You Season 5 Risks Repeating The Same Mistake That Ruined An 18-Year-Old Drama Show's Finale After 8 Seasons

Summary Joe's potential path in You season 5 mirrors that of Dexter's main character, but Joe's fate needs to be more satisfying.

Joe's potential downfall in You season 5 may follow Dexter's framework, ending his murderous journey.

Aligning with Kate and gaining power means Joe's fate will likely exceed Dexter's divisive finale.

With You season 5 set to be Joe Goldberg's final outing on Netflix, the story needs to be careful not to repeat the mistakes of a similar show that ran from 2006 to 2013. You season 4's ending showed Joe in a position of power with not only a romantic partner who knows his true nature, but Kate also has the money and influence to aid Joe in whatever dark desires may pull at him. While there are certain differences between Joe and the lead character of a show that concluded in 2013, the two men's journeys are remarkably similar.

Penn Badgley's final season as the leader of the You season 5 cast is bound to end in more bloodshed, all in the name of his twisted idea of love. Despite Joe's murderous tendencies and skewed view of reality, You presents Penn Badgley's character as the figure to root for. While this approach isn't original, You is one of the best shows to pull off the trope of having a villain as the story's hero. However, while Joe's ending isn't written in stone, avoiding the template for how a similar figure ended his story can make You's finale even better.

Related You: Joe & Love's Relationship Timeline Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn have a dramatic, toxic romance throughout seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix's show You, as the couple plays games the whole time.

Joe's Fate In You Season 5 Needs To Avoid Repeating Dexter's Divisive Season 8 Finale Fate

Dexter season 8 ended in an unsatisfying way

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The ending of Dexter season 8 seemed like it could only really go one of two ways. The two most obvious and arguably rewarding conclusions to Dexter's original run would have been for Michael C Hall's character to have been caught, or die. Surprisingly, the writers managed to find a third option, sidestepping audience expectations. The move to have Dexter fake his death and assume a new identity away from his old life was divisive at best. However, Joe Goldberg is poised to experience a very similar ending to his story in You season 5.

Perhaps most worryingly, Joe has already faked his death, changed his name, and started a new life on more than one occasion, so doing what his counterpart did in Dexter season 8 wouldn't be out of character.

Like Dexter Morgan, Joe Goldberg doesn't see himself as the villain, with both men killing for specific reasons they continually justify to themselves throughout their respective shows. Similarly, both have sons that they leave in the care of another. Perhaps most worryingly, Joe has already faked his death, changed his name, and started a new life on more than one occasion, so doing what his counterpart did in Dexter season 8 wouldn't be out of character. However, anything other than Joe getting his comeuppance by either being arrested or dying would be incredibly unsatisfying - as it was in Dexter.

Dexter: New Blood Eventually Fixed The Show's Ending (8 Years Later)

Netflix's You can avoid the need for a sequel series by giving the show's main run a good ending

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The Dexter saga actually had two finales. Despite his story seemingly being over in 2013, Dexter: New Blood allowed Showtime to correct its mistakes in 2021 with a limited series. Dexter: New Blood's ending results in not only its lead character finally being caught for what he is, but he also meets his end. While the sequel series was a welcome revival for a much-loved TV show, it shouldn't have been necessary. Instead, the ending of the main run of Dexter should have committed to one of the two most likely outcomes.

Dexter: New Blood began a few weeks after You season 3 ended.

You can avoid Dexter's mistakes by giving the Netflix show a much more succinct ending that doesn't require a follow-up almost a decade after the story was supposed to conclude. With some of Joe's personal history now out in the open and the newfound platform he finds himself on at the end of You season 4, it seems more likely that Joe will be caught rather than killed. However, he could also die at the hands of Marienne or someone else as penance for his crimes.

You Could Still Repeat Dexter's Original Finale For Joe (But With An Important Change)

Joe has more advantages than Dexter ever did

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If the You season 5 finale does mimic the ending of Dexter season 8, then it could still work if it's handled correctly. Morality aside, it's impressive what Joe has been able to get away with so far. His immense intelligence and resourcefulness have been put on display multiple times over the show's run. As such, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he was caught for his deeds and had to go into a more permanent form of exile. However, what makes this more believable than the original Dexter finale is that Joe has the resources to do this.

Related You Season 5's Book Milestone Has Hurt Other Adaptations (But Won't Affect The Netflix Show) Netflix's You uses a series of books as its source material, and You season 5 is about to cross into territory that has damaged other adaptations.

Aligning with Kate is the most savvy move Joe could have made after the events of You season 4, but he was very fortunate to have that option at all. Dexter's only ally was Hannah, and she lacked the influence Kate has in You. In addition, Hannah was tasked with looking after Dexter's son, Harrison, so she was otherwise occupied and unable to help her partner in crime who happened to also be her significant other. So, while a You finale following the framework of Dexter wouldn't be ideal, it could still make sense.

Dexter seasons 1-8 and Dexter: New Blood are available to stream on Showtime. You seasons 1-4 are on Netflix. There is currently no official release date for You season 5.