You seasons 1-4 are finally out there for all of us to watch while peeking through our fingers enjoy. And in case ya need a refresher, in the season 4 finale (and here comes an expected SPOILER ALERT!), Joe has once again skipped town after going on yet another murder spree. This time, however, he changed things up by not ending up somewhere new, but, rather, back in his old stomping grounds of NYC.
After that whole Fight Club–esque plot twist of Joe also being Rhys (and being responsible for all of Rhys’s killings), the very wealthy Kate was able to sort everything out for him and gets Joe portrayed in the media as a hero who faked his own death to escape Love. He’s then able to head back to NYC and live under his original name, but the season ends on a major cliffhanger. Joe had finally done what he refused to do for almost four full seasons: admit he’s a killer and that he’s good at it.
Season 4 gave us a bit of a twist on the typical You formula, so now we're desperate to find out what could be coming down the pike in season 5. Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Is there going to be a You season 5?
Yes, and unfortunately, it will be the show’s last Netflix confirmed back in March 2023.
Tbh, the cast must have already known about this because they were definitely talking about season 5 in this vid below:
Oh, and P.S. Penn Badgley basically predicted this ending in an interview with IndieWire when he said, “It feels to me like we need to do another season. It feels to me like Joe needs to get what’s coming to him, and now he has further to fall because he has all this power and wealth.” The actor then added, “We always wanted to be responsible, and it’s not just the kind of thing we can let keep going because it’s doing well.”
So it sounds like he’s in for at least one more!
What’s going to happen in You season 5?
At the end of season 4, Joe is back in New York, seemingly trying to move on from his London murders. Oh, and it looks like he's feeling right at home given the ~vibe~ from Netflix's teasers once filming began in NYC in March 2024.
But with “Rhys” popping back up in the final scene and Joe embracing his killer side, it seems like he won’t be moving on at all (shocker!). Unfortunately for him, he is now famous (thanks to Kate’s PR campaign) and probably can’t get away with his messy, spontaneous murders like he used to anymore, so that should work out well for him. He’s also bought a bookstore of his own, so I’d be willing to bet some money it has a creepy murder basement that may or may not have a cage in it.
Like Penn said, he wants Joe to finally get what’s coming to him in season 5. And in an interview with the New York Post, the show’s creator, Sera Gamble, also hinted at the fact that Joe’s new notoriety is going to make it tricky to keep doing what he’s been doing. So it seems like season 5 is going to finally be the end of Joe casually killing pretty much every acquaintance he has and miraculously getting away with it.
Who’s in the cast for You season 5?
Every season of You tends to bring a fresh cast as Joe heads to a new location, trying to run away from his messy (and murderous) past. But with Joe back in New York, that opens the door to seeing some of the same characters from season 1. Case in point? His bookstore buddy Ethan (played by Zach Cherry) and his old neighbor Paco (played by Luca Padovan). Oh, and because Joe ends up with Kate at the end of season 4, actor Charlotte Ritchie is set to be on the season 5 cast list.
Another famous face we're definitely gonna be seeing this upcoming season is newbie Madeline Brewer from The Handmaid's Tale, who plays Bronte, an employee at Joe's bookstore. On April 24, Penn was photographed filming with the actor as his You character—and the pics are truly!!!!
Back in March 2024, Netflix also revealed that Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews are set to star in season 5 as well.
We also know that Netflix tried to bring Jenna Ortega back for season 4 to reprise her role as Ellie Alves, but unfortunately, her Wednesday filming schedule wouldn’t allow for it. So now we’ve got our fingers crossed that she’ll be able to make it back for season 5.
At the 2023 Tudum event, Netflix revealed a special teaser featuring Penn Badgley sharing a very special message and hinting at someone’s big return. While he couldn’t confirm who just yet, he *did* note that someone will certainly be out to get him and gave us some flashbacks to Joe’s past featuring people who might be crossing his path again.
What’s the release date for You season 5?
Netflix confirmed it will come in 2024 but nothing more specific than that has been said, unfortunately.
