Summary
- Joe Goldberg is in a cage in You season 5 teaser, possibly self-inflicted.
- Joe faces reflections on past harm in cage; possible darker storyline in season 5.
- Showrunner hints cage integral to Joe’s character arc; past seasons lead to introspection.
You season 5 will stream on Netflix in April 2025, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is now. Now that he has terrorized Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) and possibly met his match in Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Gavin), what’s left for Joe? I have some ideas about the reason why Joe is in New York City once again, but I’m also curious about why Joe is in a cage in the recent You season 5 teaser.
Over the past four seasons, Joe has crafted a cage in various cities, and it seems like everywhere he goes, this prison follows. While the reason why he’s in the cage might not be revealed until the end of season 5, I have an idea.
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Who Put Joe Goldberg In The Cage In You Season 5?
After an eerie teaser hinting at Joe Goldberg’s NYC return, Netflix has shown fans another You season 5 teaser, and it got me thinking. While Joe’s current love interest Kate could have put him in the cage, I think Joe put himself in the cage in You season 5. I believe that all four previous seasons have been leading up to this moment, and I think he’s going to spend some time reflecting on the harm he has caused and the dark experiences he has had.
Although I’m sure some past You characters will appear in You season 5, I don’t think any of them trap Joe in the cage he has forced so many people to spend time in. I found the tone of You season 4 to be much sadder than the previous three seasons. Instead of convincing himself that he had good reasons for hurting others, Joe seemed to look himself in the eye and recognize his disturbing true self. I think that by this point, Joe might want to punish himself for what he has done, and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone anymore.
While it’s unclear who Joe is talking to in the You season 5 teaser, I think fans are meant to assume he’s addressing a new love interest. I think that could be true. However, I also wonder if Joe is talking to himself when he says:
“Hello, you. Haven’t we met? I’m sure we must have crossed paths. Perhaps I can refresh your memory. I’m Joe. Let’s get to know each other better before we bid each other one last farewell. Goodbye, you.”
In February 2023, Penn Badgley said Joe “needs to die” in an interview with Salon, and I agree that it seems like Joe could face the end of his life in You season 5. I’m not sure what avenue this storyline will take, but I don’t think Joe is going to ride off into the sunset and get a happy ending. I predict that he will be in the cage for at least one full episode and fans will wonder if he died. After all the burning questions that fans had before You season 3, I think You season 4 was a mostly satisfying season. Although Joe and Kate seemed to team up in the fourth season finale, I think Joe is going to break down and face the darkness inside himself once again.
What Has The You Showrunner Said About Joe Goldberg’s Cage?
Joe Goldberg has had his cage in New York City, Los Angeles, and London, and it has become a huge part of his storyline. It was hard not to watch every episode of You season 4 part 1 and not wait for the cage to show up. Sera Gamble, the showrunner of You, has talked about the cage in a few interviews, and it’s interesting to hear the approach to this part of Joe’s character arc.
Gamble spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle) gets through her time in the cage in You season 4. Gamble said:
“anytime you put a character in the cage, it’s a crucible, and you melt them down to their deepest component parts. And getting to figure out how she would survive, and that her art — essentially being an artist and being a mother — is how she survives in the cage.”
Gamble also talked about the difficult situation Joe finds himself in at the end of You season 2 as Love is pregnant and Joe realizes he can’t get away easily. This definitely leads Joe to continue building cages no matter where he is, and it’s clear that the cage will be a big part of You season 5. Gamble told Variety:
“We try to make it difficult for Joe to escape the mistakes of his past. I really love the feeling that anything you tripped on before can come back and haunt you, and he is really in it right now.”
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