off her incredible combat ability and survival instinct, she just turns her back and runs out of the house only to get clobbered from behind?! Reagan was a venomous character who definitely deserved some karma for how she treated Maddie and others, but it didn’t make sense for her to go down like that.
Bronte and Kate must be superheroes because holy s*** how are they alive?! Kate got clocked by a mallet, shot in the stomach point blank, and was left for dead in the basement of a burning building. And she… survived?! Bronte was shot in the stomach, profusely bled from her wound while running from Joe, jumped out of the second story window, and was strangled underwater until she supposedly drowned… and she survived?!
Get these women in the Avengers ASAP.
The Peak – Season 5 Finale’s Best Moments
Joe the Slasher
The finale’s last 20 minutes of Joe going absolutely psycho was peak horror. There were a lot of great moments: the ceiling light flickering as Joe pounced on Bronte, his inhuman and rageful facial expressions, his unnatural posture and explosive sprints around the house, just to name a few. Joe was at his most terrifying and the sequence had my heart racing.
The 4th Wall Break
The final shot of Joe calling out the audience for watching and rooting for him was a great way to close the series. Joe gets a letter from a fan who is aroused by his depravity, a parallel to how we, the audience, have been completely enthralled by his life across the five seasons. I wanted Joe to be rightfully punished for his crimes, but at the same time I wanted to continue to hear his inner monologue and watch him go about life. The same way he charms and manipulates his victims, he also charms and manipulates us viewers. We sort of enable Joe because we continue to tune in to every new season, prompting Netflix to keep writing his story. I thought this was a cool meta commentary. It made me reflect on why I keep watching and the implications of true crime culture.
Conclusion
A lot of the pitfalls of Season 5 could be potentially reversed by changing the tone of the season. You is a dark and twisted, thriller spinoff of the romance genre. It delivers a lot of insightful social and political commentary on subjects such as unhealthy love, parasocial relationships, and class disparity. Many characters are dark caricatures, like the billionaire CEOs of the Lockwood Corp who order assassinations and obsessive internet detectives that seek vigilante justice. All of these elements together, along with Bronte saving Joe instead of Kate from the fire, Kate escaping consequences because she’s rich, and Bronte’s friends being praised for their vigilantism, in my opinion, made for an appropriate gray ending fit for a dark genre. Unfortunately, the finale’s tone of heroism, bravery, and justice, didn’t convey this.
Consensus so far seems to be that the set ups and themes explored were great, but the execution was messy and underwhelming. What do you think?
SUPERWILD 