Hello, you: Joe Goldberg is donning his baseball cap for one last misadventure in You season 5. That's right, one of the best TV shows ever made is returning to our small screens sometime this year, and filming is currently underway in New York City, so Joe is coming our way sooner rather than later.
There are new showrunners behind the scenes for the series's final installment, too, with executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo taking over the reins from Sera Gamble. There are some new faces in front of the camera as well, including The Handmaid's Tale star Madeline Brewer – but more on that later.
In short, we've taken notes and have gathered so much information that even master stalker Joe would be proud. Below is everything you need to know about You season 5, from the latest casting updates to plot theories and our best guess at a release date.
You season 5 release window
You season 5 is coming to Netflix in late 2024. While we don't have anything more specific to go by just yet, there tends to be a gap of around 18 months to two years between seasons. So, based on season 4's February 2023 release, we can expect the episodes to drop toward the end of 2024.
Production has officially begun, though, as Netflix confirmed with a first-look image, which you can see below.
Spotted: Joe Goldberg in New York City.The 5th and final season of YOU is now in production. pic.twitter.com/cqAmIuNaf9March 25, 2024
The last batch of episodes was released in two installments, with our You season 4 part 1 review and You season 4 part 2 review being written one month apart to follow the series' release pattern. Whether season 5 will follow the same model remains to be seen.
But considering how all the best shows on Netflix have recently been getting the two-part treatment (looking at you, Bridgerton), we are pretty positive we'll get two a repeat release formula of season 4.
You season 5 cast: who could return?
As is typical in a season of You, there was quite a lot of movement in the cast during season 4 after Joe slowly killed off several characters. However, by the season finale, there were a few notable stars remaining, and it seems almost certain some of them will be back for more episodes.
First off, Penn Badgley will be back as lead Joe Goldberg – the only character who’s appeared in every episode so far. Murderous Joe has had many aliases over the years including Will Bettelheim and Jonathan Moore, but in the You season 4 finale he’s embraced Joe once again after heading back to New York City.
Right by Joe’s side is Charlotte Ritchie as Kate Galvin, his girlfriend. By the end of season 4, Kate’s accepted a job and moved to the Big Apple with Joe. Meanwhile, after her character Marienne survived by outwitting Joe with the help of Nadia Farran, we know that Tati Gabrielle will also return.
On that note, Nadia actor Amy-Leigh Hickman could also return, even though her character is now in prison.
While her character didn’t appear in season 4, Jenna Ortega has also shared that she’d love to be back as Ellie in the show. But given she’s going to be busy filming Wednesday season 2 and a new movie with Barry Keoghan, this is very much still up in the air.
There have also been some new cast members confirmed, see the full list of those below.
- Penn Badgley – Joe Goldberg
- Charlotte Ritchie –Kate Galvin
- Tati Gabrielle – Marienne
- Madeline Brewer – Bronte
- Anna Camp – Raegan and Maddie Lockwood
- Griffin Matthews – Teddy Lockwood
- Natasha Behnam – Dominique
- Pete Ploszek – Harrison
- Tom Francis – Clayton
- b – Phoenix
You season 5 plot speculation
Probably the biggest unknown about a potential season 5 of You is the plot. The fourth season ended with Joe embracing all sides of his killer self as he moved to New York City. Living with Kate, he's reclaimed the narrative about his life, telling his version of the truth about surviving Love Quinn.
It seems he's managed to avoid all of the consequences of his time in London by framing Nadia. However, a few people still know the truth about him. One of these is Marienne, who we saw in the finale sitting in her Paris apartment reading a news story about Joe and Kate. While she managed to escape his clutches, our money is on Marienne hunting him down to pay for his crimes very soon...
Each season, the show does like to mix things up in new locations, so we could be heading anywhere. But, as it seems from the finale that Joe will be back where he started in New York City, perhaps there are some ghosts still lingering in that city?
Will You season 5 be the final season?
Netflix has confirmed that You season 5 will be the series' final installment.
Speaking about this prior to the announcement, Badgley told the Happy Sad Confused podcast: "I signed a six-year contract right out the gate. So they could do two more if they wanted. I think if there's another season, I think it's only going to be one. I think – this is my understanding, but I don't know, I really don't know. But I know that everybody concerned, from the top on down, nobody wants this show to become tired, because that's when Joe is the most disgusting. That's when the show stops having the intelligence that it has."
For more, we've rounded up the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix thrillers for you to stream next. Or you can look ahead and check out our list of all the new TV shows heading our way.
