You Season 5 Episode 8 Recap: An Adventure-Packed & Fascinating Episode

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for You season 5 episode 8.

Summary

Louise spares Joe despite his dark plan by saying “I’m not going anywhere.”
Kate resolves to take down Joe due to his violent nature & malicious actions.
Joe admits his fondness for killing, showcases true evil in him, and faces betrayal.

You season 5, episode 8 has all the elements of the Netflix series that fans know and love, from Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) being forced to look inside himself to some haunting scenes in his infamous cage. At the end of You season 4, it was unclear how Joe could truly live happily ever after in New York City, although he swore he would try. Now, Joe’s marriage to Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie) has been over for a while, and there’s no turning back.

As fans thought about which characters could come back, they also wondered if Joe would escape or be punished for the murders he committed. The eighth episode might not answer that question just yet, but as You season 5 gets closer to its last episode, the show is as fun a ride as ever.

You Season 5 Needs To Bring This Character Back

The You Season 5 Teaser trailer reminded viewers that Joe has a lot of loose ends. Perhaps this character from Season 2 might bring him down for good.

What Happens In You Season 5 Episode 8?

Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and Bronte (Madeline Brewer) on You

You season 5, episode 8, “Folie a Deux,” begins with Joe wondering if Louise can accept him for who he is or face the “consequences.” Since fans know Joe is a manipulative and scary person, it’s clear he means he might kill Louise if things don’t work out the way he wants. Louise wakes up and asks why she’s chained to the bed and spills the truth about lying about who she is and trying to get Joe in trouble.

Of all the past You characters that could show up, Nadia Farran (Amy Leigh-Hickman) is the most fascinating one since she immediately guessed Joe’s secret life. Nadia and Kate have a fascinating conversation when Nadia says Joe was the Eat the Rich killer in You season 4, which Kate didn’t know. Kate says she’s going to make sure Joe is in prison for good. Later, Kate meets up with her friend Lady Phoebe Borehall-Blaxworth (Tilly Keeper) and Kate asks Nadia to help her punish Joe. Nadia explains that knowing who Joe truly is “ruined me.” This storyline gets even sadder when Henry uses Phoebe’s phone to call Joe and asks if he’s going to prison. Kate tells Joe:

“I am taking you down. You will never see your son again.”

At this point, Joe hopes Louise is as dangerous and violent as he is. She shares that she snuck into a stranger’s funeral once to see if she would cry because she didn’t get emotional at her mom’s funeral. It’s unsettling watching Louise with Joe as she’s vulnerable and clearly trusts him. Joe reveals his dark plan: Dane is in the cage and Louise can decide if he is killed or goes free. Some viewers guessed Mooney’s bookstore would be an important setting, and it’s unnerving seeing this location again.

Joe has to clean up another mess: telling Maddie Lockwood (Anna Camp) to convince Harrison to stay quiet about Maddie killing Raegan. When Maddie is successful, Joe is angry and envious that they have found love. He freaks Maddie and Harrison out when he stabs a chair. It’s an important scene that shows that while Joe has fooled people for years, he can’t hide his true self anymore.

After an unsettling back-and-forth between Louise and Dane, who opens up about being a caregiver for his mom, which she can relate to, Joe tells Louise he can kill anyone who makes her upset. She says it’s “enough” that he wants to.

While New York City is the perfect new/old setting for You season 5, the cage is of course as interesting as ever. Next, Louise locks Joe in the cage and asks him some significant questions. It’s an unsettling, shaky scene and it’s unclear if Louise wants to get to know Joe better or frame him for his crimes.

Louise asks Joe, “Have you ever killed anyone innocent?” and asks what he’s afraid to tell her. Joe admits he “likes” killing and “It’s who I am.” Louise addresses Joe’s childhood trauma and says he’s scared people will leave like his mom did and thinks he has to kill so he can earn people’s love. It’s a disturbing scene, and it feels like Louise is talking to a villain in a slasher movie. Louise plays the role of the You audience and gets to the heart of who Joe is and adds that he became the “protector” his childhood self needed.

How Does You Season 5 Episode 8 End?

The You season 5 teaser showed Joe in the cage, and that storyline plays out surprisingly. While viewers might have thought Louise would turn Joe in, she unlocks the cage and says, “I’m not going anywhere.” Louise proves she likes the person she is with Joe when she says:

“I’m Bronte and I see you, Joe Goldberg.”

This is an important and memorable moment in You season 5 as Joe has proven he is the same person he always was. He thinks that every “heartbreak” and “mistake” and “life I took” is fine because he met Louise, who he believes is The One.

Kate and Maddie meet with their crisis manager and give evidence against Joe. Although Kate could get in trouble for her own murders, she says she doesn’t care because she wants Joe to be punished. Joe shows he is a truly evil person despite his charm when he calls Kate and says she’s worse than him because she was responsible for the deaths of several children. This is Kate’s worst regret and deepest secret. While Kate could go down the same path as Joe, she has feelings and empathy and wants to turn him in.

You season 5, episode 8 wraps up with Joe killing Dane and Kate telling Nadia they have to kill Joe to get him to stop.

You season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.