Netflix’s ‘You’ Final Season Falters, Review Calls It a ‘Honking Disappointment’

London, UK – The fifth and final season of the popular Netflix psychological thriller series “You” has received a largely unfavorable review from The Irish Times, which characterized the conclusion of the long-running show as a “honking disappointment.” While the review acknowledged the effort of lead actor Penn Badgley, stating he “does his best,” it suggested that even his performance could not salvage the season’s narrative shortcomings.

Plot Progression and Narrative Decline

Central to The Irish Times’ critique is the perceived decline in the show’s writing. The plot of the final season is described as increasingly “loopy” and “absurd.” This assessment highlights a struggle to maintain narrative coherence and plausibility as the series reaches its conclusion, a common challenge for shows centered around a morally complex, often outlandish, protagonist.

The Evolution of Joe Goldberg

The review briefly recaps the infamous history of Joe Goldberg, the series’ central anti-hero portrayed by Badgley. Over the course of the show, Goldberg has assumed various guises, transitioning from a “stalker-y book shop manager” to a “fake literature professor” and, most recently, the “trophy husband of a megabucks heiress.” These past identities underscore the character’s chameleon-like ability to infiltrate different social strata while maintaining his underlying obsessive and dangerous tendencies.

Atonement Attempts and Lingering Obsessions

In the final season, Goldberg remains married to Kate, portrayed by Charlotte Ritchie. The narrative explores Joe’s apparent attempts to change his life. According to the review, he aims for “less screen time” – a meta-commentary on his own prominence or perhaps his desire for a quieter life – and seeks “more family presence,” indicating a desire to engage more meaningfully with his domestic life. A significant detail highlighted is his supposed abandonment of the infamous “perspex torture box,” a signature element of his past atrocities.

However, these aspirations for reform appear short-lived. The review notes that the narrative includes Joe’s efforts to shield Kate from corporate conflict, a situation potentially requiring him to revert to old habits. Furthermore, his fixation on a new character played by Madeline Brewer inevitably pulls him back towards destructive behavior, leading him back to his former bookshop and setting him on a familiar, ruinous path.

Comparisons to Other Anti-Heroes

The Irish Times review contextualizes “You” within the broader landscape of television dramas featuring anti-hero leads. It draws comparisons between Goldberg’s character and those in other notable series, specifically mentioning “Dexter” and Netflix’s “Ripley,” the latter starring Andrew Scott. These comparisons implicitly evaluate “You” against shows grappling with similar themes of hidden lives, moral compromises, and the consequences of dark impulses.

A Disappointing Finale

Ultimately, the article from The Irish Times paints a picture of a series that has become “deliriously cheesy” by its end. The review suggests that the much-anticipated series finale feels less like a satisfying conclusion and more like a “mercy killing,” implying that the show had perhaps overstayed its welcome or lost its creative direction. While Penn Badgley’s performance as Joe Goldberg is acknowledged as a consistent element, it was seemingly insufficient to elevate a season plagued by what the reviewer deemed an increasingly implausible and disappointing narrative arc.