The End of Joe Goldberg: Why the You Creators Cried While Writing His Final Chapter

“We wanted him not to know the feeling of a lover’s touch.”
That one sentence from the creators of You is haunting fans almost as much as the final moments of Joe Goldberg himself.

The psychological thriller You, which turned the charming yet dangerous Joe Goldberg into one of streaming’s most unforgettable anti-heroes, has officially reached its end. But what’s making headlines now isn’t just the ending — it’s the emotional toll it took on the writers themselves.

In a recent interview, the makers of You admitted they cried while writing Joe’s final chapter. Not because he was redeemed. Not because he was forgiven. But because they deliberately stripped him of love, intimacy, and emotional closure.

The Ending That Broke the Writers

According to series showrunner Sera Gamble and co-creator Greg Berlanti, penning the conclusion to Joe’s complex arc was one of the most emotionally taxing parts of their journey. Over five seasons, they had peeled back the layers of a man who masked obsession as romance, control as care, and murder as love.

But in the end, the writers chose a chilling form of justice:

“We didn’t want him to feel redemption. We didn’t want him to feel love. We didn’t even want him to feel touched.”

Joe Goldberg, who manipulated, seduced, and destroyed in the name of connection, would ultimately be denied the very thing he craved the most — genuine human intimacy.

And that, the creators admit, made them cry.

Why Denying Love Was the Ultimate Punishment

Throughout the series, Joe Goldberg has always been a paradox: intelligent but impulsive, lonely but incapable of meaningful connection, violent yet soft-spoken. His ability to justify his darkest actions in the name of love is what made the show so psychologically gripping.

So why not let him find peace in the end? Why not offer redemption?

Because, the creators argue, that would be dishonest. After everything he had done — the manipulation, the stalking, the murders — to let Joe ride off into the sunset with a lover’s hand in his would be a betrayal of reality and of the audience.

The final script wasn’t just the end of a character arc. It was the collapse of a delusion.

A Masterclass in Storytelling Restraint

The decision not to romanticize Joe’s fate is a bold one in the age of anti-heroes we root for — Breaking Bad’s Walter White, Dexter, even Tony Soprano. These characters all live in moral gray zones, and audiences often find themselves sympathizing despite the blood on their hands.

But You’s creators never wanted Joe to be a tragic hero. They wanted him to be seen for what he truly was: a predator in search of validation, not love.

“We had to sit with him in the silence of what he’s done,” said Gamble. “And that’s what made us emotional — the emptiness of it all.”

That emotional distance — the absence of redemption, the denial of touch — is arguably more powerful than any fiery downfall or courtroom conviction.

Fan Reactions: Grief, Closure, and a Touch of Shock

As the episode aired, fan reactions poured in across platforms:

• @TVTruthTeller: “No hugs. No forgiveness. Just Joe and the weight of his own emptiness. Chilling and perfect.”

• @YouObsessed: “I was not ready for that kind of ending. It broke me and healed me all at once.”

• @FictionFeels: “Respect to the writers for not taking the easy route. That ending will stay with me.”

There’s a shared sense of bittersweet satisfaction among fans — a recognition that the story ended honestly, even if it hurt.

What This Says About Us as Viewers

Joe Goldberg’s journey wasn’t just about him — it was about us, too. The uncomfortable truth is that many of us felt drawn to him, despite what we knew. His inner monologues. His boyish charm. His apparent loneliness. These are all traits we’re conditioned to empathize with.

So when the creators deny him closure, they also hold a mirror up to our own tendencies to romanticize toxic behavior, especially when it’s delivered in a handsome package with a bookish smile.

By depriving Joe of love, they asked us: Why did you want it for him in the first place?

Why This Ending Matters (More Than You Think)

In a television landscape saturated with redemptions, comebacks, and tidy endings, You‘s final moments refuse comfort. They instead offer something more valuable — accountability.

It’s a reminder that charm doesn’t equal goodness. That loneliness doesn’t justify cruelty. And that sometimes, the most just ending is the one that feels the most emotionally vacant.

The creators’ tears aren’t for Joe. They’re for what he could’ve been — and what he never chose to become.

Final Thoughts: Silence, Not Redemption

In the end, Joe Goldberg doesn’t die in a blaze of glory. He doesn’t reunite with a lost love or confess his sins. He simply exists, untouchable, and untouched. Surrounded not by the warmth of connection, but by the chill of isolation.

That silence, say the writers, was the only truthful way to end his story.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the point.

WATCH IT NOW: Netflix

Call to Action: What Did You Feel?

Now that You has come to a close, we want to hear from you:

• Did the ending surprise you?

• Do you think Joe deserved redemption?

• What would you have written differently?

Share your thoughts in the comments below — and if this post gave you chills (the good kind), hit share and spread the conversation.

Because sometimes, the most powerful endings are the ones that leave us questioning everything.

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