You Season 5 Almost Copied M. Night Shyamalan’s Iconic Twist for Finale

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The final episode of “You” wrapped up Joe Goldberg’s story, but the creators had different thoughts about how it should end. One concept was so unusual that it could have moved the series from being a thriller to a supernatural genre altogether.

In Season 5 of “You”, Penn Badgley’s character, Joe, experienced the repercussions of his actions as he was incarcerated for his crimes. Initially, the creators intended to confine him in some way, but the specifics of his imprisonment remained undecided until they finally decided on a conclusive ending for his storyline.

Michael Foley and Justin Lo, the showrunners, shared insights about an alternate ending of the series with The New York Post. In this version, Joe pursues Bronte (Madeline Brewer) through the woods, enraged due to his past killings being uncovered and losing everyone he cared for. Instead of being captured or apprehended, Bronte takes out a gun and shoots Joe in his lower body, leaving him to suffer behind bars while the show ends with the surviving victims moving on with their lives.

Badgley himself endorsed the final scene, but the show creators envisioned an alternative ending for the series, one where Joe would become a ghost after being shot by Bronte. According to Lo, they considered scenarios in which Joe actually died at the hands of Bronte. In one option, it wouldn’t be apparent that he was shot until the last episode, and then he would realize he had turned into a spirit.

This conclusion might seem reminiscent to horror film enthusiasts, as it mirrors a plot twist employed by director M. Night Shyamalan in his blockbuster movie “The Sixth Sense“. In this film (a significant spoiler ahead for those 26 or younger), the character played by Bruce Willis discovers at the close of the story that he’s actually a spirit, having been deceased throughout without realizing it.

In the end, this particular storyline was abandoned as the creators believed Joe should experience consequences for his actions. Other conclusions were suggested, even one opposed by Badgley. The actor disagreed because it failed to consider the character who would be affected, whoever ‘she’ might be. He stated, “It falls apart when it doesn’t consider her, whoever ‘her’ is.

Joe’s Ending Needed to Be Absolute

The writers’ collective mindset as they began the final season was that Joe’s conclusion had to be conclusive, firm, and fair. As Lo put it, “Throughout the series, there was a common conviction among the writers and creators that Joe wouldn’t escape the consequences of his actions. We went into the season with the understanding that we didn’t want to rehabilitate him, but rather see him suffer the consequences, confront those whose lives he damaged, and most crucially, make him face himself.

All seasons of You are available to stream now on Netflix.

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2025-04-30 18:10