'You' Season 5 Storyline I Need to See Before Series Ending

Netflix

“You” Season 5 will be the series’ final season, and there is a storyline I need to see before the ending. The Netflix hit is unlikely to have time for more than one central storyline in Season 5, and this is my pitch for what I want it to be!

For one, I am rooting for Penn Badgley’s “You” wishes to be realized in Season 5. Way before the fifth season got officially confirmed as the final one, Badgley opined all about Joe Goldberg. Badgley told BuzzFeed that he was ready for Joe to confront justice, saying (via US Magazine): 

“He’s among the worst. I think there needs to be a real sense of justice, not for Joe, but for us in this world that has been created. That probably means Joe will be unhappy because he’s constitutionally unhappy.”

Sounds like it is time for Joe to face the music and for Dr. Nicky to go free. Remember, Dr. Nicky is in prison for a crime he did not commit -- the Season 1 murder of Guinevere Beck. Joe should get arrested at the beginning of “You” Season 5. Let Joe be ready to give up, take accountability for everything, and accept the most severe punishment. Let’s face it, he does feel guilt.

Season 5 Storyline Pitch

Enter an ambitious public defender who believes that Joe should plead not guilty due to insanity. At first, Joe is hesitant. He has done so many awful things and is convinced it is all his doing. Like Frank Castle’s “Daredevil” Season 2 storyline, Joe is ready to give in when he gets inspired to hang in. On “Daredevil,” Frank had Karen. For “You,” let’s call her Kira. (Why not?)

If you predicted that Kira would be Joe’s new “You” in this theoretical Season 5 storyline -- you guessed correctly. In Season 5, the series would shake itself up again. This time as a courtroom drama. Who else is ready for a thirsty DA and idealistic defense attorney? If that sounds interesting, how does it all end? 

Joe gets acquitted by reason of insanity.

“You” Season 5 would elapse as Joe is deemed legally sane and able to resume life. Just as Joe believes he will be healed, released, and enjoy his remaining days with Kira, something goes wrong. Joe is not Kira’s only case. As a public defender, Kira is flooded with them. 

Throughout this Season 5 theoretical, breadcrumbs are dropped regarding her other client. Kira believes in them too. Unfortunately, Kira ends up as their victim. Now, Joe is free, but without Kira, the woman he became free to have by his side. Joe is consumed with rage toward Kira’s killer. And as you would expect, he acts on it.

Joe avenges Kira before disappearing into the darkness.

The series should end with a medicated Joe settling into a small rural town (think “Heartland”). A storyline that I really wish “You” had time to fully explore. But with Penn Badgley acknowledging he is ready for “You” to end, I do not see trying his patience.

In the end, Joe could walk into a diner and ask for water and something to eat. As he looks at his medicine bottle filled with his medication, a woman says she has not seen him before. Joe does not respond, staring at his pill bottle. The woman then asks what his name is.

Joe flashes through the past five seasons as the woman says, “Hello,” in a faded echo. Finally, the audio becomes clear again, and she persistently inquires, “Hey. Who are you?”. While the meds have dulled him down at this point, a twinkle of life returns to Joe’s eyes. 

As Joe readies to answer her question, the screen cuts to black. 

This ending would leave viewers to wonder if Joe is truly turning over a new leaf or an old one, and it would bring us full circle with the TV series’s title. This opens the door for “You” to be revisited, possibly with a “History of Violence” twist. The storyline with the lawyer would also give “You” a chance to explore Joe’s mental health and insanity as a legal defense. 

For those who follow true crime, you must know how relevant taking on this subject matter is. It is past time for “You” to confront its true crime connections and reckon with some of the biggest questions facing it. There could be a podcaster wanting to interview Joe, the mainstream media giving its spin, and tons of YouTube videos on the case. 

There is a lot left for “You” to cover. Hopefully, they leave the door open to revisit where it could all go in the final season.