Spoiler-Free Review of “You” Season 5 on Netflix: Goodbye, Joe Goldberg

**This is a spoiler-free review of season 5 so feel free to read on!**

“You can be the new you…and the old you.”

You is back for the fifth and final season as we finally learn Joe’s ultimate fate. Season 5 premiered on April 24th 2025, featuring ten episodes available to stream now on Netflix (approximately 45-50 minutes in length). The show stars Penn Badgley, Charlotte Ritchie, Anna Camp, Griffin Matthews, and Madeline Brewer.

You season 5 continues the relationship of Joe and Kate as they try to become better versions of themselves, but temptation finds Joe once again as he contemplates losing himself in a dangerous affair that can destroy the new life he’s found for himself.

Here is the trailer:

You has been an exhilarating guilty pleasure watch for me with a peak at season 3. Can the final season give viewers a satisfying enough ending for our wannabe hero and villain, Joe Goldberg? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Joe finds himself entangled in a dangerous twist.

Penn Badgley picked up right where he left off. Joe Goldberg has been my favorite role for him yet. He always manages to blend dark charisma with twisted insanity and it works. Season 5 allowed him to get back to his roots, which I appreciated, but it also threw in some crazy twists that we needed.

The second half of the season was much stronger for me than the first half. While some of the twists were far-fetched and crazy, they worked for the most part and also gave fans the chance to get some rewarding cameos along the way to bring things full circle.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Anna Camp steals the show!

She really livened things up. Sure, her characters were bat-shit crazy, but they were a lot of fun too, allowing the show to find its silly, soapy vibe that I feared was lost somewhere at the end of season 3.

The rest of the cast did a decent enough job and it was great seeing The Flight Attendant’s Griffin Matthews in this season as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Messy and unsure of itself…

The first half of this season was painfully slow and really confusing. I thought it was messy and it felt very phoned in. I was not a fan of Kate in season 4 and while she was a little better this time around, she still was a snooze-fest for the most part for me.

Luckily things picked up in the second half, but the overall pacing needed work. We lost a lot of You’s guilty pleasure magic after the finale in season 3 and while there were some glimmers of potential here, it still didn’t have the electric ending I was looking for. Sure, it summed things up enough, but it won’t be a series finale that I think about in the future.

Either way, I will miss seeing Joe’s crazy adventures on screen and I am still a fan of the show overall.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

You season 5 managed to bring things full circle in the end with some stand-out moments and welcomed cameos and twists.

This season was far from perfect, but it still brought us a decent enough conclusion to the Joe Goldberg story.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on You season 5 in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

CHECKING OUT WAS NEVER AN OPTION…

A weekend getaway goes horribly wrong when Charlotte suspects that a guest at her bed-and-breakfast has gone missing. A heart-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available below! I hope you enjoy!

We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “You” Season 4: Part 1 on Netflix: A New Setting does wonders for Joe

*This is a spoiler-free review for season 4 (part 1) so feel free to read on!*

“It’s you…or nothing…”

You season 4 (part one) released on February 9th 2023 on Netflix with the first five episodes available to stream now. The remaining five episodes in part two will be available to stream on March 9th 2023. The thriller-drama series stars Penn Badgley, Tati Gabrielle, Charlotte Ritchie, Tilly Keeper, and Lukas Gage. Each episode runs for approximately 45-50 minutes.

Joe Goldberg attempts to make a fresh start as Jonathan Moore in London, but he winds up caught in the middle of a dangerous whodunnit mystery.

Here is the trailer:

You (season 4, part 1) is off to an entertaining start, luring us into Joe’s twisted world once again with a few new twists to liven things up. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

You season 4 part 1 no spoilers 1

Images courtesy of Netflix

Sometimes change is good!

After the explosive season three ending, Joe left the US to start over, but can he really leave his past behind? Well, probably not and it will most likely continue to haunt him, but he’s got a new gig working as a professor in London and a new identity. There are still some ghosts lingering from his past; however, and we’ll have to see what else emerges once part two releases, but I absolutely love some of the changes to the show already.

The setting works for the most part and we have a brand new bunch of characters that all have a secret or two. Joe is transforming more into an “anti-hero” this time around, playing the role of the amateur detective. I have to say that Joe’s voice-over narration has been so incredibly funny and entertaining. I used to find him a little whiny when he obsessed over someone, but change looks good on him so far and I was actually laughing out loud quite a few times.

I also absolutely LOVE that the writers decided to turn the tables on him in season four. It’s genius! It’s really allowing Joe to shine and it’s preventing things from feeling too repetitive.

Fantastic pacing!

I got through all five episodes in one day and it was a binge-watcher’s dream! I thought each episode did just enough at the end to lure us in for more. This was always such an entertaining show, but I’m loving all of the tweaks and improvements in this department. I never felt like I had to sit through too much fluff, which was great.

The Cons:

You season 4 part 1 no spoilers 2

Images courtesy of Netflix

We have to wait for the rest of the episodes!

I really don’t have many cons at all. I’m not a fan of some of the new characters, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed my watch and I can’t wait for the rest of the episodes to drop. This season is checking off all the boxes and then some!

So am I in or out?

You season 4 part 1 no spoilers 3

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!

You (season 4 part 1) is addictive in all the right ways with some clever new improvements.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on You (season 4, part 1) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

This competition is killer…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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