Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for You season 5, episode 10 along with seasons 1-5.
Summary
Netflix’sYouseason 5, episode 10, “Finale,“wraps up serial killer Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) dark story once and for alland explains what happens to all the other characters. WhenYouseason 5 begins, Joe isliving in New York City againwith his wife Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie). He thinks he can be happy there and continue to raise his son Henry (Frankie DeMaio) without Henry finding out the truth about him and his crimes. Of course, nothing in Joe’s life is as simple as he wants it to be, and he’shaunted by the ghosts of the people he has killed, most notablyGuinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti).
After watching the previous 9 episodes ofYouseason 5, fans had one question:would Joe die or be put in prison?It didn’t seem like there was any other way for the series to end. Now that question has been answered, andYouseason 5, episode 10 lives up to the high hopes that fans had for a thrilling conclusion.
What Happens At The End Of You Season 5 Episode 10?
At the end ofYouseason 5, episode 10, “Finale,“Joe tries to strangle Bronte/Louise (Madeline Brewer) and they fight in the lakenear the vacation home he broke into. For a moment, it seems like Joe killed Louise, and he runs into the woods to try to escape. Unfortunately for Joe, a policeman is looking for him, but Joe stabs and kills him. Inone of the season’s big twists, Louise is alive and says:
“It’s over, Joe. This is how our story ends. My name is Louise and I’m done.”
Louise shoots Joe, but doesn’t kill him. In a memorable scene, cops take them both away as they stare at each other. It’san effective ending to their twisted and complex relationship. Then, the end of Joe’s story is revealed:Joe goes on trial for the murders of Guinevere Beck and Love Quinn, and as he ends up in prison,there are even more memes about him.
Next, Youseason 5, episode 10 shows what the other characters are up to now that Joe has been caught ina montage narrated by Louise. While voice-overs can be cheesy, this narrative device works here since Louise has taken back her power and is now telling the story. Nadia Farran (Amy Leigh-Hickman) is a writer and teacher for women who have experienced trauma. Harrison (Pete Ploszek) is free, and he and Maddie Lockwood (Anna Camp) are expecting twins. Kate is alive and working as a manager in the art world. In a poetic full-circle moment, she represents Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle) and is also raising Henry. By this point,fans have seen a few past characters, and it’s satisfying to see everyone doing well, although of course they can never forget the pain Joe caused.
Louise cut Joe’s additions from the novel published after Beck’s death and remembers Joe’s victims. She says that he ruined and then ended their lives and explains:
“In their honor, we make the most of ours.”
While fans might not have gotteneverything they wanted inYouseason 5, it’s hard not to feel satisfied by the final moments ofYouseason 5, which show thatJoe is in prison and lonelier than ever. He says he “never stood a chance” because his mom neglected him and he was always searching for love. Joe shares that fans send him letters and says “Maybe the problem isn’t me. Maybe it’s you.” This isa clever nod to how viewers are just as charmed by Joe as his love interests are.
What Else Happens In You Season 5 Episode 10?
Beforethe big showdown between Joe and Louise,Youseason 5 episode 10, “Finale,” Louise imagines shooting Joe as they drive toward Canada. She wonders, “How do I give you the ending you deserve?” as Joe plans on getting passports for the two of them. Just likethe most memorable slasher movie killers, Joe always has a plan.
Joe proves he still thinks he can get away with his crimes when he finds a vacation rental where he and Louise can spend the night. He tells her it’s “a preview of our castle” as he still believes he can buy them a fancy castle in Europe. The series finale is mostly dark and tense, but there is a humorous moment when Joe makes them dinner and Louise thinks it’s"grating” that Joe is a good cook. After they start to become intimate,Louise pulls a gun on Joe, and he realizes that she has turned on him. Fans hoped thatYouseason 5 would be asgood as the unsettling teaser, and Louise’s belief that she can take down Joe is impressive.
Joe also chats with Henry through the video game that he plays, and Henry asks, “What did you do to mommy?” and calls him a “monster.“Joe’s worst fear has come true: Henry knows he’s a bad person. Love Quinn’s (Victoria Pedretti) prophecy came true: Henry knows who his dad is.
The You Series Finale Finds Joe Goldberg In The Ultimate Cage
TheYouseason 5 teaser showed Joe in his cage, and while fans likely wondered if Joe Goldberg would die in the series finale, the next option was a lifetime prison sentence.Youseason 5 has a smart and haunting endingbecause Joe not only spends time in his cage in the Mooney’s bookstore basement, but he also spends the rest of his life alone in prison. He has a lot of time to think about what he has done, which was what Louise Flannery and Kate Lockwood hoped.
Joe used the cage as a place to torment his victims, ask them questions so he could manipulate them further, and feel powerful. Now, asYouwraps up, he has to face the rest of his life alone. Everything has led up to this moment, and while Joe hoped to live a regular life intheYouseason 4 finale,that ended up being impossible.
Since he doesn’t regret his killing sprees and thinks he was right the entire time, he’s angrier than ever. However, he has gotten in trouble for his crimes, and for manyYoufans, this isthe poetic justice they wanted.
