A month on from a core-shaking season finale for Netflix’s serial killer thrillerYouand there is still much to digest. The closing sequences of Season 4 marked a spine-tingling shift in pace, persona, and perspective for audiences who had otherwise spent the past three seasons picturing Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) as more of an anti-hero than a predatory mass murderer. In fact, the events of Season 4’s finale confirmed that Joe should indeed have the words toTaylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” tattooed on his forehead, specifically, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” Shortly after the latest season aired, the streaming giant confirmed the show had beenrenewed for a fifth installment. Now, Netflix has confirmed Season 5 will take place where it all started for Joe,in New York City.The announcement cements the fact that Joe’s latest London personality, Professor Jonathan Moore, is no longer in existence, which was alluded to in the season finale. In the final sequences, audiences witnessed Joe seeminglydriven to the point of suicideas he appears to grapple with the guilt of his murderous past (and present). However, it’s not long before he embraces Rhys (Ed Speleers), a figment of his imagination he conjured up as a way of separating himself from his crimes. In short, Joe does the crime, but Rhys does the time (metaphorically) and takes on the weight of being the disgusting, evil murderer without cause, thus absolving Joe from the responsibility. In what was a truly shocking moment in the series, the reveal marked a pivotal point for Joe’s character as his acceptance of Rhys was his way of coming to terms with his monstrous nature.Unfortunately, Joe’s pity party somehow earns him the love and affection of billionaire heiress Kate (Charlotte Richie) who essentially buys him a story that allows him to exist in the world as Joe Goldberg - an innocent man with a killer ex - once more. That means Joe now has free rein in New York and the power to make any of his little “outbursts” simply go away. Audiences were given a small taste of this when heframed Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman)for his London murder spree, subsequently killing her boyfriend just to ensure it was believable.RELATED:How the Hell Can ‘You’ Have a Fifth Season?
What Will Season 5 Look Like?
Now so powerful he can get away with literally anything, Season 5 is shaping up to be a complete change of pace for viewers. Up until now, the whole show (with the exception of one episode in Season 4) has been told from Joe’s point of view. A significant part of this is Joe offering endless justifications for his actions and even appearing to feel guilty for some of his choices. Most notably, though, is that Joe’s monologue has always been heavy with emphasis on his desire to change. However, his good-guy-pushed-to-do-bad-things persona truly crumbles apart when viewers are given a taste for what Joe is like from the outside looking in during the episode shot fromMarienne’s (Tati Gabriele)perspective. In simple terms, Joe successfully manipulated the audience all along too.
Whether thefifth seasonwill continue to spotlight life from Joe’s perspective or not is particularly interesting. Even if the show does opt for this, it’s likely Joe’s “personable” side will cease to exist. Instead, it will offer a first-hand insight into therealthoughts that go through his head when hunting down a victim. There is also the added element of if/when Joe eventually gets bored with Kate and becomes obsessed with someone new. However, with both Nadia and Marienne alive out there there is still hope Joe’s mask will be lifted for good.
YouSeason 4is on Netflix now. You can check out Netflix’s original tweet below, and stay tuned with Collider for further updates on Season 5.
