Fans of Netflix’s You are hoping the makers have not explored the cliché storyline of redemption through family in the final season of the show.

Netflix’s highly awaited fifth and final season of the psychological thriller You, starring Penn Badgley, is just around the corner. Fans are excited yet saddened by the fact that it’s almost time to say goodbye to one of the most beloved characters on the Internet, who took over the world by storm as a disturbed, self-proclaimed romantic hero.

Penn Badgley returns as Joe Goldberg in fifth and final season of You | Credits: Netflix

The trailer for Season Five of You, showcases that the story is going to take Joe Goldberg back to New York City, where the audience met him for the first time. It also hinted that the character’s past is ready to catch up with him once and for all, and he has a new love interest. Even though fans are super thrilled to join Joe Goldberg for one last time, they are hoping that the makers would have avoided the domestic arc for his redemption.

Fans are hopeful for the final season of You, avoiding the most cliché plotline

Netflix and Penn Badgley’s fans who had been waiting for the actor’s psychological thriller You‘s final and fifth season are thrilled as the date of the premiere comes closer. Upon the release of the first season of You, the show received a positive response from the audience and critics.

The critics at the time mentioned that you had a terrifying approach to the themes of violence and stalking, which is reminiscent of contemporary thriller movies like Gone Girl and American Psycho. Pen Badley’s performance was highly appreciated on the show over the seasons, making him, surprisingly, the Internet’s boyfriend.

For the final season, as the trailer had suggested, Badgley’s character Joe Goldberg will be heading back to New York City. The character is hoping he’ll be able to live his life free from his past, but his past quickly catches onto him. However, it was pointed out that the fans are hoping that the final season does not give the same old cliché trope, i.e., ‘damaged man seeking redemption through family.’

Joe Goldberg in season three, is shown to be struggling to connect with his son, Henry Forty Quinn-Goldberg. The character has a deep fear of becoming a father, which can be understood due to his traumatic childhood. Henry’s presence in both Joe’s and Love’s lives is portrayed as an opportunity for both characters to redeem themselves. Joe finds it extremely challenging to connect with his son, Love Quinn, played by Victoria Pedretti, who constantly tries to keep the family intact.

Fans are hopeful that season five will explore a different storyline | Credits: Netflix

Eventually, Joe Goldberg leaves Henry in the custody of Dante, a friend of the couple, as he wishes for his son to have a better life than he did. Now, keeping in mind this thought that the redemption storyline has already been explored, fans are hoping that season five does not dwell on the same pattern and makes the male lead a father or a family man so that he tries to redeem himself from all the bad things he’s done.

Instead, they’d like for the story to explore Joe Goldberg’s complex relationships, including his psychological struggles. For example, the way he was attached to Paco from season one; his mother neglected him, and his stepfather abused him. Goldberg saw a lot of himself in the little kid and took drastic measures to protect him. The character grew up as a result of a dysfunctional relationship and has had a tragic past, as the first woman he saved was his mom, but she sent him away to kill her abusive boyfriend.

Fans are hoping that with the final season, they’ll get to see Joe Goldberg accept the dark parts of his personality and life and let the storyline explore them. The character is scared of getting his personality exposed, and the audience wants exactly that for him before he goes on to bid them goodbye.

It’s only fair for a deeply flawed character to explore the internal struggles and then choose to redeem oneself instead of choosing to redeem oneself through family.

Penn Badgley did not want to initially play Joe Goldberg in You

Actor Pen Badgley, who rose to prominence playing Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl, had taken over the world with his portrayal of Joe Goldberg in You. But it turns out the actor did not want to play the character in the psychological drama.

Penn Badgley was skeptical about playing Joe Goldberg | Credits: Netflix

Back in 2018, while speaking to EW, Badgley was asked about his initial reaction to the character he shared,

I didn’t want to do it—it was too much. I was conflicted with the nature of the role. If this is a love story, what is it saying? It’s not an average show; it’s a social experiment. And then what was key in me wanting to jump on board were my conversations with Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, the creators, and understanding Joe’s humanity.

The actor noted that he knew that he’d be conflicted about the role from the get-go till the last day, which is why the makers believed that he was best suited for Joe Goldberg. Badgley added he isn’t psyched to play somebody of this nature. Upon asking about Joe, the actor described him as ‘exceedingly curious and investigative and sensitive.’

He also mentioned that the character is ultimately traumatized, and initially, he had no interest in humanizing the character. Penn Badgley shared that the only concern he had while playing Joe Goldberg was not letting his nature make him too human, human in a way that maybe somebody like him can’t be.

You season 5 is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on April 24, 2025.