You season 5: Release date, trailer, plot, images and latest news

While we've certainly had teaser trailers to satiate our excitement for the fifth and final instalment, this new trailer gives us an extended first-look at some of the twisted drama to come and the ghosts from the past that Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is trying to run from.

We see how his newfound life of fame and fortune is unfolding in the Big Apple but it also seems like all the press coverage of his return to New York also comes with its fair share of problems.

The trailer teases the return of Joe's former student Nadia (Amy Leigh Hickman) as she sits in prison, watching news coverage about Joe. We also see someone reference the season 1 murder of Peach Salinger (Shay Mitchell), claiming to be a former friend of hers and putting out a public appeal for information on Joe.

But of course, it wouldn't quite be a season of You without Joe's compulsion to obsess over nearly every woman he meets, this time round being The Handmaid's Tale's Madeline Brewer, who joins the cast as enigmatic playwright Bronte.

Scroll to the bottom of this article for the trailer itself but could we also be set to see the return of any other of Joe's previous loves? Especially like Elizabeth Lail's Guinevere, Victoria Pedretti's Love or Tati Gabrielle's Marienne.

We do know for certain that there are a whole host of new names joining the cast, with Anna Camp (True Blood) set to play Joe’s sisters-in-law, Raegan, and Maddie Lockwood, as teased in the trailer.

Another new You face is Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau, who recently teased exclusively to RadioTimes.com that it was "just phenomenal to completely shift gears and create a new character, completely different type of series – I’d never done something that was so plot-driven before. It was amazing".

The hotly-anticipated fifth season will follow on from season 4's cliffhanger ending, in which Joe returned to where it all began in the States alongside Kate.

But as Joe attempts to enjoy a peaceful existence, the ghosts of his past and dark desire soon threaten to destroy everything.

So, when exactly is the fifth season of You landing on Netflix? Read on to find out everything we know.

You season 5 release date and time

You season 5 will be released on Netflix on 24th April 2025 at 8am BST.

The streaming service confirmed the news in January 2025.

Netflix initially confirmed the season 5 renewal news on Friday 24th March in a thrilling series flashback video. In it, we see snapshots of Joe's past throughout the series and the video finishing with Badgley saying: "Goodbye, You."

However, executive producer Sera Gamble, who created the series with Greg Berlanti, is stepping down as showrunner for Season 5 to focus on developing other projects.

Instead, You writers Michael Foley (who’s been with the series since season 1) and Justin W Lo, who joined in season 2, will take over showrunning duties.

In a statement, Gamble said: "As I step back from day-to-day showrunning to focus on new projects, I’m immensely grateful to co-creator and all-around genius Greg Berlanti, Caroline Kepnes, my friends at Berlanti Productions and Alloy Entertainment, and our steadfast partners at Warner Bros and Netflix.

"Making the show alongside our writers, producers, directors, cast and crew has been an honor and ridiculously fun. And I feel lucky to have worked with an artist as gifted and thoughtful as Penn Badgley.

"I’m proud of what we’ve all accomplished and feel privileged to pass the torch. I’m excited to watch and support the You team as they bring Joe Goldberg’s journey to its delightfully twisted conclusion."

Who will star in You season 5?

We have some details on who we can expect in the You season 5 cast.

Penn Badgley will, of course, return as our problematic main lead, Joe Goldberg. But could Tati Gabrielle return as Marienne Bellamy in order to exact some revenge? Perhaps.

With Joe now leading a new life between New York and London, Charlotte Ritchie will reprise her role as Kate, but there have also been some further exciting casting announcements for the new series.

Madeline Brewer, known for her roles in Orange is the New Black and The Handmaid's Tale, will play Bronte. According to Netflix, Bronte is "an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright who gets a job at Joe’s new bookstore. As the two connect over literature and loss, Bronte stokes in Joe a nostalgia for his former self, causing him to question everything his life has become."

Griffin Matthews has joined the cast as Teddy Lockwood, who has been described as "Joe’s snarky yet loyal brother-in-law. A confidante who was never fully accepted by the Lockwood family, Teddy brings authenticity and empathy to a family for whom such things are a foreign concept."

And in rather fun news, Anna Camp will be playing twins in the new series as Raegan and Maddie Lockwood, Joe’s twin sisters-in-law.

According to Netflix: "Raegan is the cunning, cutthroat CFO of the Lockwood Corp who has her eyes on the throne and will crush any adversary… be they family or not. Maddie, on the other hand, presents as the unserious twin, a thrice-divorced socialite whose job is 'vaguely PR.'"

The previously released Tudum teaser intimates that someone from Joe's past will return but as for who it'll be, we'll just have to wait and see. It's also been recently confirmed that Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau will be starring as Detective Marquez, with details of her role being kept under wraps for now.

The confirmed cast list for You season 5 is as follows.

• Penn Badgley as Joe Golberg
• Charlotte Ritchie as Kate
• Madeline Brewer as Bronte
• Griffin Matthews as Teddy Lockwood
• Anna Camp as Raegan and Maddie Lockwood
• Nava Mau as Detective Marquez

As for any season 4 faces making an appearance, there is potential for Kate's best friend, Phoebe (Tilly Keeper) to return, as well as the rest of Kate's London friends.

We know that Rhys made a surprise reappearance in the final moments of the finale so Joe's hopes of getting rid of his evil alter-ego were unsuccessful and Ed Speleers could return as the charismatic devil on Joe's shoulder.

We'd hope Nadia is concocting a revenge plan of her own so Amy Leigh Hickman could very well be returning but as is often the case of You, Joe continues to go through life relatively unscathed so there is the high possibility that season 5 could just pick up with an entirely new plot and characters.

We'll just have to wait and see.

What could You season 5 be about?

Following on from season 4's ending, in which Joe returned to New York City alongside Kate, season 5 will follow our lead as he attempts to claim his old life back, including his son Henry.

But as Joe attempts to enjoy a peaceful existence, as the plot synopsis teases, "his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires".

The plot beyond this is yet to be revealed.

Of course, the series is based around the books by Caroline Kepnes so it could very well be that her third novel could be the source material for season 5. The script and tale for season 4 strayed away from Kepnes' books but who's to say that the series may not revisit her novels in season 5?

You Love Me was published in 2021 and is the third instalment in her You book series. It follows Joe as he journeys to the Pacific Northwest and meets lovable librarian Mary Kay DiMarco, who he falls intensely for. But he's ready to prove he's a different man and tries to court her without his usual obsessive acts, even securing a job in the sleepy town.

While Mary Kay sounds similar to Marienne, it could be the case that her plot line could be revisited again in season 5 or Joe could somehow weave his way into the life of another librarian, who also happens to be a mother and friend.

But Kepnes is also bringing out a fourth novel in her You series, due for release in April 2023. For You and Only You follows Joe to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he earns a coveted place in a writing fellowship. Like in season 4, he's set to be introduced to a tight-knit group of wealthy individuals and also falls in love with Wonder Parish, a woman with the same attitude as Joe that could very well be his literary soulmate.

But after faking his own death in season 3 and then adopting an alias as Jonathan Moore in season 4 – to then be re-revealed to the world as Joe – can he really carry on going around the globe unnoticed? There's definitely a lot of source material for any future seasons and the way that season 4 ended, we can only hope for some kind of comeuppance to be coming Joe's way sooner rather than later.

How did You season 4 end?

Well, it was certainly a twisted ending.

With Nadia (Amy Leigh Hickman) getting closer to the truth of Joe's past, she forges a plan to help Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) escape the glass cage in the derelict London warehouse. We found out in the finale that although Marienne appeared dead in the cage, the pair had actually agreed to inject her with pulse-slowing betablockers that made her appear dead. When Joe left her body in the park to be found, she escaped with Nadia.

Joe killed Kate's dad and framed his bodyguard for the crime, which is news that almost comes as welcome relief to Kate after a longstanding rocky relationship with her father.

Joe attempts to rid himself of his "dark side", throwing Rhys over a London bridge but of course, it's all a figment of his imagination. Joe then jumps off the bridge himself but is rescued, winding up in hospital, with Kate telling him the news of her father's death.

In the hospital, Joe and Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) share a moment where they profess their love for one another and Kate asks Joe plainly what she needs to know about his past. He reveals his true identity (not Jonathan) and although it's off-screen, we're left to assume that he's told her everything.

Elsewhere, Nadia goes searching in Joe's apartment for evidence that could help get him arrested for Rhys's murder. She finds Rhys's stuff and goes to meet her friend Eddie who's been helping her but Joe corners her on the street. She's nervously also looking for Eddie but when she drops her phone, Joe picks it up and finds the pictures she's taken of the evidence.

In the final scenes of the finale – which are a flashback with Joe now in New York – we see that Joe had actually found Eddie and killed him, leaving him on the road. Nadia stumbles over his body and Joe frames her for his murder, putting the knife (murder weapon) in her hand.

He says the box of Rhys Montrose's things is going to be found in her bedroom by the police. They'll think it was Eddie that killed Rhys and then Nadia killed Eddie because of it. "She refused to speak in her own defence, still hasn't spoken from prison. Like I said, smart," we hear Joe narrating.

And then things annoyingly seem to wrap up rather perfectly for our protagonist. He and Kate are being interviewed for their philanthropy work and we learn that due to Kate's wealth and substantial PR team, Joe has managed to rebrand his image as a victim in his relationship with Love Quinn, while also starting a foundation with Kate that will see them open an art school in NYC and London.

Essentially, Joe got away with everything – yet again.

But in the finale, we also see Marienne living peacefully back in Paris with her daughter when an article on The Cut flashes up on her phone; a profile on Joe and Kate entitled "A Brush with Death, A New Life of Philanthropy: How Joe Goldberg Escaped Killer Love Quinn".

She says: "Grateful for a second chance at a good life? Right" which very much could point to some kind of revenge plot in a potential season 5.

In the very last moments of the finale, we see Rhys' reflection in the window, hinting at the fact that Joe never managed to "get rid of" his dark alter-ego and most certainly points at a potential season 5 character return.

Is there a trailer for You season 5?

There is! The full official trailer just landed and in it, we get a sense of some of the impending pressure and new challenges Joe faces after he moves back to New York with his new wife and son.

Watch it for yourself below.

Netflix also released a couple of teaser trailers, with Joe teasing the end to come.

He narrates: "Here we are, together again, back to where it began. A lot has happened these many years together – identities, cities, loves, complications – but all that led me here, to now, to where I was always meant to be.

"And the one constant, the one thing that’s always been there for me, is you. You, who have been there the whole time and will be there with me until the end. Goodbye, YOU."

The second, released in February 2025, also teases Joe's relationship with Kate – but could it also be teeing up a new victim? You can watch it below.

Read more:

• You star Penn Badgley on big twist and message behind season 4 part 2
• Does Marienne die in You season 4 part 2? Tati Gabrielle on return
• You season 4 part 2 ending explained: What happens to Joe?
• You’s Charlotte Ritchie on why she was “nervous” about the season 4 role
• You season 4 location guide: Where was the Netflix thriller filmed?
• You star on season 4: ‘It’s timely and important – but also fun'

You season 5 will be coming to Netflix on Thursday 24th April 2025 – sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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