For five seasons, You teased viewers with the image of a charming psychopath — and we played along. We sympathised, believed in redemption, confused obsession with love. But the finale shatters the illusion: Joe was never a hero, he was always a threat — just very good at hiding it.
The final season wraps up the story of Joe Goldberg — the charming romantic and cold-blooded killer whose crimes were forgiven by viewers with unsettling ease. Now, in season five, he returns to New York, to Mooney’s bookstore, and to a new victim. But this time, the series finally calls things by their name.
You: Justice With No Discount for Charm
By season five, the show becomes a mirror reflecting cancel culture itself. Back where it all started, Joe comes face to face with those he once used and broke. And he doesn’t get away with it this time. There’s no hint of redemption — only exposure.
Why It Works
You ends with integrity: the writers didn’t soften the blow. They let viewers see Joe for what he truly was all along — not a tragic lover, but a socially dangerous psychopath. And if the finale gives you chills, it means the show did its job. Right to the very end.
Viewers’ Reactions
Opinions are divided. Some call the ending logical, even just. Others found it too blunt. But almost everyone agrees: the show stopped flirting with the idea of a killer as a hero. Some felt freed from Joe’s spell, others — disappointed in themselves for sympathising for five seasons. And that might be the most honest reaction of all.
