Netflix’s #1 Show ‘You’ Crashes with Disappointing Series Finale

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When the popular Netflix series “You” concluded its fifth and last season on April 25th,

viewers hastened to catch Joe Goldberg’s distinctive inner monologue one more time and learn how his tale would reach its conclusion. This renewed interest catapulted the show about the fixated serial killer back to the top of Netflix’s U.S and worldwide rankings. However, like many other shows before it, “You” has also been part of a growing trend – delivering an underwhelming finale.

Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) made his captivating debut in 2018, drawing both viewers and critics into the sinister web of his obsessive love pursuit. The first season garnered an impressive Tomatometer score of 94% and a Popcornmeter rating of 82%, indicating its popularity. It wasn’t long before Joe continued his intriguing escapades in subsequent seasons, encountering Jenna Ortega on her journey to fame (in real life, not just as a character), facing off against a female counterpart, being driven to kill by figments of his imagination, and navigating numerous other increasingly complex storylines.

Despite loyal viewers continuing to follow the series, there’s been a noticeable decline in audience engagement episode after episode, resulting in Season 5 being the first to receive a “poor” rating, similar to shows like Game of Thrones. At present, the fifth season is rated at 56%, a drop from its previous season.

Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Season 1 94% 82%
Season 2 89% 84%
Season 3 93% 70%
Season 4 92% 62%
Season 5 81% 56%

It’s often noticed that critics’ ratings and audience opinions on a show can differ significantly, yet interestingly, even critics lowered their scores for the final season compared to the relatively steady high ratings for earlier seasons. The intriguing query arises: what factors led to this discrepancy?

‘You’ Loses Its Sharp Edge in a Dull Final Season

In their critiques, critics commended showrunner Sera Gamble’s circular narrative style, as well as Penn Badgley’s portrayal of the main character Joe Goldberg, who embodies both adorable sincerity and chilling calculation, making him a captivating and lovable creation. However, the main criticism leveled against Season 5 of You is that not much happens, and what little does happen takes too long to unfold. Some reviews suggest that the series should have ended with Season 4, while others describe it as a “leaky boat being dragged through mud.

Other opinions weren’t quite as harsh, but generally speaking, they felt that the time had come for the series to conclude, as Joe’s actions started to seem repetitive and unoriginal. In essence, despite the show likely drawing a large audience due to morbid curiosity about how Joe’s story wraps up, those who have been followers of the series over the past seven years and five seasons might not find much fulfillment in its ending.

Sources: FlixPatrol/Rotten Tomatoes

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2025-04-28 14:03