Leading up to You's fifth and final season, fans knew there were only two ways for Joe Goldberg's story to end: death or imprisonment. At this point, he's stalked and killed too many people to escape justice now. So, what happened to Joe in You season 5? Spoilers ahead for the You season 5 ending! Read on to find out!
What happens to Joe Goldberg at the end of You?
Joe's story ended the only way it could have: in prison. As Bronte, the woman who eventually lands him in jail, says, Joe needs to recognize the gravity of what he's done. Death would have been too easy for him. Instead, he gets a shot to the groin (ouch!) and handcuffs.
Joe ends the series in jail, serving multiple life sentences for the murders of Beck, Peach, and others. Alone, with only the occasional book, his thoughts, and fan letters for company, Joe is finally trapped. But he's still not willing to fully accept responsibility. In his final voiceover, Joe reflects on the fan mail he receives, saying, “Why am I in a cage when these crazies write all the depraved things they want me to do to them? Maybe we have a problem in our society. Maybe we should fix what's broken in us. Maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe it's you.”
What does Penn Badgley think about Joe's ending on You?
Speaking to Deadline about Joe's series finale comeuppance, star Penn Badgley called it “rewarding.” For Penn, it was especially important that Joe be taken down in the bedroom—Bronte initiates their final showdown right as he's getting hot and heavy. “It was important for him to be seen, finally, as a sexual predator,” he explained, adding that he felt strongly about having Joe stay in his underwear for the entire sequence to remind viewers of what he has done.
It's also partly why Penn sees Joe's punishment—getting shot in the genitals and locked up for good—as close to justice as he'll get. “It does become a question of, ‘What do we do with people like Joe?’” he said. “It is a carceral question, a question of justice, of transformative justice as it's referred to sometimes, vengeance, retribution.” Penn said that while some might want to see Joe dead, that wouldn't necessarily be just because it would put a huge burden onto whoever does the deed. “Torture? Uh, okay, same thing,” he continued. “Prison? Eh, feels a bit not enough. So what do you do? Take. His. Balls.”
Oh, how I love poetic justice.
