SPOILER ALERT: This narrative contains spoilers for the series finale of “You,” which is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Joe Goldberg has finally found himself trapped, and this time it’s not a cage of his own making. In the gripping series finale of Netflix’s unique stalker-rom-com-thriller “You,” Joe, portrayed by Penn Badgley, a charismatic yet deeply disturbed serial killer, faces his long-overdue reckoning at the hands of his former victims. They unite to ensure that he is imprisoned for good, marking a significant turn in his tumultuous journey of manipulation and deceit.

As we dive into Season 5, we find Joe blissfully married to the incredibly wealthy Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), who has utilized her family’s substantial resources to reclaim Joe’s son, Henry (Frankie DeMaio). After a tumultuous escape from Northern California, where Joe committed heinous acts against Henry’s (also murderous) mother, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), he returns to New York City with dreams of a happy family life alongside Kate and Henry. However, the past is never quite behind him.

In an effort to savor the simple pleasures of married life, Joe attempts to channel his dark urges into writing a new vampire novel, using it as a creative outlet to suppress his violent tendencies. However, just when it appears he might have left his previous life behind, Joe’s world is thrown into chaos upon meeting Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a stunning young woman eager to break into his bookstore. Although she seems perfect, Joe’s instincts kick in, warning him that something isn’t quite right. His suspicions are confirmed when he discovers that Bronte is actually a catfish named Louise, who adopted this false identity to uncover the truth about her missing friend and mentor, Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail).

Even though Louise/Bronte and her friends manage to capture Joe on camera as he commits yet another murder, this time of Clayton Angevine (Tom Francis), the son of Dr. Nicky (John Stamos) from Season 1, Bronte’s feelings complicate matters further. She falls for Joe and ultimately testifies in his defense, allowing him to walk free. With Bronte unable to take him down alone, Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, freeing Joe’s brilliant former student, Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman), from prison and enlisting the help of Joe’s ex-girlfriend-turned-victim, Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), to assist in their plan to eliminate Joe once and for all.

In a dramatic twist, Nadia, Kate, and Marienne successfully trap Joe in a hidden cage beneath the bookstore, capturing his confessions that clear Nadia while implicating him in Love’s murder. Although Joe manages to escape, he plots to flee with Bronte and Henry, hoping to pry him from Kate’s custody. Meanwhile, Nadia, Kate, and Marienne cleverly persuade Louise to betray him, leading to a tense confrontation.

As Joe and Louise embark on a journey to start anew, they stop for the night at a remote cabin. Just as they are about to become intimate, Louise confronts Joe with the painful truth of her past with Beck, forcing him, at gunpoint, to remove his writing from Beck’s book, “The Dark Face of Love.” The situation quickly escalates when Joe lunges for the gun, and chaos ensues, turning violent in an unexpected twist.

In a chilling scene, Joe, now naked and bloodied, chases a terrified Louise into the woods for a final confrontation. As the two struggle, Louise manages to call the police, and as sirens approach, Joe begs her to end his life. Refusing to comply, Louise fires in self-defense, resulting in a shocking injury that leaves Joe incapacitated just as the authorities arrive. Handcuffed and without his manhood, Joe faces life imprisonment for his numerous crimes.

The series finale of “You” concludes with Joe isolated in his prison cell, perusing fan letters and reading Norman Mailer’s “The Executioner’s Song.” Here, Joe ponders, “Why am I in a cage when these crazies write all these wicked things they want me to do to them?” leading him to a chilling revelation: “Maybe the problem isn’t me. Maybe it’s You.” This thought encapsulates the complex character study of Joe Goldberg, whose charm belied a dark and twisted psyche.

Thus concludes the critically acclaimed Netflix show, crafted by visionaries Sera Gamble and Greg Berlanti, which debuted on Lifetime in 2018 and was later rescued by Netflix after its cancellation. Over five captivating seasons, “You” served as a biting satire of romantic fiction and a critique of toxic masculinity, all while offering a profound examination of Joe Goldberg’s character. Audiences who became enamored with Joe throughout the series were left questioning their own impulses, a sentiment echoed poignantly in Joe’s final voiceover.

Prior to the highly anticipated finale of “You,” Variety engaged in insightful discussions with co-showrunners Justin Lo and Michael Foley regarding the pivotal role of Beck in Season 5, the creative inspirations behind Joe’s literary pursuits, and how the writers ultimately crafted a fitting conclusion for a character as compelling as he is detestable.

Did the writers always intend for Joe to end up in prison?

Michael Foley: We always envisioned that Joe would face the consequences of his actions, and that his fate would involve some form of reckoning. The specifics of his capture versus death were debated until the very end. We posed the essential question for the final season: “What does Joe truly deserve?” It became clear he should not escape unscathed. Our goal was not to redeem him but to have him confront those whose lives he has devastated. More importantly, we wanted him to face his own reflection.

Our writing team, including Sera and Greg, aimed to portray Joe as profoundly horrific, forcing the audience to confront the moral implications of their support for him throughout the series. There was no possibility that he would ride off into the sunset; that was never an option.

Louise challenges Joe about what ending he deserves. What discussions did the writers have regarding Joe’s deserved fate?

Justin Lo: One of our writers, Neil Reynolds, suggested we dedicate two days for deep reflection. Each writer would take the weekend to contemplate what they believed Joe deserved. Upon returning that Monday, we would share our thoughts without interruption, allowing everyone a voice.

That evening, we synthesized our ideas and the following day, we engaged in heartfelt discussions. The process was emotional and at times tearful, as many shared personal experiences. It was a pivotal moment for us, and from it emerged a rich tapestry of ideas that would shape our narrative.

Considering Joe’s history of manipulating the system, how is prison a fitting conclusion for him?

Foley: Through our discussions, we concluded that death would be too easy for Joe. We wanted him to experience the confinement of a cage—not just for the striking visual imagery it presents but also because we wanted him to be deprived of any intimate human contact. Losing his freedom would be a punishment, but enduring solitude in a prison cell would be far more torturous for him.

In prison, we witness Joe reading letters from fans and dismissing them. Can you elaborate on his attitude towards these letters?

Foley: Joe’s reaction stems from his deep-seated self-delusion; he genuinely believes that people sympathize with him. Despite being exposed for the monster he is, he still receives letters from admirers. His disdain for these fans indicates that he feels superior to them. This serves as a critique of the audience, highlighting that ultimately, Joe refuses to take responsibility for his actions. He continues to deflect blame onto others rather than acknowledging his own faults.

Initially, there was a concept that he might become fixated on one of the fans who wrote to him, but we decided to broaden the narrative by having him interact with the audience as a whole instead of focusing on a singular letter writer.

What themes did you want to explore by placing Joe in a position of wealth and influence in Season 5?

Lo: Joe has always embodied a certain hypocrisy. Throughout the series, he has railed against wealth and privilege, yet he himself enjoys the benefits of being a white man in society. In the fifth season, we aimed to explore the effects of wealth on his character. With resources at his disposal, we wanted to showcase how he exploits his privilege in increasingly dangerous ways.

Why did you choose to revisit the stories of Joe’s past victims, including Nadia and Marienne, in Season 5?

Lo: Our intention was to give these women—Joe’s victims—a platform to voice their experiences. We wanted them to confront Joe directly while he was literally caged, allowing them to articulate the impact of his actions on their lives and evaluate whether he would assume any responsibility for his past. Moreover, we have a deep affinity for these characters and wished to provide Nadia and Marienne an opportunity to resolve their narratives in a fulfilling way.

Why was it essential to center Beck’s story in Season 5?

Foley: We asked ourselves how the audience felt when Joe murdered Beck and then continued watching into Season 2. While other characters like Peach and Benji are significant, Beck’s death represents the original sin that we, as viewers, became complicit in by supporting Joe’s narrative.

Bringing Beck back in New York felt like a return to that foundational sin—not just for killing her but for silencing her voice. The decision to incorporate “The Dark Face of Love” allowed us to explore the theme of reclaiming that voice through Louise’s insistence on having Joe redact his actions from the book.

What inspired the powerful monologue delivered by Louise while holding Joe at gunpoint in the finale?

Foley: Louise’s monologue serves as a piercing critique of Joe’s self-image. He sees himself as a feminist, yet his actions reveal the opposite—he undermines women’s autonomy and attempts to dictate their identities. This hypocrisy is central to her confrontation with him.

How much of “The Dark Face of Love,” Beck’s book, is genuinely written?

Foley: We intentionally kept the details of the book vague, providing just enough for the camera. In the series finale, as Joe engages in redaction, if one were to examine the book closely, they might find some Latin phrases and nonsensical text amidst the pages. Our props team worked diligently to ensure that the pages Joe was redacting were suitable for filming from over his shoulder.

What inspired the scene where Joe is naked, bloody, and pursuing Louise in the rain?

Foley: Penn made it clear that he wanted to showcase Joe at his most horrifying in the series finale. He emphasized the importance of revealing the raw, unmasked nature of Joe’s character, stating, “I want viewers to confront the reality of what they’ve been supporting.” This led to the decision to depict him unclothed and bloody, symbolizing his complete loss of civilized restraint.

Historically, we have avoided graphically portraying Joe’s violence against women. However, in the bedroom and yard scenes, we made the choice to confront the brutality of his actions towards Louise head-on. This was a deliberate effort to illustrate Joe’s monstrosity, underscoring the point that he is indeed a terrifying figure.

The series “You” has a notable connection with pop music, featuring “Guilty as Sin?” in Episode 10. Why was this Taylor Swift song chosen for the finale?

Foley: The choice was less about the song’s message and more about its alignment with the moment. Earlier in Season 4, we incorporated “Anti-Hero,” which served as a cheeky nod to the audience. For the finale, we opted for a cover of “Creep,” which matched the somber tone we aimed to convey, leaving viewers with a poignant emotional resonance.

Cardi B makes appearances throughout Season 5 via social media. How did her inclusion in the series come about?

Foley: Cardi B’s involvement originated from mutual recognition on social media, as both she and Joe, or rather Penn, expressed admiration for each other’s work. When it came time for Episode 7, we realized that Joe Goldberg’s chaos would likely ignite public interest, leading us to think, “Of course, we should include Cardi B!” The collaboration was seamless and without any complications.

What will you miss the most about working on “You?”

Foley: This marks my tenth show, and I’ve never experienced a project where the writing team has remained intact throughout its entire run. We’ve developed a close bond. Beyond the writers, who genuinely care for one another, there’s Penn, who is simply exceptional. He is the ideal lead actor to collaborate with.

Lo: We have been fortunate to work with an extraordinary group of writers. Despite the dark themes of the series, our writers’ room was filled with warmth and kindness, with thoughtful individuals extending that atmosphere to the producers, actors, and crew. Mike’s absolutely right; Penn is the best leading man anyone could hope for—conscientious and socially aware. This show encompasses all the elements I love most about television: it’s intelligent, sexy, humorous, and thrilling, all of which come together in a remarkably successful way.

This interview has been edited and condensed.