📺 The fifth and final season of Netflix’s psychological thriller You returns the series to its roots, bringing Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) back to New York City and the infamous Mooney’s bookstore where it all began. Netflix wisely released all ten episodes at once — unlike season four’s split release — making for a bingeable concluding chapter to Joe’s last dance with delusion.

The evolution of a killer: Season five picks up three years after the events of season four, with Joe reclaiming his real identity after cycling through various aliases — Will Bettelheim, Jonathan Moore, and Rhys Montrose (IYKYK). He’s now married to bn’aire heiress Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), who has worked to scrub his murderous past from public record. Joe has also been reunited with his son Henry, creating what appears to be a perfect nuclear family — until Joe’s darker impulses begin to resurface.

This season shines in its psychological depth (and candor). Joe remains an unreliable narrator, and viewers are given front-row seats to his internal justifications, rationalizations, and self-mythologizing, putting his delusions on full naked display to the audience. As with previous seasons, Joe develops a new obsession, this time with Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a playwright who shares his love of literature and challenges him with her intelligence and self-awareness. Bewer delivers a standout performance of one of the most highly controversial characters throughout all five seasons.

The season finale has proven divisive among fans. No spoilers here, but an interview with the New York Post has shown that no matter how controversial the ending was, it could have been much, much worse. Showrunner Michael Foley admitted that he and co-chair Justin W. Lo had been considering alternate endings until late in the season, including one where Joe (and the audience) would discover that he had been a ghost throughout the entire final season. We thank our lucky stars for what actually took place — as contentious as it was.

Strong performances all around: All of the core cast deserve their flowers, but Anna Camp’s brilliant dual portrayal of Kate’s half sisters Reagan — cold and calculating — and Maddie — sugary, albeit naive — was an easy favorite. Another breakout character, Teddy (Griffin Matthews) was a much needed and well-played straight-man and comedic foil, making him a quick fan favorite.

The best and worst thing about You S5 is that it remains true to the show’s formula from beginning to end. The main storyline has always been about a man lost and looking for love, willing to kill to get it. The season suffers from a sense of sameness and rough pacing. After four seasons, audiences may have hoped for a switch-up that never comes. But when all is said and done, You still remains a killer show.

WHERE TO WATCH- All five seasons are streaming on Netflix, and you can find the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:35).

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