You Season 5: Everything we know so far

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

Joe Goldberg's adventures are coming to a close. Following the release of You Season 4, Netflix announced in March that the psychological thriller series You has been renewed for a fifth and final season.

Joe's Journey So Far

Based on the books by Caroline Kepnes, You is about Joe, who loves books and falls in love easily, but also stalks and sometimes kills the women he claims to love, along with others who get in his way. After starting his search for true love in New York, Joe's journey took him to Los Angeles in Season 2, then to the suffocating suburbs of San Francisco in Season 3, and most recently to London in the just-launched fourth season. In London, he faced a mystery that made him realize he's not a good person. At the end of that season, he returned to New York with his wealthy partner Kate and a new understanding of his immoral nature, something the actor Penn Badgley is excited to explore.

What to expect in You Season 5

In the fourth season, viewers saw a different side of Joe (played by Penn Badgley) as he tried to avoid his murderous tendencies while living abroad as Professor Jonathan Moore. But he couldn't escape his dark past entirely.

As the show prepares to end with its final season, there's speculation about whether some of Joe's past victims and acquaintances will return, especially Jenna Ortega, who played Ellie in Season 2. In February 2023, showrunner Sera Gamble revealed they tried to bring Ortega back, but her schedule with Netflix's show "Wednesday" got in the way. Gamble hinted, "We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again."

Gamble also mentioned that any character who didn't die on screen might come back, and even characters who died might still appear in Joe's imagination.

"Any character who's not dead who knows anything about Joe, it's fair game to try to exert any justice," she said. "And any character who is dead, [Joe] has a really active imagination."

During Tudum: A Global Fan Event in 2023, Badgley teased the return of past cast members in the new season, including Travis Van Winkle, Shalita Grant, and John Stamos, among others.

While Netflix hasn't revealed the exact story of the fifth and final season, Badgley previously shared his hopes for Joe's character development. He said, "I feel like it's building towards a greater resolution. That's what I want for Joe ... because now, the circumstances are actually different. He has a level of power and wealth that he's never had."

"With Love [Victoria Pedretti], he technically had wealth and he was adjacent to some power, but he hated it and he didn't take it for his own. Whereas now, he seems to be embracing it and taking it for his own. And to be honest, that's sort of terrifying prospect."

Badgley added it's "an evolution of the whole conceit."

At the end of Season 4, Joe returns to New York City, where the show started in Season 1. This brings the story full circle and sets up potential confrontations with his past actions and maybe even his past victims.

Reasons for You coming to an end

Penn Badgley, who plays Joe, explained in an interview with British GQ why he thinks Season 5 should be the show's last. He mentioned that the major twist in Season 4, where Joe is revealed as the "Eat the Rich Killer," sets the stage for a big ending. He mentioned that the show has to explore whether Joe can become a hero, but it wouldn't make sense for him to do so. The show has been building towards showing Joe in a new light, something it hasn't done before.

Sera Gamble, the showrunner, also shared with E! News that Joe having more resources and teaming up with the wealthy Kate opens up new possibilities for the story. This change makes Joe the thing he once envied and judged from a distance.

Who are returning in You Season 5?

Penn Badgley, who is a key part of the show, will return as Joe Goldberg. Charlotte Ritchie, who plays Joe's new love interest Kate, is likely to come back too.

There's speculation about the return of past characters, like Jenna Ortega who played Ellie in Season 2. Sera Gamble mentioned they wanted her to come back, but her schedule with another show got in the way. Gamble also hinted that characters who didn't die on screen or even those who died might return, as Joe's imagination is quite active.

At an event in 2023, Badgley hinted at the return of other past actors, including Travis Van Winkle, Shalita Grant, and John Stamos.

When to expect You Season 5?

Netflix has officially announced the return of Joe along with his trademark monotone narration for a fifth and ultimate season. This will mark the culmination of the series.

After the conclusion of the fourth season, Netflix used Twitter to reveal Joe's forthcoming final chapter, stating: "In 2024, Joe Goldberg will make his appearance for the fifth and concluding installment of YOU."

Consequently, we are aware that the show will grace our screens in the upcoming year, yet the precise arrival date remains uncertain.

You Season 4 was confirmed in October 2021. Production commenced in March 2022, and Part One was subsequently unveiled in February 2023. Following this established timeline, there is a possibility that we might witness its release in the summer of 2024.

We will closely monitor any updates from the creators and keep you informed. Please stay tuned for further updates!

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