‘You’ Season 5: Cast, Plot, Release Window, and Everything We Know So Far About the Show’s Final Season (2024)

Originally broadcast on the cable channel Lifetime, the first season of the gripping psychological thriller You first came to screens across America in the fall of 2018. Immediately, audiences were hooked, morbidly fascinated with the dark romances of handsome bookstore manager (and serial killer) Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). As viewing figures skyrocketed, and with a second season already in development, the show moved to Netflix, where it quickly gained a global following. Adapted for television from Caroline Kepnes' book trilogy of the same title, the show currently sits at four seasons, each more shocking than the last. In March 2023, Netflix announced that You would return for a fifth and final season, leaving audiences to ponder the all-important question: Will Joe finally face justice for his crimes? Keep reading to find out everything we know about the fifth and final season of You.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on June 25, 2023.

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What Is You About?

Initially set in New York, You follows bookstore manager Joe Goldberg. On the surface, Joe is the perfect gentleman: he's intelligent, well-read, quick-witted, and an old-fashioned romantic. However, we soon learn that Joe harbors a dangerous and perverse darkness beneath this charming facade. When aspiring writer and graduate student Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) wanders into his bookshop one day, the true extent of Joe's obsessive personality quickly comes to light. Believing he has met "the one" based on their brief encounter, Joe goes to great lengths to orchestrate Beck falling in love with him. Throughout the first season, Joe's toxic and stalking tendencies are explored as he strives to eliminate any obstacle he perceives to be standing in the way of his and Beck's perfect love story.

How Did Season 4 of You End?

Season four of You is set almost entirely in London, and the finale is no exception. The episode begins with Joe reeling from the unexpected "death" of Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) - who he'd previously locked in the infamous glass cage but intended to set free. To get rid of the evidence, Joe disposes of Marienne's body on a park bench and stages it to look like she overdosed. However, in one of the many twists of the season, it's revealed that Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman) worked with Marienne to fake her death realistically, and the former helps the latter flee the country and reunite with her daughter in Paris.

Also, in the episode, Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) is heartbroken when she learns from her estranged father that her whole life has been a lie. Her father, Lockwood (Greg Kinnear), reveals that he has been responsible for every one of her successes from the moment she turned her back on the family. When Joe learns this news, he does what he does best and kills Lockwood. However, overcome with the growing darkness within him, he later jumps off a bridge, attempting to end his life.

It's no surprise when Joe - who has an uncanny knack for surviving against impossible odds - wakes up in the hospital just in time for a heart-to-heart with Kate. Kate tells Joe that due to her father's death, she has inherited his enormous fortune and businesses and has therefore been able to cover up all of Joe's crimes. Believing that he has finally met his equal in Kate, Joe embraces his dark side. Joe makes one last kill across the pond (Nadia's boyfriend), frames Nadia for the murder, and returns with Kate to his home state, New York.

With his reputation again sparkling due to Kate's new wealth, things look to be shaping up pretty well for Joe. However, it's important to remember that Marienne is alive and well in Paris. She knows exactly what Joe Goldberg is capable of... and it's only a matter of time before she starts talking.

Is There a Trailer for You Season 5?

During Netflix's TUDUM event, we got our first look at You Season 5. The 60-second teaser is brief, featuring Penn Badgley addressing the fans before the final season.

What Do We Know About the Plot of You Season 5?

Showrunners are keeping the exact premise of You season five tightly under wraps. However, in a recent interview with Netflix blog Tudum, Penn Badgley hinted at what the final season could entail for Joe. Having finally accepted the darkness within himself, Badgley implied that the audience can expect an evolution regarding Joe's inner monologue. Additionally, now that Joe is set to embrace his true nature fully, we suspect that should Marienne return to New York to destroy Joe's luxurious new life, he won't give her a chance to escape a second time. With season five of You confirmed to be the last, whatever end is in store for Joe Goldberg will surely be unforgettable.

Related: Tati Gabrielle Is the Stealth MVP of 'You' Season 4

When and Where to Watch You Season 5

As with all four previous seasons, we can confirm that season five of You will be available on Netflix on the day of its release.

At present, it is unclear when exactly You season five will be available to watch. However, judging by previous production schedules, we suspect the fifth and final season could release as early as spring 2024. Like those before it, we believe the fifth season will consist of ten episodes. Interestingly, season four saw a shake-up in how the episodes were released. The first five episodes landed on Netflix on February 9, 2023, with the final five following a month later on March 9, 2023. This type of staggered release is becoming increasingly popular among Netflix's most popular shows (the latest season of Stranger Things followed a similar schedule), and it's highly like season five of You could follow the same pattern. Seasons 1-4 of You are currently available to stream on Netflix with monthly plans starting at $6.99.

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Who Is In the Cast of You Season 5?

Going off of how season four of You ended, we believe the following three cast members are all but guaranteed to return for the final season: Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, Charlotte Ritchie as Kate, and Tati Gabrielle as Marienne. It's important to note, however, that a character's death on this show doesn't necessarily mean we've seen the last of them. Season four saw the return of fan favorites Elizabeth Lail as Guinevere Beck and Victoria Pedretti as Love Quinn via a dream sequence. Could season five see more of Joe's kills come back to haunt him?

In February 2023, it was revealed that Hollywood scream queen Jenna Ortega had planned to return to You, but scheduling for Wednesday kept her from doing so. Ortega played fifteen-year-old Ellie Alves in season two, last seen when Joe gave her a substantial amount of money in order for her to start a new life. Scheduling conflicts aside, Ortega's return is partially ruled out.

Who Are the Creators of You?

Based on Caroline Kepnes' book trilogy of the same title, You was developed for television by Greg Berlanti (Dawson's Creek) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural). Executive producers include Michael Foley (How to Get Away with Murder), Gina Girolamo (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin), and Lee Toland Krieger (The Vicious Kind). Blake Neely (The Flash) serves as the show's composer. As well as starring as protagonist Joe Goldberg, Penn Badgley also serves as a producer on the show and recently made his directorial debut in episode nine of season four.