Penn Badgley, who first became famous as Dan Humphrey in the teen drama Gossip Girl, has seen his star power surge with his portrayal of Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s thriller series YOU.
The show, adapted from Caroline Kepnes’ novels, premiered its first season in 2018 and is now gearing up to release its fifth and final instalment on Netflix on 24 April.
This upcoming series will be Penn’s last appearance as the enigmatic serial killer Joe, whose destiny remains mysterious. Despite the role being significant for his career, Penn has expressed relief at the conclusion of YOU.
In a recent candid chat, the actor delved into his experience playing the dark character and shared why he believes it’s time to wrap up the Netflix hit after a seven-year run.
“The way this show plays with questions of how we reward bad people, that was a more playful question eight to 10 years ago,” Penn revealed to The Guardian.
“It’s not as playful a question now, and it comes with way more stakes, and I’m glad we’re not going to be playing with it any longer. And for that reason, I’m really glad it’s ending.”
He confessed that there’s always been a worry for him that Joe might come across as “too likeable” and has consistently aimed to make the character less appealing “at every turn” during the show’s tenure, reports the Mirror US.
While Penn and his fellow cast members have remained tight-lipped about Joe’s fate, fans are desperate to discover whether he will ultimately be held accountable for his string of crimes throughout the series.
“Nothing is really good enough. There are levels to it; it’s not just like: does he die? Does he go to jail? Is he tortured? Does he live, and is he miserable alone? It’s really about how we get there,” Penn hinted.
However, he did assure that the show’s creators arrived at the “best resolution” for Joe in the end.
The fifth and concluding season of YOU sees Joe returning to New York, accompanied by his wife Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie). Despite crafting his perfect life with Kate and son Henry, Joe can’t shake off his past.
Netflix has hinted that Joe will face hurdles that compel him to “confront the consequences of his actions” and grapple to reconcile the new and old versions of himself.
YOU is available to stream on Netflix
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