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Netflix’s You is coming to an end after season 5 — but is every fan favorite character returning for the final episodes of the show?
You, which originally debuted on Lifetime in 2018, introduced Penn Badgley as a serial killer whose obsession for a girl grew to terrifying heights. Based on books by Caroline Kepnes, the series found larger success after it moved to Netflix in its sophomore season.
While fans are divided on how they want Joe Goldberg’s story to end, Badgley has never wavered, telling Salon in February 2023, “The show is never a clinical portrait of either a serial killer or a man with mental illness. So the fun that we’re able to have when we do all of this is that this is not meant to be real. And to me, that doesn’t take anything away from it. It’s meant to be an exploration, an exercise. There’s an element of fantasy and camp to it that lets us do a lot of things, and, again, I think we benefit from it.”
He continued: “If you’ve done things that Joe has done, change would mean reconciling in yourself that you have murdered more people than you can count readily on one hand. If you’re really there, I think what would require your reconciliation, let alone that with any kind of judgment in society, is more than you’ve indicated at this point you’re capable of, because you’ve done those things.”
According to the synopsis, Joe Goldberg returns to New York “to enjoy his happily ever after until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.” In addition to Badgley season 5 stars Charlotte Richie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews.
Keep scrolling to see which You characters are returning for season 5 — and which aren’t:
Joe Goldberg
The long wait for You‘s fifth and final season was easier to digest with Badgley sharing highlights from set — including his last day. “You see how Penn wraps his last day on set? Very demure. very mindful,” read a post from Netflix’s official account in August 2024.
Katherine Lockwood
After each season ended with Joe killing his love interest, season 5 is different because Katherine is alive and thriving. According to the official trailer, however, Katherine will start to question who Joe really is as his past starts to catch up with him.
Bronte
It isn’t You if Joe doesn’t have a new obsession. Enter Bronte, who is an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright that comes to work at Joe’s new bookstore in New York City.
Raegan and Maddie Lockwood
Camp has been cast as Joe’s twin sisters-in-law for the fifth and final season.
Teddy Lockwood
The Lockwood clan also includes Joe’s brother-in-law, who will be played by Matthews.
Dominique
Natasha Behnam‘s character, Dominique, is described by Netflix as “an aloof hipster who is, in reality, a passionate, clever, and fiercely loyal young woman.”
Harrison
Pete Ploszek, meanwhile, will play Joe’s “golden retriever” brother-in-law who is a former professional football player and trophy husband to Reagan Lockwood.
Clayton
The final new role is Clayton a.k.a “a pretentious, self-absorbed, wannabe author whose vindictive, controlling nature draws Joe’s attention,” according to the character description.
Guinevere Beck
You found a way to bring Beck back even after her death so why not during season 5?
“We always knew they were going to come back in some way. I was directing the episode so that was nice. It was nice to be in the director’s chair and to have them back,” Badgley told RadioTimes in 2023. “And it’s always nice in this fantasy sequence sort of way to hear from Joe’s victims. I think that’s always important. To remind the viewer and Joe what he’s really done.”
Love Quinn
Pedretti also reprised her role during Joe’s hallucinations in season 4 so fingers crossed that wasn’t the last time the main character was visited by the ghosts of his victims.
Marienne Bellamy
“I think [I] want revenge for Marienne, but I don’t think that Marienne is a vengeful person,” Gabrielle exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2023. “She would want to seek justice because I don’t think that it sits right in her spirit that he’s gotten it away with it again. That he’s out there and to know that his mind has broken completely at this point. [She would be] afraid of any other woman or any other person that could be out there that could be his next victim.”
Gabrielle also weighed in on Joe’s potential conclusion, saying, “I would love to see him actually be prosecuted and be locked away in a cage for the rest of his life. Because I also think that everybody’s like, ‘He needs to die.’ And death is too easy of a punishment. Like, if anything, that’s almost a gift. Especially for Joe.”
Ellie
“Any character who’s not dead who knows anything about Joe, it’s fair game to try to exert any justice,” showrunner Sera Gamble told IndieWire in February 2023. “And any character who is dead, [Joe] has a really active imagination.”
Ortega previously appeared on season 2 but has since found success on Netflix’s Wednesday. Gamble hinted that she initially “wanted to bring Ellie back” until she heard that Ortega was “doing some show” and couldn’t make an appearance.
Nadia Farran
Joe framed Nadia for murder in season 4 so chances are she could come back to seek revenge.
Annika Atwater
Gallagher played Annika in season 1, which she is reprising once Joe moves back to New York City after killing Beck.
