The real reason bringing back Beck was key to ending YOU season five

When YOU first dropped back in 2018, I, like so many others, thought I was signing up for a love story. A bit twisted, maybe, but a love story nonetheless. And I loved Beck. Watching her die was a jaw-dropper, but somehow, I (and, let’s be honest, most of us) still rooted for Joe Goldberg long after we should’ve known better. So when YOU season five brought Beck’s story back into the spotlight, it felt not just right; it felt necessary. That’s where it all started, after all. And according to the showrunners, bringing Beck’s character back was the key to finally ending Joe’s story the way it needed to end in YOU season five.

Beck was always the heart of Joe’s story

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Joe def loved Beck the most #you #youjoe#joegoldberg #guineverebeck #youseason1

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YOU’s final season is full of familiar faces, but Beck’s return stands out the most. Why? Because Beck’s murder wasn’t just another body on Joe’s list, it was the moment that changed everything. As co-showrunner Michael Foley explained to Variety, Beck’s death was the “original sin” where we, the audience, became complicit. We knew who Joe really was after that… but we kept watching anyway.

“Because we asked the most of the audience when Joe kills Beck, and we asked everybody to return for season two. Nothing against Peach or Benji, but ultimately, that was the original sin that we, the audience, became complicit in by sticking with the show and rooting for Joe,” Foley said.

Returning her voice was essential

via Netflix

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It wasn’t just about Joe killing Beck; it was about him stealing her voice. Remember The Dark Face of Love? Michael Foley explained, “Joe rewrote Beck’s book to control her story, even after death. Then we got into the idea of using The Dark Face of Love, having Louise bring her voice back by redacting what he had done to the book.” It wasn’t just justice for Beck’s death; it was justice for her entire story being twisted.

It all came full circle to season one

via Netflix

Since the final season brings Joe back to New York, it made perfect sense to come full circle. “It felt right to us that if he’s back in New York, we would come full circle,” Michael Foley said. Beck was the first woman the audience truly knew, and the one whose loss still haunted Joe (and us) the most. Ending the show without acknowledging that loss would have felt incomplete.

Season five of YOU is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.