Netflix’s series YOU have seen nothing but positive reviews since its initial release in 2018. The last and final season of YOU was released on Apr. 24, 2025, which left fans with mixed feelings based on how the director chose to end the series.
The main character, Joe Goldberg, is explored throughout the last season. The story explores how his mind begins to unravel as he is faced with all of his wrongdoings and atrocities. Now, his past is put on the forefront of people’s screens — all of the people he has killed for his definition of love are put on display.
The director portrayed Joe as a charming casual guy with a twisted definition of caring for his partner. This new season shows how much of a misogynistic and controlling man he is, he believes he can save and make his love interest better by making her believe killing people is the right thing to do. Manipulating her mind using sexual favors and acts to get what he wants as if he is a predator.
Even though fans enjoyed this season, according to reviews, viewers had mixed feelings on certain aspects. Many people disliked Joe’s new love interest, Bronte. Many people on social media created videos bashing her character in the show. They believed she was physically unattractive and the way she carried herself throughout the season made fans irritated by her unfunny remarks and left fans struggling to sit through her scenes.
The most controversial topic is about the ending of Season Five. From the start of YOU, Joe is portrayed as this witted killer who thinks 10 steps ahead of his victims and the cops. To see him get tricked by a group of people from a subreddit on the internet who were fixated on the death of his first love interest Guinevere Beck made fans upset.
Moreover, in the last fight scene, Joe gave many life-threatening wounds to Kate and Bronte, but both came out safe and alive. Fans of the show believe the fight should have held more weight as it was very emotional and filled with suspense but holds little to no weight as there were no casualties.
In the final scene, Joe is sitting alone in his cell with his thoughts. Even with everything he went through all the people he killed, the lives he ruined, and the irreversible damage he did to his victims’ families, he continues to blame his environment and every other factor in his life for his actions besides himself. Putting the element of the lack of accountability ties back to the very beginning of the show.
He believes the world is wrong and he is a by-product of his horrible conditions rather than facing his twisted desires head-on.
Besides the fans even on many entertainment critic’s websites, the season was placed in high regard. Rotten Tomato gave the season an 90% and IMDb gave it a 7.7 out of 10. However, the lowest-rated episode overall in the season was by far the finale.
It seems that YOU joins other highly anticipated shows, such as Game of Thrones, for finales that just didn’t hit.
