The Fitting Ending of Joe Goldberg
For seven years, viewers have watched Joe Goldberg search for love in all of the wrong ways to escape his biggest fear, loneliness. 2025 marks the year that popular Netflix show YOU has come to an end. Loosely based on the book series with the same title, we follow serial killer Joe Goldberg whose obsession for love consumes his inner thoughts and actions. Spoilers for season five ahead.
Everything goes back to the beginning. In season five new character Bronte finds herself falling for Joe but she has a secret, too. Bronte, also known as Louise, was a former student of none other than Guinevere Beck. She joined a reddit group set on getting justice for Beck and Dr. Nicky by taking down Joe Goldberg.
Bronte ends up falling in love with Joe, of course, because he wouldn't fall in love with someone who is doing everything in their power to take care of you. After a deep conversation with Joe’s former obsession Marienne, Bronte realizes no one can change Joe. Even though Joe is still married to Kate from season four, he can’t help but search for the next best thing. Luckily for Kate she can see past Joe’s mask, showing that he is a toxic, obsessive, coward.
After Joe blows up Kate's family and tries to run away with Bronte, he finally gets the justice he deserved. Bronte calls the police on Joe leading to his sentencing to a life in prison. Everything that Joe tried to escape is now his final ending. He is alone and will remain alone for the rest of time. In the last few moments of the show Joe turns the tables on us, the audience, breaking the fourth wall, and blaming us.
As viewers, it's true. We root for a serial killer because he’s hot. For seven years we followed Joe in his endeavors and we hoped everytime tha he would get away with it. I question whether or not the series would be the same if someone who was not so conventionally attractive was cast instead. I myself rooted for him until season two. Love Quinn was the only person who completely matched his energy, and yet, he still went looking for someone else. Love was the person he was looking for all along, and when he wanted someone new I realized he was a hypocrite.
Joe being locked away for the rest of his life was in my opinion exactly how it should have ended. If they would have killed Joe Goldberg off, I think it would have been the easy way out. There would be no justice for any of those Joe murdered. Beck, Benji, Peach, Elijah, Ron, Jasper, Henderson, his mom’s boyfriend, Ryan, Love, Malcolm, Simon, Vic, Gemma, Rhys, Tom, Hugo, Edward, Bob, Reagan, Clayton, Dane and a police officer were all victims of Joe Goldberg. It’s only fitting that he suffers and it's only fitting that we question who we support.
