(Credits: Netflix)

The world’s favourite grey-shaded protagonist, Joe Goldberg, has finally reached the end of his twisted little fairytale, and this time there is no bookstore to hide behind. The fifth season of You on Netflix has finally wrapped up, and so has the show after a good seven-year run. But the last season of the show did not disappoint and delivered fans exactly what they had been waiting for.

Season five of You threw the sentiment out the window and brought us a messy, brutal and oddly poetic conclusion to television’s most charming psychopath. After five seasons of murders, manipulation, crazy stalking and mind-bending monologues, the curtain finally falls. But before that, a few bodies hit the floor, and the question is: who dies?

Right after the release of You Season 4, the makers of the show announced that the fifth is going to be the season finale. And since the show had been successful in maintaining the hype throughout, one thing was promised to fans, and it was a fantastic season finale. Set in New York, it picks up with Joe once again trying to build a life with a clean slate. However, his past keeps on catching up with him in every direction, and his delusions grow darker. With this, it was hard for him to maintain the facade for long. What started as one last reinvention resulted in a full-on reckoning. Along with that, as usual, a lot of deaths happened in this season too.

Let us start with the biggest and most important death: Joe Goldberg himself. Or rather, the version of him that we have known. While the guy technically survived the finale, he ended up in a totally different place than where he started. He finally got exposed for the long list of murders he has committed over the years and is imprisoned for life.

Who else is affected in You Season 5?

And this time, there is no last-minute twist and no escape gimmick he has pulled. Just Joe, alone in a prison cell, with his one last narration and, of course, manipulating the narrative in his favour as he always has. All the victims, whose names have been whispered throughout the five seasons, including Beck, Love, Peach, Forty, Delilah, Natalie, and so many more, are no longer ghosts Joe can hide from.

Another character who meets an unfortunate end is Clayton. He is killed by Joe during a final confrontation, leaving no ambiguity about who Joe is. Finally, Netflix’s favourite killer is exposed for his true intentions, which are, by far, narrated as good intentions gone wrong. This time, Joe seems fully aware of his actions, and he shows no signs of being better. This time, it is pure survival.

Joe’s current partner, Kate, gets lucky and comes out alive, but with loads of scars. She distances herself from him completely as she discovers his last. The good thing is that she becomes successful in taking full custody of Joe and Love’s son, Henry. She decides to take him far away from the chaos his father has created. Kate’s arc was one of the good ones in the show, as she breaks the cycle of being yet another woman in Joe’s cycle of murder. With her, it feels like an actual closure.

Two more characters from the season finale get to come out alive. First is Bronte, who turns out to be Louise, and second is Marienne. Both get their happy ending, starting with Louise, whose storyline takes an empowering turn as she writes a memoir about her experience with Joe, exposing his manipulations. The book becomes a bestseller. And as for Marienne, after years of running, hiding and surviving, she reconnects with Kate and Henry, and together they form a protective trio against the man who once tried to control their lives.

So, who dies in You Season 5? Joe’s old life, his lies and ultimately, his control. The ending might be a bit bleak, but it is the one that the story always deserved.