Last Dance

The writer was also dancing through the events of the episode, not just the title. You can't tell who is betraying whom The writer was also dancing through the events of the episode, not just the title. You can't tell who is betraying whom The writer was also dancing through the events of the episode, not just the title. You can't tell who is betraying whom The writer was also dancing through the events of the episode, not just the title. You can't tell who is betraying whom The writer was also dancing through the events of the episode, not just the title. You can't tell who is betraying whom.

Well, this one didn't waste any time twisting the knife. The whole episode feels like a slow waltz toward disaster - elegant at first, then downright brutal by the end. Brontë starts off all charm and warmth, dancing with Joe, lulling him into a false sense of intimacy... only to lure him straight into her trap. Tasing him at the beach house? That's a cold move - and I loved every second. Kate's no fool. She catches wind that something's off, spots Brontë leaving Joe's place, and starts poking around. You can feel the walls closing in. And then, that ending. Joe gets into a scuffle with Clayton and - bang - Clayton's dead, in front of a crowd that's filming the whole thing. The last thing Joe hears is, "We got him," and the way he stares, stunned, and asks Brontë if she catfished him... oh, that's a proper cliffhanger. I'll give the show this- Penn Badgley is still at the top of his game. His argument scene with Kate crackled, and Brontë - well, she's not just some love interest, she's a player in her own right. Fans have been saying for ages something was off with her, and this episode pulls back the curtain. That said, I do miss the sly wit the earlier seasons had. Back then, the satire had a sharper edge - these days it's a bit heavier on the moral lessons. It's still gripping, but it's more of a sledgehammer than a scalpel. Still, Episode 5 hits like a punch to the gut. It's tense, it's messy, and it leaves you staring at the screen muttering, "Well, now what?" Which is what a penultimate episode should do.

This is a game-changer for the series-and honestly, probably one of the most explosive and deliciously chaotic episodes in Joe's entire saga. By now, "You" has stopped being just a thriller with a shady protagonist and turned into a full-on character study about identity, obsession, and the never-ending need to control the narrative. Only this time, for the first time in a long while, Joe's on the losing side of the manipulation game. And the result is an episode that jumps between erotic tension, pure absurdity, and cold-blooded revenge with an addictive, insane confidence.

The writers kick things off selling a lie that, for a second, I almost wanted to believe: Joe and Bronte, all cozy and romantic, trading kisses and secrets like some offbeat couple who found each other through shared madness. But Joe's eyes already give it all away. We know that, in his head, that whole "would she still love me if she knew who I really am?" thing isn't just guilt or insecurity-it's full-blown denial. He wants to believe he can live out this indie-romance fantasy with a woman who gets his darkness, when really, he's just digging his emotional grave all over again.

The episode smartly weaves together three collapsing fronts: Joe and Bronte, Maddie pretending to be Reagan, and Kate digging up the past. It's actually impressive how the show manages to keep the fast pace without falling apart. Every choice hits, every line of dialogue is loaded with meaning, and everything builds to this emotional bomb that detonates in the last ten minutes. I couldn't catch my breath-in the best way.

The big reveal about Bronte (or rather, Louise) might've been on the radar for those reading between the lines, but the way it plays out is pure brilliance. The twist lands right when Joe's at his most vulnerable-he's just killed again, thinking he was protecting someone-and that's the moment Bronte's mask drops. Her plan, executed with emotional intelligence, patience, and even a touch of performative sadism, is something the show hadn't pulled off this well before. Because for the first time, Joe's the prey in a game he usually controls. And that changes everything.

Madeline Brewer's performance deserves its own spotlight. From the start, she played Bronte with this hypnotic ambiguity-too sweet to be trusted, too free-spirited to be just a victim, always flashing that enigmatic smile like she's reading you while she talks. When the twist hits, everything shifts into place. The sexual teasing, the trust games, the flirtation with violence... it was all a trap. A meticulous setup to strip Joe bare-not just physically, but morally. And the wildest part? He wanted it.

Maddie finally hits her breaking point, and the script makes a smart move not dragging her double life out over more episodes. She just can't carry that performance anymore-and that makes sense. She's a traumatized woman who's lived in her sister's shadow forever, and now she's been thrown into this twisted horror theater. Her breakdown to Kate isn't just narrative relief-it's a catalyst that adds even more pressure to the whole situation. Because now, it's not just Bronte/Louise who could take Joe down-Kate's got the ammo too. The only difference is, Kate still hesitates-maybe even still feels a flicker of love, despite everything.

The episode also stands out for leaning into darker, more explicit sexual tension. The BDSM flirting, which at first just seemed like another twisted layer in Joe and Bronte's mess, ends up being the perfect metaphor for the control he thought he had-and how completely it's been flipped. It's almost poetic that Joe's emotionally tied up at the exact moment he realizes he's been played all along. And that adds a tragic edge to his arc-because even though he deserves everything he's getting, part of me still felt a weird twinge of empathy. Conflicted, but real.

The final showdown with Clayton, and especially the scene where the girls storm the house while streaming live on TikTok, is just the cherry on top of the absurdity sundae. It's like the show is laughing at its own formula, yelling: "Thought we were gonna do another body-in-the-basement story? Nope-now it's public exposure, digital cancellation, and total humiliation!!!" Joe, who's always operated in the shadows, is now being dragged into the spotlight in the most brutal way possible-and I think that's genius. Because for a final season, "You" really did need to flip the table.

All in all, this episode isn't just a wild ride-it marks the beginning of the end. Joe's house of cards, built with arrogance and delusion, is finally crashing down. And now, he's not fighting an external enemy-he's battling his own reflection. If Bronte/Louise is truly the mirror that exposes who he really is, then this final war is going to be the most savage one yet. And I'm all in.

Nice foreshadowing.

The mirror scene is really cool but... I still don't like Joe's obsession-it's getting more unsettling, especially now that it's wrapped in this new "redemption" narrative. He keeps insisting he's changed, but every reflection just shows the same dangerous patterns creeping back in. That moment where he stares into the mirror felt like a battle between who he wants to be and who he really is. It's clever, almost theatrical, but the more he denies his darkness, the more it takes over. His obsession isn't love-it's control, and it's exhausting watching him spiral again.

Its repetitive at this point, even if it is the final season..