You season 5 news and everything we know so far about the future of the Netflix show

You season 5 is officially in production, and we've had our first look at Joe Goldberg's terrifying return. Shared by Netflix, the new look sees the killer in New York City, suggesting we'll be picking up right where we left off in the final season. That's not all we know either, as it's been confirmed that Netflix's hit thriller is officially coming out at some point this year too.

This time around, showrunner Sera Gamble is being replaced by executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo for the last outing. As for what else awaits Joe and co., plot details are being kept under wraps for now, but that hasn't stopped us from putting some clues together (no need for a glass box here, though).  

We've got your complete guide to You season 5 below, featuring everything from plot theories to our best guess at an exact release date. Now, pull on that baseball cap and get sleuthing…

You season 5 release window

You season 5 is coming to Netflix in 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.

The last batch of episodes was released in two installments, with You season 4 part 1 and You season 4 part 2 releasing one month apart. Whether season 5 will follow the same model remains to be seen. 

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 likely 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.

• Madeline Brewer – Bronte
• Anna Camp – Raegan and Maddie Lockwood
• Griffin Matthews – Teddy Lockwood

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."

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