You Season 5 Review: Penn Badgley's Joe Faces His Darkest Self in a Twisty New York Finale

Joe Goldberg Returns to New York in Netflix’s Last Chapter of 'You'

It’s wild how Netflix’s *You* takes its anti-hero Joe Goldberg — played by Penn Badgley — right back to where it all started: the bustling chaos of New York. He’s ditched the West Coast and is trying to put on the mask of respectability. Joe’s married now, but he’s also as restless and dangerous as ever, battling the urge to be a normal husband to Kate Lockwood — a sharp, savvy corporate heiress — while his attention drifts to another woman, Bronte. It’s the old Joe we all remember: charming, obsessive, and on the brink of something ugly.

The first few episodes have the pace of a Monday morning subway ride: slow, crowded, and full of tension you can’t escape. Joe’s attempts to fit into Kate’s high-society world are awkward and tense. Meanwhile, Bronte, an ambitious but struggling writer, becomes a new focal point for Joe’s fixations, even as his marriage with Kate teeters under secrets and pressure from her family’s empire.

Thrilling Escalation and Psychological Chaos

But don’t write off the season as dull. Beneath the slow burn is a fuse, and when it catches, things get explosive. Kate’s father’s enemies light a literal fire, nearly killing her in a scene that yanks Joe out of his domesticated rut. This isn’t just about Joe spiraling; it’s about Kate confronting the cutthroat business world — and the deadly games her own family plays. You can feel the tension ratchet up as alliances crack and betrayals pile on.

The show doesn’t just settle for car chases or dramatic escapes. It brings back old ghosts: Marienne, the woman Joe was obsessed with before, pops up again, showing just how far his web of damage extends. Even Beck — yes, the very first object of Joe’s destructive affection — returns in haunting flashbacks. These characters aren’t just cameos. They force Joe to look in the mirror, now that he’s stopped trying to pretend he can be better.

• Kate survives a near-fatal fire meant to end her family’s hold on their company.
• Joe wrestles with whether he can be anything but a monster — and seems to embrace the darkness for the first time.
• Joe is finally arrested, bringing justice closer than ever.
• The season brings back Marienne and Beck, layering the story with past traumas and regrets.

Through all this, the series keeps trying to poke at big themes. It doesn’t shy away from jabbing at modern dating — how everyone’s masked, how power and violence creep into romance — or from talking about toxic masculinity. But honestly, the social commentary is often buried under twisting storylines and melodrama. There’s satire here, but it doesn’t always land the punch because the show is almost too in love with its own mischief.

One thing that’s never in doubt: Badgley rules the screen. His version of Joe is squirmy, seductive, creepy — it’s a real tightrope walk, and if you’ve followed the show, you know he nails the shifts from anxious nice guy to calculating predator. Kate’s arc is electric, too. She’s not just a bystander; she’s stuck in her own mess, trying desperately to steer her ship out of a storm no one else can see.

If you’re here for the thriller elements, there are plenty of wild, pulpy moments. Secret rooms, dramatic confrontations, and bodies piling up remind you this is all about the spectacle of obsession. But those searching for smart satire or sharp social critique won’t always find it. *You* Season 5 is messy, bold, sometimes frustrating — and that’s what makes watching Joe finally crash and burn impossible to look away from.