Netflix Renews YOU for Fifth and Final Season
Netflix has announced that its hit murder thriller series You will be getting a fifth and final season. Penn Badgley will be back to reprise his role and the serial killer Joe Goldberg, but the series will have two new showrunners, with executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo taking over for Sera Gamble, who originally developed the series with Greg Berlanti. Gamble ran the show for its first four seasons. When talking about stepping away for the fifth and final season, Gamble said:
“As I step back from day-to-day showrunning to focus on new projects, I’m immensely grateful to co-creator and all-around genius Greg Berlanti, Caroline Kepnes, my friends at Berlanti Productions and Alloy Entertainment, and our steadfast partners at Warner Bros and Netflix. Making the show alongside our writers, producers, directors, cast and crew has been an honor and ridiculously fun. And I feel lucky to have worked with an artist as gifted and thoughtful as Penn Badgely. I’m proud of what we’ve all accomplished and feel privileged to pass the torch. I’m excited to watch and support the ‘You’ team as they bring Joe Goldberg’s journey to its delightfully twisted conclusion.”
It’s a shame that she couldn’t see the show through to the end, but I get that she wants to jump into new projects and tell different stories. Regardless, this has been a fun and interesting show to watch, and I’m curious to see how this story comes to an end for Joe. I just can’t see it being a happy ending for him, though! He really shouldn’t get away with this madness.
Netflix did tease Joe’s fate with the announcement, asking: “Will Joe Goldberg finally get his judgment day?”
Season 4 ended with Joe having returned to New York City where the show began in Season 1. He’s with his new love, Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), who’s inherited her father’s fortune, thanks to Joe, who murdered him, and Joe seems to have escaped his past misdeeds.
Badgley talked about Joe’s fate in a previous interview with saying: “I thought it was the only way it could go. Is killing Joe enough? Whoever kills him is brought down to his level.”
Berlanti and executive producer Sarah Schechter also said in a statement: “We are so incredibly grateful to Netflix and Sera and everyone that has been a part of this show from the beginning. Sera is the most brilliant writer and partner and she will remain a key part of the ‘You’ family as an executive producer. We intend to bring her every idea we can from our company for years to come. Ever since our friends at Alloy shared Caroline Kepnes’ fantastic book we have always conceived it as a five season journey. We are excited to continue our relationship with Mike and Justin as they take over the reins as co-showrunners and prepare to bring Joe Goldberg home.”
Netflix’s Peter Friedlander, the vice president of scripted series said: “‘You’ became an instant sensation on Netflix with a resounding cultural impact that has grown season over season. We’re excited — and a bit terrified — to see how it all ends for Joe Goldberg, but one thing is for sure: ‘You’ are in for an unforgettable ending.”
And Foley and Lo said, “Working with Greg and Sera on ‘You’ has been a highlight of our careers, and we’re incredibly honored to be entrusted with the final chapter of Joe Goldberg’s story.”