Episode 9 of You Season 5, titled "Trial of the Furies," is pure, relentless chaos—a bloody collision of betrayal, revenge, and desperate last stands. It’s also a cautionary tale: in You, you never let your guard down, not even when victory seems within reach.
Joe (Penn Badgley) opens the episode dreaming of a clean break: a new life with Bronte (Madeline Brewer), far away from the wreckage he’s left behind. But first, of course, the Lockwoods must be dealt with. Ever methodical, Joe frames Harrison for Reagan’s murder while Maddie is arrested for her role in the identity charade. It’s almost disturbingly efficient—and sets a grim tone for the episode.
Joe’s perfect plan, however, is short-lived. Out with Bronte, he discovers that Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) has drained his bank account, seized his apartment, and taken ownership of Mooney's. It's a delicious twist, hinting that Kate’s long-promised agency might finally pay off. Furious, Joe decides there’s only one solution: kill Kate.
But Kate is two steps ahead. She lures Joe into a parking lot and ambushes him, sedating him and locking him in his own cage. It should have been her triumph. Yet every time someone enters the scene, the plan gets messier, less coherent, until it all spirals into literal flames.
Kate and Nadia demand Joe confess in exchange for his freedom. To up the stakes, they bring out Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), who finally reveals to Joe’s face that she’s alive. The show smartly leans into the tension here: Marienne isn’t just a symbol of Joe’s past sins. She’s proof that his delusions of "love" have always been rooted in violence and control.
Bronte’s role shifts sharply here too. Her conversation with Marienne peels back the last of her illusions: Joe isn’t the misunderstood romantic she thought she could save. He’s a monster. It’s satisfying to see Bronte finally grasp the truth, even if it’s a revelation long in coming.
Joe and Kate’s final confrontation is brutal and heartbreaking. Joe shoots Kate, but there’s no true triumph in it—just the hollow violence that has defined his entire life. When Maddie locks Joe in the basement and sets a fire, it feels like karmic poetry.
Joe is ultimately rescued by Bronte, and in a last gasp of delusion, he proposes to her. Heartbreakingly, Bronte accepts—not because she loves him, but to stop him. It's a chilling, tragic mirror of every relationship Joe has ever had: built on lies, survival, and broken dreams, aptly and organically sound tracked with "vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo.
What feels less organic is the sudden decision to narrate Bronte’s internal thoughts. Throughout the series, Joe’s narration has been the central device; hearing someone else's voice breaks the tone, making the sequence feel jarringly out of place.
"Trial of the Furies" is messy by design. Plans fail. Allies falter. Enemies survive. It’s a perfect encapsulation of You's core message: you can run from your past, but you can't outrun who you are.
As we head into the series finale, the real question isn’t whether Joe will fall.
It’s how hard—and how many people he’ll drag down with him.
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