You season 5: everything we know about Netflix show’s final season

Penn Badgley will take his final turn as twisted psychopath Joe Goldberg in the upcoming fifth season of Netflix’s hit thriller, You. 

Following the dramatic twists and turns of season four, it’s no surprise that fans are eagerly awaiting the new episodes. So, when can we expect its release and what will happen in season five? Here’s all we know…

What will happen in You season five? 

While Netflix has kept details of season five heavily under wraps, it’s been confirmed that the new series will bring Joe’s story to a close, picking up from the end of season four when he returned to New York City with his girlfriend Kate (Charlotte Ritchie).

In a video shared at the Tudum: A Global Fan Event in Brazil, Penn teased the upcoming series and revealed that a familiar face from Joe’s past will come back to haunt him upon his return to the Big Apple.

“There are many loose ends in Joe’s past,” he said, perhaps referring to Jenna Ortega’s orphaned Ellie from season two, or Beck’s therapist Dr Nicky (John Stamos), who Joe landed in prison for murder in season one. 

Showrunner Sera Gamble also teased how the series might end in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “The conversation we have among the writers, between Greg [Berlanti] and I, and a lot with Penn is about the fact that it would be nice to end his arc with some form of justice,” she said.

“Guys like this don’t usually see a lot of justice from the world. That’s challenging to plot. How does Joe Goldberg go down in a world where he’s been branding people with bricks in broad daylight for years? And he’s cute! And he gets away with it.”

© Netflix

She continued: “The deeper question that we frequently pitch in the writers’ room is, ‘What’s real justice? What would hurt him the most?'”

The series, of course, is based on the books by Caroline Kepnes and so it’s possible that elements from her third novel, You Love Me, could feature in the new episodes. Kepnes’ third instalment sees Joe travel to the Pacific Northwest, where he meets and falls in love with a librarian named Mary Kay DiMarco. 

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When will You season five be released on Netflix? 

You is set to return in 2024, although Netflix has yet to announce an official release date. 

It’s possible that the upcoming release could be affected by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, with the actors unable to go back to work until an agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major Hollywood studios, such as Netflix. 

© Netflix

Why is You ending with season five? 

Ahead of the drama’s renewal for season five in March, showrunner Sera Gamble explained that it was never the team’s intention to keep the show going forever. 

Speaking on TV’s Top Five podcast, she said: “It was never anyone’s intention to just run this one into the ground.

© Photo: Netflix

“When we’re done, we’ll be done. We’ll pack it up and it will exist on Netflix for everyone to enjoy. Even in the early conversations with Penn Badgley, the idea is not to just crank out episodes forever – it’s to feel like we have told the complete story.”

Penn also hinted that season five might be the last whilst appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in February. “I signed a six-year contract right out the gate,” he said. “So they could do two more if they wanted. I think if there’s another season, I think it’s only going to be one.”

Who will star in You season five? 

Penn Badgley will of course reprise his role as Joe Goldberg, with Charlotte Ritchie’s Kate likely to appear as well. 

© Photo: Netflix

But could Tati Gabrielle return as Marienne Bellamy? And will Kate’s London friends and BFF Phoebe (Tilly Keeper) make a comeback? We’ll just have to wait and find out…