Picture: Netflix
Joe’s London vacation has come to a bloody end, and after leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, Netflix’s favorite serial killer is back stateside. Netflix has confirmed that You will return for a fifth and final season but ongoing strikes have prevented the show from returning to production. That’s all changing, however, with the first significant new casting for You Season 5, and production is due to begin imminently. Here’s what we know.
You is a Netflix Original romantic crime drama series created by Greg Berlanti and based on the novels You and Hidden Bodies by author Caroline Kepnes.
Before its arrival on Netflix, the series was on Lifetime. However, once Netflix picked up the series as an original, the streaming service’s global reach helped push the popularity of You into the stratosphere, and has been one of Netflix’s most popular crime dramas since.
You Season 5 Netflix Renewal Status
Official Netflix Renewal Status: Renewed (Last Updated: 24/03/2023)
In March 2023, we got confirmation that Netflix had renewed You for a fifth and final season.
The fifth season will come with some changes as showrunner Sera Gamble leaves the series as Showrunner after four seasons. She will continue as an executive producer on the series. Meanwhile, executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo will step in as co-Showrunners.
Gamble had the following to say about her departure as showrunner of the series;
“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.”
Gamble elaborated further on Instagram, saying:
“They’ve [Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo] been with the show for eons – Justin since season 2, Mike since we were a Lifetime show working out of a small windowless office. They are fantastic writers and producers who are also lovely, kind people. Couldn’t be prouder, not that I can take much credit for anything except being smart to hire them in the first place.
I’m still with the show as an exec producer, by the way. But they get the big office with the private bathroom, wall-sized shark aquarium and inter-dimensional portal in the bookcase.”
Gamble is currently tied to adapt Providence, another book by You’s creator Caroline Kepnes for Peacock.
Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter had the following to say about the renewal:
“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.”
Fifth & final 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪 https://t.co/7gKc5pCHxi
— youwriters (@youwriters) March 24, 2023
Viewing Statistics for You Season 4
| Week Period | Hours Viewed (M) | Rank | Week in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 5th, 2023 to February 12th, 2023 | 92,070,000 | 1 | 1 |
| February 12th, 2023 to February 19th, 2023 | 64,060,000 (-30%) | 1 | 2 |
| February 19th, 2023 to February 26th, 2023 | 27,750,000 (-57%) | 5 | 3 |
| March 5th, 2023 to March 12th, 2023 | 75,810,000 (+173%) | 1 | 4 |
| March 12th, 2023 to March 19th, 2023 | 64,060,000 (-15%) | 1 | 5 |
In total, all four seasons have amassed over 1.1 billion viewing hours on Netflix. However, when you consider Netflix has only been releasing weekly data since Q3 2021, if you add the viewing data from season 2 this pushes the viewing stats to over 1.5 billion viewing hours. The total viewing hours are even higher still when you consider the viewing data from the first season was never released except for the fact that the series had 40 million viewers.
As one of the most popular crime dramas on Netflix, it’s come as no surprise that the series will get a well-deserved final season.
Peter Friedlander, the Vice President of Scripted Series, Netflix, US, and Canada, also had his say on the renewal;
“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.”
What can we expect to see from You Season 5?
Joe the Billionaire
For the second time in his life, the power and money of the family of Joe’s significant other saved him from facing the consequences of his crimes.
Thanks to Kate inheriting her father’s fortune and company, Joe now has access to near-unlimited resources.
If Joe were to murder again, it would take very little to sweep it all under the rug.
Joe has embraced his dark self.
Always imagining himself as the hero of his own story, Joe has tirelessly tried to fight the darker side of his personality. The attempt to disassociate himself from his actions was so strong, that it resulted in a mental breakdown which saw Joe hallucinate a manifestation of the dark side of himself.
A match made in murder Kate and Joe – Netflix
The symbolism of Joe’s reflection in the skyscraper window, and seeing Rhys’s reflection in return is our confirmation that Joe has now embraced his darker self.
Will Joe now kill for fun?
Logically, besides anyone threatening him or Kate, Joe has no further justification to murder anyone. However, this is Joe we’re talking about, which means some poor unfortunate (or deserved) soul will cross his path eventually and wind up dead.
Deep down, Joe likes to kill; only now, with Kate’s power and influence, he can murder with impunity. Knowing he’s protected, Joe may get sloppy as he looks for any reason to chase the thrill of the kill, especially if he can justify it through some virtuous self-reasoning, such as protecting himself and Kate.
Deep down does Joe really enjoy killing? – Netflix
Will Joe’s past come back to haunt him?
Despite his power and influence, three large loose ends haven’t been dealt with entirely. Marienne, Nadia, and Ellie Alves.
After refusing to cooperate with Joe, Nadia is currently in prison after being framed for the murder of her boyfriend. In time, there may be a way for her to be released.
We’re not even sure if Joe knows that Marienne is alive. For her sake, it’s better if it continues that way. Her daughter, Juliette, is the main reason why Marienne may never expose her existence to Joe, however, if Marienne decides to try and bring him to justice, she will need help.
Marienne narrowly escaped from Joe with her life – Netflix
While Joe was still in the US, he regularly sent money to Ellie while she was at college in New York City. It’s unclear if those payments continued after Joe faked his death and moved to England. Joe’s return to the States is a story of great fascination, which has been made extremely public as Kate has used her power and influence to control the narrative and make Joe the victim of his former wife, Love Quinn. If Ellie can connect the dots, and realize Joe’s part to play in Delilah’s death, then she may look to seek revenge on behalf of her sister.
Jenna Ortega could return as Ellie – Netflix
It must be noted that Jenna Ortega was meant to appear in the fourth season of You, but her busy schedule stopped her from reprising her role. However, if there is time in her schedule to return, we may see her in You again.
Will Joe receive his own stalker?
Over the past four seasons, Joe has stalked many people, including himself, but the object of obsession has been limited to a small pool of people, Beck Love, Marienne, and the imagined Rhys.
With Joe now being a subject of great fascination in the media, perhaps it’s about time Joe becomes stalked.
Who are the cast members of You season 5?
Naturally, Penn Badgley will be returning as Joe Goldberg.
We also expect Charlie Ritchie to reprise her role as Kate Lockwood in the fifth season.
On March 8th, 2024 – Deadline revealed that Madeline Brewer had joined the cast of the final season. Brewer is known for roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and Orange is the New Black.
Brewer’s role is Bronte, described as “an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright who comes to work for Goldberg at his bookstore. As the two connect over literature and loss, she stokes in him a nostalgia for his former self, causing him to question everything his life has become.”
Picture: Sarah Krick / Deadline
When will You Season 5 be on Netflix?
The release schedules of the previous four seasons of You have been the following:
- Season 1 – 26/12/2018
- Season 2 – 26/12/2019
- Season 3 – 15/10/2021
- Season 4A – 09/02/2023
- Season 4B – 09/03/2023
When the show was first renewed, we predicted it could take anywhere between thirteen to sixteen months before we see the final season of You on Netflix. That would’ve meant we could see You Season 5 on Netflix between April 2024 and July 2024.
Although the series was renewed before the WGA strike began on May 1st, the indication is that scripts weren’t finished to allow filming to begin. With actors striking, it’ll only be once the two respective unions strike new deals that production on You season 5 can get underway. Of course, there’s no timeline for when this will happen. As of August 2023, there’s no end in sight for the respective deals, and it would be safe to assume that any production won’t get underway until 2024.
You was among the vast slate of Netflix Originals impacted by the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023. Sera Gamble was on Deadline’s Strike Talk podcast discussing writers’ rooms and how the disruption impacted the show. Gamble also spoke about the strike on Instagram, saying:
“Listen, no one wants this strike. Writers would like to get back to work and we’re concerned for our shows’ crews and support staff.
That said, a small note from the picket line: I didn’t anticipate the joy of being around so many artists again.
We’ve been siloed apart on long productions, and the pandemic has meant years of remote rooms and self-taped auditions and virtual meetings. I think a big reason the picket lines are thrumming with so much energy is simply that it’s exciting to see one another again. And it feels pretty good to walk alongside people you love and admire and want to fight for.”
Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble and others on the WGA picket line – Credit: @ChrisGorham / X (Twitter)
In early 2024, we finally learned that production was looking to gear back up on the show in Spring 2024. We can now report that the view is for filming to begin on Season 5 starting on March 25th and wrap filming by August 1st, 2024.
As for release date, the show notably missed Netflix’s 90+ TV slate reveal for 2024, meaning it’ll likely not be on our screens until 2025 at the earliest.
What do you think will happen in the fifth season You? Let us know in the comments below.