You ending explained as Netflix viewers ‘miss the point’ of chilling final line
Topics: TV And Film, Netflix
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: TV And Film, Netflix
The last ever episode of You has divided opinion, although some fans are arguing that viewers might have totally missed the point.
The psychological thriller starred Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, an obsessive man and serial killer.
You aired five chilling seasons and 50 episodes on Netflix, with the final season following Joe as he returns to New York City for a fresh start, but his sinister desires soon collide with his new life.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the final season of You
Advert
Ultimately, Joe ends up in prison for his many crimes - with him having killed multiple people over the course of the five seasons - and he's seen in the final scene reading letters sent from his supporters while behind bars.
“Why am I in a cage when these crazies write me all the depraved things they want me to do to them?" Joe's voiceover reflects while in prison. "Maybe we have a problem as a society. Maybe we should fix what’s broken in us."
"Maybe the problem isn’t me. Maybe it’s you."
Natasha Behnam, who played Dominique in the series, said when speaking to US Weekly about this aspect of the finale: "Everybody fell in love with Joe Goldberg because it’s a TV show and we love it. But I think having that layer of 'Hey, remember that he is a serial killer'."
But the ending has drawn a mixed response from viewers, with some fans criticising the fact Joe ends up in prison.
"I hate the ending of You," one penned online, as another added: "Season 5 of You might unironically go down as one of the worst seasons in television history."
But one fan on Reddit declared in a thread defending the ending: "He deserves to die alone. It makes perfect sense for his character. And I loved how they referenced the audience for rooting such a psychotic character, and that we are the problem."
"Actually really liked it," a different fan shared in a separate Reddit thread, proving how some viewers seemed to miss the whole point.
“Especially the last line. It actually seems very much in line with Penn’s impression of the viewer - he on many an occasion voiced his disturbance at viewers being enamoured with Joe.
"So for him to finally point at us and declare YOU the problem. Chef's kiss."
Another person wrote: “YES! I thought the ending line was SO good. I found myself multiple times throughout the entire series rooting for Joe to get away with it & the roller coaster ending had me disappointed and then the last line was like a 'gotcha' moment when I realised I was actually hoping a murderer would go free.”
A different fan remarked: "I did really enjoy Joe getting his pathetic ending, forever stuck in a cage, the only interaction with the world being that of people he despises and those who worship the exact parts of himself he desperately wished to hide.
"And the final nod while very much on the nose was still pretty good in my opinion."
All five seasons of You can be watched on Netflix now.