Penn Badgley Defends ‘You’ Series Finale: Joe Gets What He Deserves

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Warning: Major spoilers for the final episode of your series. If you haven’t finished watching it yet, I recommend checking out one of our other articles instead. Enjoy your reading!

Following a painfully prolonged interval, subscribers of Netflix can now look forward to the fifth and concluding season of the show You, airing on their 2025 TV lineup. Predictably, this season is nothing short of wild. A fresh romantic interest for Joe Goldberg, portrayed by Penn Badgley, makes an appearance, leading ultimately to a pivotal development that seems tailor-made to bring long-awaited justice to the character. Despite some reservations I harbor about the finale, Badgley provides reasoning as to why it serves as a fitting conclusion, and I concur with his assessment.

During Season 5 of the suspenseful stalker series, Joe makes an attempt at starting over, yet various obstacles persistently crop up, such as his past resurfacing and additional individuals aiming to unmask him.

In the final episode, Joe is ultimately apprehended and given a lengthy prison sentence for the murders of both Beck and Love. He’ll serve out his days behind bars, and Ian Somerhalder (who plays Joe) explained to Entertainment Weekly why this ending suited him perfectly, despite some viewers advocating for his death instead.

To my view, the conclusion manages to wrap up all conceivable aspects satisfactorily. I believe he concluded his journey in a fitting manner. However, it’s essential to understand that no ending can please everyone completely, as justice for someone like Joe isn’t inherently satisfying due to his nature as an abuser, murderer, and generally bad person. In other words, finding satisfaction is a positive thing.

It’s clear that Joe could have been eliminated in various ways, either by Bronte shooting him in the woods or some other method. However, the former Gossip Girl actor presents a valid argument. Not only has justice been achieved for Beck and Love after such a long time, but Joe is now destined to live out his days isolated. He’s always been drawn to new people, as shown throughout the series. With this, his lack of genuine human connection, other than the strange letters he receives from fans in prison, seems fitting and overdue.

What It Felt Like To Get To The End Of You As A Fan

For viewers, it was uncertain how the story would conclude. Although the show was somewhat based on Caroline Kepnes’ novel series, it deviated from the books after the first season, keeping viewers guessing throughout. As Badgley mentioned, not everyone may be content with the ending, but I found it satisfying to know that Joe’s experiences in prison will be far more harrowing for him than merely facing the death sentence.

To put it simply, although some old characters made a comeback in the final series, regrettably, Jenna Ortega was not among them. Following her role as Ellie Alves in the second season, Ortega didn’t reappear due to commitments for the filming of “Wednesday”. There was speculation that she might return, and it had been disclosed that she felt let down about missing out on the fourth season because of this. However, the creators still had plans for her character’s return, which unfortunately couldn’t be realized.

As the series draws close, it’s often the case that viewers yearn for the main character to receive a fitting resolution. In my opinion, You provided an appropriate conclusion for Joe, and I’m content with how his story concluded. Although I’m also saddened by the show’s end, I eagerly anticipate revisiting the entire journey from the start.

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2025-04-27 15:07