You season 5: release date, recaps, cast, plot, trailer, and everything we know about the final season

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 503 of You.
Joe Goldberg returns for a fifth and final season... (Image credit: Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025)

You season 5 is the end of Joe Goldberg's story and we will meet his new extended family when he and Kate return to New York.

These days, he is seen as a devoted husband and an upstanding father, but we know not everything is as it seems with New York City’s beloved Prince Charming - and showrunners have promised an unforgettable ending to the series!

The bookstore manager turned serial killer and stalker has come a long way since the first season, and You season 4 was arguably Joe's wildest ride yet. The last time we saw him, he was posing as an English professor with a new name, living in London. At first, he was safe from his past in the US, but things soon caught up with him.

Now, season 5 will take him back to New York, where he's moving on with Kate, as well as introducing us to her family and, "a young woman who makes Joe reconsider his new life". This all sounds very familiar and like history repeating itself!

Here's everything we know about You season 5...

You season 5 release date

All 10 episodes of You season 5 will premiere on Thursday, April 24 on Netflix.

In the meantime, you can catch up on all previous seasons on Netflix.

You season 5 plot

Charlotte Ritchie as Kate Lockwood, and Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You season 5

Joe and Kate grew close in season 4. (Image credit: Netflix)

At the end of You season 4, we saw Joe admitting that he was immoral, some rare self-awareness we've seen from the twisted protagonist.

The new season promises to wrap Joe's story up - but things take a shocking turn when his past comes back to haunt him. The official synopsis from Netflix says: "In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires."

Executive producer Michael Foley, who serves as showrunner alongside fellow EP Justin W. Lo, told Tudum: “We always said that we would stop after five and [that], in a perfect world, we would bring Joe back home to New York. We loved the idea of things coming full circle for him. We’re excited by the fact that Joe came home as such a different person than [who] we saw in Season 1. At the core of our final story for Joe is this dichotomy of the old and the new.”

As the season unfolds, Joe will not only cross paths with a young woman, played by Madeline Brewer, who makes him reconsider his affluent life, but will also contend with his wife Kate’s siblings.

Madeline Brewer as Bronte in You season 5

Madeline Brewer as Bronte in You season 5. (Image credit: Netflix)

You season 5 cast

You season 5 sees Penn Badgley and Charlotte Richie reprising their roles as Joe and Kate.

Penn told Tudum: “At the beginning of season 5, Joe has accepted those dark parts of himself, but he has also quickly learned that Kate couldn’t (or wouldn't) accept him — as much as it seemed like she would at the end of Season 4. Joe has withheld a lot of key bits of truth.”

Frankie DeMaioas is also back as Joe's son, Henry Goldberg. In season 3, Joe and his first wife Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), welcomed their son, Henry. Following Love’s death, Joe, determined to track down Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) in Europe, left baby Henry with his neighbors in Madre Linda. But, Henry is back in his father’s arms for season 5, and attending a posh private school in Manhattan. Co-showrunner Foley told Tudum: “Joe loves this current life so much that he's willing to resist any impulses that might rock the boat and threaten the life that he’s made for himself,” he explained. “Most importantly, we’re really keying in on the life that Joe’s providing for Henry.”

(L to R) Charlotte Ritchie as Kate Lockwood, Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, Frankie Demaio as Henry Goldberg

Frankie Demaio as Henry Goldberg. (Image credit: Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2025)

Some new faces are also joining the cast, including The Handmaid’s Tale star Madeline Brewer, who will play the role of Bronte, described as an "enigmatic and free-spirited playwright" who begins working at Joe's new bookstore. As the two connect over literature and loss, Bronte stokes in Joe a nostalgia for his former self, causing him to question everything his life has become.

(L to R) Madeline Brewer as Bronte, Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 5010 of You.

Madeline Brewer as Bronte. (Image credit: Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2025)

Elsewhere, True Blood's Anna Camp has been cast in a dual role where she's playing twin sisters-in-law to Joe, Raegan and Maddie Lockwood. Raegan is the cunning, cutthroat CFO of the Lockwood Corp who has her eyes on the throne and will crush any adversary … be they family or not. Maddie, on the other hand, presents as the unserious twin, a thrice-divorced socialite whose job is “vaguely PR.” But make no mistake, a master manipulator lies beneath Maddie’s frivolous facade.

We also know that Griffin Matthews stars as Teddy Lockwood, who is described as the snarky yet loyal brother-in-law of Joe Goldberg. A confidante who was never fully accepted by the Lockwood family, Teddy brings authenticity and empathy to a family for whom such things are a foreign concept.

And the rest of the cast is made up of...

  • Natasha Behnam (The Girls on the Bus) as Dominique
  • b (Station 19, Birds of Empire) as Phoenix
  • Pete Ploszek (Parks and Recreation) as Harrison
  • Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard) as Clayton
  • Nava Mau (Baby Reindeer) as Detective Marquez

You season 5 episode guide

Episode 1: The Luckiest Guy in NY
Joe and Kate settle in New York with a pledge to start over, but their headline-making marriage hits a snag when betrayal strikes close to home.

Episode 2: Blood Will Have Blood
A family dinner descends into chaos when Kate's sister Reagan makes a shocking allegation. Bronte's curiosity lands her in a tight spot.

Episode 3: Imposter Syndrome
Joe hits an impasse in Mooney's basement, as tension builds at home. Kate plays hardball to protect Henry. Bronte faces exposure at a literary salon.

Episode 4: My Fair Middle
A game-changing announcement at Lockwood Corporation sets off alarm bells for Kate. An unwelcome guest crashes Mooney's grand reopening.

Episode 5: Last Dance
Fueled by fear, Kate finds answers from a troubled source. A puzzling note at work sends Joe on a search for the whereabouts of a missing person.

Episode 6: The Dark Face of Love
A viral video complicates Joe's dreams of a fresh start - and forces Bronte to question her loyalties. Meanwhile, Kate makes changes at home.

Episode 7: #JoeGoldberg
As faces from his past resurface, the 'most visible man in New York' must sway the court of public opinion.

Episode 8: Folie a Deux
With their relationship at a crossroads, Joe gives Bronte a gift to test her commitment, while Kate finds a shoulder to lean on.

Episode 9: Trial of the Furies
Joe must use all his talents to liberate himself from the Lockwoods' financial grip. Kate tries a dose of deception to achieve her goal.

Episode 10: Finale
Hoping to decisively close the book on his past, Joe embarks on a risky new chapter. But as with every great story, one last twist awaits.

Is there a trailer for You season 5?

Yes! We now have a full trailer that shows exactly what we can expect from the new season and it looks amazing!

YOU: Season 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube YOU: Season 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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There is also a shorter trailer that was released earlier this year.

YOU: Season 5 | Official Teaser #2 | Netflix - YouTube YOU: Season 5 | Official Teaser #2 | Netflix - YouTube
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And we also have an announcement trailer that landed a few months ago...

YOU: Season 5 | Date Announcement | Netflix - YouTube YOU: Season 5 | Date Announcement | Netflix - YouTube
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Behind the scenes and more on You season 5

Executive producer Sera Gamble, who created You with Berlanti, stepped down as showrunner for Season 5 to focus on developing other projects. In her stead, Foley, who’s been with the series since Season 1, and Lo, who joined in Season 2, took over showrunning duties.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book. 

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