I Love ‘You’s Ending, but I Still Can’t Get Past This One Baffling Choice the Writers Made With Joe

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for You Season 5.

One of the most impressive things about You is that, at the end of every season, it appears that we are at the end of Joe’s (Penn Badgley) story, only for a new tease of what is to come that feels like an unnecessary continuation. Then the new season comes out and excels at immediately engaging you in the tense new narrative. That is exactly what happened at the end of Season 4, where it felt like Joe had achieved a final victory by marrying Kate (Charlotte Ritchie). Yet, we got Season 5, and now I’m sad we won’t get another one. How ironic.

That isn’t to say You‘s ending wasn’t satisfactory, because it was. The tense and explosive confrontation between him and Bronte (Madeline Brewer) in the final episode, “Finale,” was something out of a slasher horror film, a clever switch from the dark romance genre the season had satirized. However, while his capture and end point in jail were all perfect, the unnecessary detail of Joe having his penis shot off felt slightly childish and undercut the somber message the series presented. It isn’t that I don’t understand what they were trying to convey with this plot point; it’s the fact that it is such obvious symbolism that doesn’t feel in keeping with the rest of the show’s attitude towards on-the-nose tropes or ironies.

During a Montage, it is Revealed That Bronte Shot Joe’s Penis in ‘You’s Finale

Over the course of Season 5 of You, Joe erodes all the sympathy we could have for him as he becomes more bloodthirsty and narcissistic, believing anyone who won’t accept his murderous tendencies to be deserving of death. Therefore, when it appears that he and Bronte may drive off into the sunset, it is a relief to know Bronte’s real plan is to kill him once she gets the opportunity. Pretending that she wants to explore BDSM again, Bronte lowers Joe’s guard before holding him at gunpoint, and a brutal fight ensues that sees Joe on the run in a forest. Eventually, with the police closing in, Joe and Bronte stand opposite each other, and Bronte refuses to execute Joe as he wishes. Seeing Joe beg and be denied is a thoroughly satisfying deconstruction of the powerful man he built himself up to be in his mind.

During their final confrontation, when Joe launches at Bronte, she shoots him, finally confirming to the audience he won’t get away. We see his trial and how he was completely exposed, with some characters having happy endings, such as Teddy (Griffin Matthews) and Kate. However, the tone is not celebratory, but depressing as we are reminded of the pain Joe has caused to so many and how what he did to people like Beck (Elizabeth Lail) can never be fixed, as Bronte can only imagine Beck being able to conduct a book signing that will never happen. Not only does Joe go to prison, but he becomes an internet meme when everyone finds out Bronte shot his penis. We see people online mocking him for this, and Joe is back to being someone everyone sees as a joke, a particular sore spot for him. However, this is where the issues become clear.

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Penn Badgley bids goodbye to Joe Goldberg with the final season of ‘You.’

The Obvious Symbolism Is Childish in ‘You’ and Gives Joe Undeserved Sympathy

One of the disappointments here is that I expected better from You. It’s clear what the show is trying to convey: that his misogyny in the way he pursues, manipulates, and attacks women has finally been exposed and taken away. However, it is overwhelmingly simple and undercuts the tone of the ending. The brief comedic tone arguably minimizes some of the trauma Joe has caused others. It felt like a piece of information I should be chuckling at. However, throughout the season, we are shown the scale of his villainy and how we kept falling prey to the way he generates sympathy. The speech that Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) gives to Bronte in the penultimate episode, “Trial of the Furies,” could easily be given to me. Therefore, there isn’t much funny about an ending that confronts both Joe and the audience, especially when it invites us to think introspectively, and proceeds to throw in a penis joke.

One could argue that the mockery of Joe was supposed to show how society never takes things seriously enough and will forget rather than learn. However, because they portrayed the scene from Joe’s point of view, seeing his annoyance focuses on how it affects him, and makes us decide if we’re happy or not that he is being mocked. Considering he is effectively condemned by You, we’re clearly supposed to see this as more of a win than a loss.

I know that when I see people laughing at Joe on social media in You, I should laugh with them. Joe is, after all, someone who took pleasure in the suffering of others, and this is far less punishment than he dished out to others. However, I can’t help but feel sorry for anyone being laughed at by someone, and Joe does not deserve even a sliver of sympathy. Perhaps, by giving us this slight ray of light in how we view Joe, You is inviting us to be tempted back into falling for his play-the-victim devilry, but at this point the show has picked a side and should encourage us to stick with it too.

Joe Losing Part of His Penis Doesn’t Make Him Any Less Dangerous in ‘You’

My biggest issue is that You uses the symbol of a penis to make out like this takes away some of Joe’s power, but it doesn’t. His penis, which we can see relating to a man’s supposed strength and dominance, was never his greatest weapon, but his mind and ability to manipulate people. He is regularly underestimated because he is not someone many would consider intimidating, and he is woefully unprepared when anyone puts up a half-decent fight, such as when he struggles to kidnap Reagan (Anna Camp). Furthermore, the season put a huge focus on how he has no real power, and that his only control comes from that which we let men like him have, which was explored via how he turned Maddie (Anna Camp) into his accomplice.

I’m not trying to say the finale was weak because of this. However, I can’t ignore that what could have been a perfect wrap-up was slightly undermined by this choice to have Joe’s penis shot off. It didn’t feel like it belonged in what should have been a sole focus on the deplorable nature of Joe, and left me unimpressed in the moment.

Watch all episodes of You now on Netflix in the U.S.

You

Release Date

2018 – 2024

Directors

Marcos Siega, Lee Toland Krieger, Cherie Nowlan, DeMane Davis, Kellie Cyrus, Marta Cunningham, Martha Mitchell, Victoria Mahoney, Erin Feeley

Writers

Justin W. Lo