The showrunners of the psychological thriller series You have disclosed that they had planned an alternate ending for the show that would have revealed the supernatural nature of Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg. You debuted on Lifetime on September 9, 2018, before shifting to Netflix from Season 2. The final chapter of the series, Season 5, premiered on Netflix on April 24, 2025, and drew Joe’s story to a close.
You showrunners discuss an alternate ending where Joe learns he’s a ghost
You showrunners, Justin W. Lo and Michael Foley, spoke about the series ending during an interview with the New York Post. Lo revealed that they considered various options regarding how to end the series. One of these alternate endings involved Joe learning that he was a ghost.
“We went through many different options, one of which being that he did die at the hands of Bronte,” Lo said. “I was even remembering a version where he was shot. And [the audience] didn’t realize that he shot until the very last episode, and then he realizes he’s a ghost.”
Lo clarified that this paranormal revelation was part of “a very early iteration” of the ending.
Ultimately, the showrunners settled on a more grounded ending. As indicated above, they did consider an ending where Madeline Brewer’s Bronte killed Joe, but they discarded that as well. Instead, Joe gets his comeuppance. He is arrested and incarcerated for life.
Foley revealed that they decided on the ending of the show “very late in the season.” He added, “Throughout the series, there was a shared belief among the writers and the creators that Joe wouldn’t get away with his crimes.”
Foley made it clear that they started writing the fifth and final season knowing that they didn’t want a redemption arc for Joe. They knew that Joe “was going to face some of those whose lives he ruined.” More importantly, they wanted to ensure that Joe faced himself.
All five seasons of You are currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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