What's going on with 'You' season 5 and can we expect a familiar face from 'Wednesday'?

Will Jenna Ortega be in season 5 of 'You'? We'd love to know about Ellie Alves' potential return!

jenna ortega and penn badgley in you on netflix
(Image credit: Beth Dubber/Netflix)

Will there be a season 5 of You, or will we have to part ways with the murderous  Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) for good? Thriller fans can rest easy—the story's not quite over.

You season 4 part 2 has officially hit Netflix as of March 9, 2023 and things take quite the unexpected turn for for the literary killer (who's now going by Professor Jonathan Moore), his love interests and the Eat the Rich Killer, Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers). 

Now that the rug has been pulled out from under us and we've been led in a new direction, what does this mean going forward? You'll definitely have to tune in to find out!

Will there be a season 5 of 'You'?

Yes, we can expect You season 5, the series' last, to bring us back to the city where it all began: New York. A specific release date has yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to keep you in the loop. 

Given the way the fourth installment ended, we had a feeling  there was more to uncover. Plus, actor Penn Badgley hinted at the show's future on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying: "I signed a six-year contract right out the gate. So they could do two more if they wanted."

He added, "I think if there’s another season, I think it’s only going to be one. I think–this is my understanding, but I don’t know, I really don’t know. But I know that everybody concerned, from the top on down, nobody wants this show to become tired."

Considering the sheer popularity of the series (season 3 generated 467.8 million viewing hours, per CNET) and the fact that we're still getting new You books from author Caroline Kepnes, we'd be pretty surprised if You goes the way of Netflix canceled shows

Speaking of new You books, make sure For You and Only You (available on Amazon) lands a spot on your summer 2023 reading list. 

Will Jenna Ortega be in 'You' season 5?

Fans suspect that Jenna Oretga will reprise her role as Ellie Alves for the final hoorah, but given her growing popularity as Goth girl Wednesday Addams, we almost forgot about her start on You

“We wanted to bring Ellie back [in season 4], and we heard, ‘Oh, Jenna is doing some show,'” You showrunner Sera Gamble joked to IndieWire in February, referencing Wednesday. “It’s been just such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again.”

Though we don't know for certain just yet, Goldberg himself told Netflix Tudum, "We all know there are many loose ends from Joe's past. The question is, 'Who are you?'"

Ellie is most definitely a loose end, and we're crossing our fingers that she makes a return.

What happened in 'You' season 4?

*WARNING: SEASON 4 PART 2 SPOILERS AHEAD*

Now that we've caught up with Joe/Jonathan once again in season 4 part 2, we learn that a lot of what has transpired at the start of the season is just a figment of Joe's imagination. For one, he's kept Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) captive in a glass cage. And yes, Rhys exists, but Joe's never spoken to him—Rhys is an alter ego in the former bookseller's mind. So, what does that mean? Who killed Malcom and the rest of the mayoral hopeful's victims? You guessed it: Joe. 

Joe had tried to avoid slipping back into his old ways, but he never actually really left his murderous tendencies behind. And the killing continued in the second half of the thriller when he decided to take the life of Kate's father (played by Greg Kinnear). This action led him to jumping off a bridge, but ultimately landed him in the hospital and didn't kill him. Kate, Joe's new love interest, vows to help him heal and surprisingly does not run upon hearing about his past. (Not a smart move, Kate!) 

At the end of the season, Joe and Kate find themselves back in New York where it all started. Will things be safe now that Joe's back home? Considering he catches Rhys out of the corner of his eye, we're going to go ahead and say that's a "no."

You season 4 parts 1 and 2 are available for streaming on Netflix.

Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. 


More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York


When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere. 

With contributions from