This section provides a detailed examination of “You” Season 5, released on April 24, 2025, focusing on the user’s sentiment of it being a “dull, slow burning ending.” The analysis draws from a wide range of critic reviews to offer a thorough understanding, reflecting the mixed reception and addressing the specific descriptors provided.
Key Points
- Reviews for “You” Season 5 are mixed, with some finding it dull and slow-paced, while others see it as entertaining.
- It seems likely that the ending feels slow-burning for some, with critics noting sluggish pacing and predictability.
- The evidence leans toward a divided opinion, with both positive and negative views on its conclusion.
Overview
“You” Season 5, released on April 24, 2025, has received mixed reviews, particularly regarding its pacing and ending. Some viewers and critics describe it as dull and slow-burning, while others appreciate its entertainment value and closure for Joe Goldberg’s story.
Detailed Analysis
The season follows Joe returning to New York, now wealthy and married, with his past threatening his new life. Critics have varied opinions, with some highlighting sluggish pacing and a lack of thrills, aligning with the description of a “dull, slow burning ending.” Others found it thrilling and a satisfying conclusion, suggesting it depends on individual preferences.
Supporting Evidence
Reviews from sources like Rotten Tomatoes show a 77% approval rating, indicating a generally positive but not unanimous reception. Negative critiques, such as from The Guardian, call the ending “rubbish,” supporting the dullness claim, while positive reviews from Collider praise its thrills.
Background and Context
“You” is an American psychological thriller series that premiered in 2018, inspired by Caroline Kepnes’ novel. Season 5, marking the final chapter, was ordered by Netflix on March 24, 2023, with Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo taking over as showrunners after Sera Gamble. The season, consisting of 10 episodes, was released in its entirety on April 24, 2025, just before the current date of April 25, 2025. It follows Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, as he returns to New York City, now rich and married to Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), with new cast members like Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp, and Griffin Matthews joining the ensemble. Filming began in March 2024 and ended in August 2024, delayed initially due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Critical Reception Overview
The critical reception for Season 5 is mixed, with a 77% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 26 reviews, and a mixed or average score on Metacritic. This polarization is evident in the variety of descriptors used, ranging from “entertaining” and “thrilling” to “sluggish,” “predictable,” and “rubbish.” The user’s description of a “dull, slow burning ending” aligns with several negative reviews, but there are also positive takes that contradict this view, suggesting a complex landscape of opinions.
Detailed Review Summaries
To provide a structured overview, the following table summarizes key critic reviews, focusing on aspects relevant to pacing, ending, and overall sentiment:
| Source | Review Summary | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndieWire | It’s unapologetically entertaining, delivers on what got audiences obsessed. | B- | Apr 24, 2025 |
| The Globe and Mail | Joe returns to New York, Succession-skewing plotline, campy through Anna Camp playing twin sisters. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| YouTube Review | Solid ending, good ideas, relevant material, sluggish pacing, decent finale. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Pop Culture Planet | Penn Badgley compelling, ends pointing at audience as the real problem, debates on romanticizing violence. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Pajiba | Campy, Lifetime feel, low-stakes binge-watching, trashy and watchable. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Collider | Not as bloody, still thrilling. | 7/10 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| AwardsWatch | Trashy at its finest, campy, over-the-top, provocative, delicious, satisfying conclusion. | B | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Qiibo | Closes Joe’s story, faces his sins, entertaining, full of surprises, twists. [Full review in Spanish] | 3/4 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| But Why Tho | Melodrama brushes thrilling elements awkwardly, situations work, changes eyerolls into gasps. | 8.5/10 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Geek Vibes Nation | Satisfying, gluttonous send-off. | 8/10 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| The Wrap | Without danger, just daft, no thrills or guilty pleasure. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Telltale TV | Fun ride, serves characters well, solid, gratifying conclusion. | 4/5 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Geeks of Color | Treat for neuroticism and romance fans, gimmicky, cunning, bingeable, riveting twist, teases justice. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| iNews | Writers ran out of inspiration, twists reused, predictable, lazy, “best of You” attempt. | 2/5 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Paste Magazine | Will disappoint, frustrate, delight fans, fitting final chapter, tonally all over the place. | 7.5/10 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Evening Standard | Penn Badgley strong, series needed mercy killing, glad it’s over. | 2/5 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Filmjoy Reviews | Perfect ending for Joe, unexpected, ultimately what he deserves. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
| AV Club | Bodies pile up, attention-span croaks, silly series becomes indulgent, stultifying. | 2/5 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| The Guardian | Used to be fun, satire seeped out, mess, struggles to clear up, rubbish ending. | 2/5 | Apr 24, 2025 |
| Inverse | Joe’s story full circle, conclusion feels like remix of You’s greatest hits. | – | Apr 24, 2025 |
Addressing “Dull, Slow Burning Ending”
The user’s description of the season as a “dull, slow burning ending” is supported by several reviews that highlight pacing issues and a lack of excitement. For instance:
- A YouTube review noted “sluggish pacing,” directly aligning with “slow burning.”
- The Wrap described it as “without danger, just daft, no thrills or guilty pleasure,” suggesting a lack of engagement that could be perceived as dull.
- iNews called it “predictable” and “lazy,” reinforcing the idea of a dull ending.
- The Guardian labeled the ending as “rubbish,” and AV Club described it as “stultifying,” both supporting the dullness claim.
However, not all reviews share this view. Positive takes, such as from Collider and AwardsWatch, describe it as “still thrilling” and a “satisfying conclusion,” suggesting that the ending’s pace and impact depend on individual viewer expectations.
Additional Observations
The phrase “A Killer Passion” does not appear in the reviewed sources as a title or specific descriptor, suggesting it might be the user’s interpretation or a creative framing of the show’s theme (Joe’s obsessive passion). This does not detract from the analysis, as the focus remains on the “dull, slow burning ending” sentiment, which is well-supported by critical feedback.
The mixed reception is also reflected in audience reactions, though specific user reviews were not detailed in the sources, the critical divide suggests a similar split among viewers. The season’s attempt to wrap up Joe’s story, with new characters and a return to New York, was seen by some as a “gluttonous send-off” (Geek Vibes Nation), while others felt it “needed a mercy killing” (Evening Standard).