You Season 5 ending explained: Does Joe Goldberg die? From shocking letter to poetic fate, the bittersweet finale

Joe Goldberg, aka Penn Badgley’s YOU, wrapped up its successful five-season run on April 25. For those wondering about a Part 2, like earlier seasons, there won’t be any. Joe met his fate. And let’s be honest, it didn’t have to end this way. After all the thrill, the globetrotting, the gruesome murders, some fans feel the finale went out less like a thrilling conclusion and more like a lecture they never signed up for. While the earlier seasons gave us a sharp, satirical take on toxic love and privilege, Season 5 lost its edge and just told us things it used to show so cleverly. If you have not watched the show yet, consider this a spoiler alert and come back after you have binged on it.

So, we pick up with Joe Goldberg, who, after three seasons, returns to the Big Apple, now with more attention and a more polished look, playing the role of a loyal husband to his London wife, Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie). But after seven years and 21 murders, America’s so-called ‘prince charming’ finally meets his fate. And so, the end arrives with a bittersweet moment, forcing us to confront the consequences of his crimes. Here’s what went down in the finale.

Also read: Penn Badgley says it was a ‘struggle’ to date Blake Lively during their Gossip Girl days: ‘I’ve been on one date in my life’

What happened to Joe Goldberg in You Season 5?

At the start of Season 5, Joe is in New York, married to Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), and raising his son, Henry (Frankie DeMaio). He’s come to terms with the idea that his past won’t haunt him anymore and believes he’s a free man now. But, as viewers know well, normalcy and Joe don’t exactly go hand in hand—and someone like him could never really be trusted with a clean slate. He’s still haunted by the ghosts of his past, the women he’s murdered, including Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). Contrary to what we thought in his final moments, no, he didn’t show any real remorse for all those murders. In the end, Joe is finally held accountable for his actions. He goes on trial for the killings, faces the consequences of his violent past, a moment that feels incredibly satisfying for viewers who’ve watched him slip away from punishment for years.

Also read: Viral video shows ‘Gossip Girl’ star Penn Badgley grooving to Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai,’ fans react: ‘Nailed it’

Does Joe die in You Season 5?

No, he doesn’t. When Bronte, played by Madeline Brewer, enters Joe’s life, she not only becomes his latest obsession—she wants his attention. She’s got a plan. A former student of Joe’s very first victim, Guinevere Beck, Brontë tries to trap Joe and finally bring him down. But she gets a little too close to him and starts second-guessing everything. Her character mirrors the audience. She knows everything Joe’s done, but still feels drawn to him. And that’s the whole message of the show’s final act: “If you liked watching Joe, maybe the real problem is… you.”

The only moment of humanity we see in Joe’s eyes is when his son calls and says, “You are a monster.” In a dark and dramatic showdown, Joe finds himself face-to-face with Bronte who holds him at gunpoint. They have a violent confrontation near a vacation home. She shoots Joe, but doesn’t kill him. Joe’s belief that he can still outsmart his way out of any situation is shattered.

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What happens to everyone after Joe’s arrest?

Madeline Brewer’s character turns narrator, describing the finale and giving us a glimpse into how everyone’s life has moved on after Joe’s arrest. Nadia Farran (Amy Leigh-Hickman) is helping women battling trauma, Harrison (Pete Ploszek) is living a free life and expecting twins with Maddie Lockwood (Anna Camp), and Kate, having survived her tumultuous relationship with Joe, is working as a manager in the art world while raising Henry.

The final letter

Now Joe’s in prison, reading fan mail from women who still fantasise about him and want to become his next victim. “Maybe we have a problem as a society,” Joe says. “Maybe we should fix what’s broken in us. Maybe the problem isn’t me. Maybe… It’s you.” In the final sequence, for Joe, it’s a lonely existence where he has nothing to do but reflect on the wreckage he’s left behind. Joe, the man who tried to live a normal life, is now locked away forever, paying for his many crimes. While the conclusion might not answer every question or tie up every loose end, it delivers the long-awaited justice. “So in the end, my punishment is even worse than I imagined. The loneliness, oh my God, the loneliness. No hope of being held, knowing this is forever. It’s unfair putting all this on me. Aren’t we all just products of our environment? Hurt people, hurt people. I never stood a chance,” Penn Badgley told LA Times, speaking about his character’s ending.

Fans reaction

“Penn Badgley gives one last unhinged performance. These final episodes deliver enough thrills and twists before coming to a cathartic close. It’s a bitersweet tribute to everyone’s favorite bad guy while putting power back in the hands of his victims,” an X user wrote, adding that the show gave Joe a “poetic ending.” Another added, “Season 5 is so different. That dude Joe went to therapy and listened to every word his therapist said, he’s journalising his bad and negative feelings instead of killing people. So mature, so demure, VERY mindful.” “You season 5 is as wacky as ever with surprise resurrections & predictable twists, but it’s such bingeable entertainment. Anna Camp stole the show for me though and that unhinged Taylor Swift needle drop,” a third added.

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