Season 5 of You brings Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) back to New York, where his attempt at domestic bliss unravels into chaos.
If you’ve been asking what happens to Joe in Season 5, read on for a full breakdown of his journey—from weathervane hero to incarcerated villain.
Joe’s New York “Happily Ever After”
After You Season 4’s London cliffhanger, Season 5 picks up three years later. Joe and Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie) have reinvented themselves:
- Kate is CEO of the Lockwood Corporation, lauded for her philanthropic vision.
- Joe enjoys celebrity status as “Prince Charming,” lauded by the media and cast in a caregiving role.
This shift raises the question: what happens to Joe in Season 5 when anonymity no longer shields his crimes?
The Ghosts of Joe’s Past
Joe’s attempt to bury his murderous impulses backfires when Bronte (Madeline Brewer) arrives with a personal vendetta. Under the guise of a catfish romance, she lures Joe into confessions. Key moments answering what happens to Joe in Season 5 include:
- Bronte’s Deception: She tricks Joe into recounting his first kill—Beck—while secretly recording.
- Social Media Trap: Joe’s fame means every misstep is amplified, making his old MO impossible to hide.
- Family Strife: Kate’s siblings (Griffin Matthews, Anna Camp) expose cracks in Joe’s perfect life, reawakening his darker instincts.
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The Climactic Capture
The season’s centerpiece is Joe’s downfall:
- Confession in the Woods: Bronte stages a remote getaway where Joe, drunk on nostalgia and manipulation, admits to multiple murders.
- 911 Call: Despite being shot by Joe and faking her own death, Bronte uses a concealed phone to dial 911, ensuring law enforcement converges on their cabin.
- Arrest: Surrounded by NYPD, Joe pleads for death over prison—an admission of his guilt and a stark answer to what happens to Joe in Season 5: he is finally held accountable.
Joe’s Ultimate Fate
By the finale, what happens to Joe in Season 5 is clear:
- Incarceration: Joe ends the series in a maximum security cell, stripped of freedom and contact, which the showrunners deem his harshest punishment.
- Isolation: Without the possibility of new obsessions, Joe faces the prospect of a life devoid of love, mirroring the loneliness he forced on his victims.
- Ambiguity: Although alive, Joe’s long-term prospects—parole, redemption, or further violence—are left to the audience’s imagination.
Themes in Joe’s Final Chapter
Season 5’s conclusion underscores recurring You themes:
- Obsession vs. Redemption: Joe’s struggle to reconcile his violent past with a desire to be good falters spectacularly.
- Anonymity Lost: Fame strips Joe of the ability to hide, illustrating how modern media exposes hidden sins.
- Full Circle: Returning to New York—a city where his journey began—brings symmetrical closure to his arc.
Why the Story Ends Here
Co-showrunners Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo always planned a five-season journey. Concluding with Season 5 permitted a complete, character-driven finale, rather than an overextended story. As the creators note,
“It’s so rare to get five seasons…and bring production back where it all began. It was a unicorn experience.”
Who’s in the cast of You Season 5?
- Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg
- Charlotte Ritchie as Kate Lockwood
- Madeline Brewer (she/her, The Handmaid’s Tale) as Bronte
- Griffin Matthews (he/him, The Flight Attendant) as Teddy Lockwood
- Anna Camp (she/her, Hysteria!) as Raegan and Maddie Lockwood
- Natasha Behnam (she/her, The Girls on the Bus) as Dominique
- b (they/them, Station 19, Birds of Empire) as Phoenix
- Pete Ploszek (he/him, Parks and Recreation) as Harrison
- Tom Francis (he/him, Sunset Boulevard) as Clayton
- Nava Mau (she/her, Baby Reindeer) as Detective Marquez.
Reflecting on Joe’s Legacy
Now that you know what happens to Joe in Season 5, it’s clear that his narrative concludes on a tragic note—fitting for a protagonist who became the villain. His capture challenges viewers to consider justice, redemption, and the dark allure of obsession.
What do you think of Joe’s fate? Share your thoughts below on whether his final punishment fits the crimes.
