Penn Badgley Explains the Ending of ‘You’ Season 5

Note: Spoilers for Season 5 of “You”

After five intense seasons, Joe Goldberg is ready to say his farewells.

For Penn Badgley, portraying the lead in Netflix’s “You” has been a “profound” journey, as he shares with TODAY.com.

“Spending this much time with a character allows you to explore new depths and keep things grounded and genuine,” Badgley notes.

In its fifth and final season, “You” explores Joe’s return to New York, seemingly on the path to a happy life with his wife Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) and their son Henry. Yet, true to form, a new obsession arises in the shape of Bronte (Madeline Brewer).

Halfway through the season, viewers learn that Bronte hides her true identity.

Bronte, whose real name is Louise Flannery, is an old student of Guinevere Beck who investigates her death and entangles Joe in a web of deceit to avenge his many crimes.

As Badgley reflects on concluding his role as Joe Goldberg, he emphasizes the “iconography” surrounding masculinity, fatherhood, and marriage.

“We’re not discussing the overtly awful or aggressive behaviors. I’m focusing on how desire can transform love into possession, manipulation, and jealousy,” he explains.

After 10 gripping episodes—filled with questionable actions from nearly every character—here’s a recap of the season finale of “You”.

What happens to Joe in the ‘You’ series finale?

Joe and Bronte are on the run

The final episode kicks off with Joe and Bronte fleeing to a remote location. Joe suspects that Kate has sent his confession to the police and plans to escape the country.

Bronte continues to deceive Joe about her true feelings, even as she enjoys being loved by him.

Henry confronts Joe about being ‘a monster’

Joe has been collaborating with a man named Will to connect with Henry. While Bronte holds him at gunpoint, Joe speaks with his son, who expresses his disappointment.

“What did you do to Mommy?” Henry challenges Joe, who denies any blame.

“Remember when you said there were no monsters in my room?” Henry continues. “You lied. It was you. You’re the monster.”

Henry abruptly hangs up, infuriating Joe.

Bronte tries to kill Joe, who then retaliates

Bronte sets her plan in motion, asking Joe how he killed Beck before attempting to shoot him. She forces Joe to revise Beck’s manuscript, removing every word he added after the murder.

After his call with Henry, Joe, filled with rage, lunges at Bronte and shoots her in the side, initiating a chaotic chase.

Bronte attempts to escape Joe but he seemingly drowns her in a nearby lake. The police arrive, prompting Joe to flee, killing an officer in his desperation.

In a surprising twist, Bronte survives and confronts Joe with a gun.

“It’s over, Joe,” she declares.

“Kill me. I deserve it,” he cries out, to which Bronte responds, “Oh, you would f—— love that, wouldn’t you? No way!”

Instead of executing him, she shoots at his groin.

Joe faces imprisonment

Joe is subsequently arrested and put on trial, spending his final days in prison.

While he discusses his impending loneliness, Joe receives fan mail from admirers obsessed with him.

Why doesn’t Joe die in the ‘You’ finale?

One prevailing question is: Why didn’t Joe meet his end in “You”? Badgley shares insights on Joe’s concluding moments.

“I think he would have had to take care of it himself, which … isn’t the right way to go about it,” Badgley explains. “If someone else were to do it, wouldn’t that make them a murderer?”

The actor reflects that even if killing Joe stems from vengeance or justice, “Is that truly justice? Is it even fair?”

“He needed to survive in a scenario where he’d have to reckon with his actions — without his prized manhood… That’s a unique twist,” he adds.

Is there meaning behind the book Joe is reading at the end?

Not really, according to Badgley.

Joe is depicted in his prison cell reading “The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer.

“I can’t say much about that book. It was my character’s last day, and I just thought, ‘Hey Joe, I’ll pretend to read this. Good day,’” Badgley recalls.

“I wasn’t even sure it was the real book… Norman Mailer is fantastic, but I haven’t explored much of his work.”

What becomes of the other characters?

The series ties up loose ends for all characters.

Kate survives the fire. She hands over the Lockwood Corporation to her brother Teddy (Griffin Matthews), who transforms it into a nonprofit. She further supports Marienne Bellamy’s (Tati Gabrielle) art career and looks after Henry.

Nadia Farran (Amy-Leigh Hickman) returns to writing and teaching, guiding other women through their trauma.

Charges against Harrison (Pete Ploszek) for his wife Reagan’s (Anna Camp) murder are dropped, while Maddie (also Anna Camp) faces trial for arson and her sister’s murder. However, she avoids prison and instead enters rehab for a pill addiction, and she and Harrison are expecting twins.

Bronte eventually publishes the redacted version of Beck’s novel, which becomes a bestseller.