Warning! Spoilers for You season 5 ahead!
Henry Goldberg could potentially follow in his father’s footsteps after the events ofYouseason 5, but the Netflix series hints at a different path. Little Henry was born back inYouseason 3, when Joe and Love Quinn welcomed him into the tumult that was their lives. When Joe inevitably killed Love, Henry was placed with Dante and his husband. However,Youseason 5 reveals that Joe and his new wife, Kate Lockwood, regained custody of Henry in the years since the conclusion of season 4. By all appearances, they are a happy family, but things quickly fall apart for Joe Goldberg’s son.
ThroughoutYouseason 5, it becomes clear that Henry, an otherwise sweet boy, may have some violent tendencies. This concerns both Joe and Kate, who place Henry in therapy to help him cope with the chaos of his life.The big question is whether Henry acts out because of biology or his experiences. The first years of his life were tumultuous, what with losing a mother and then being forcibly removed from two adoptive dads who loved him. This was more than enough to make Henry act out. Still, Joe’s status as a murderer could have something to do with it as well. So, what happened to Henry in the end?
Kate Gets Custody Of Henry At The End Of You Season 5
Kate Legally Adopted Henry & Is Now His Primary Guardian
Theending ofYouseason 5saw Joe Goldberg sent to prison for the rest of his life for the various people he had murdered throughout the series. It was initially thought that Kate had died in the fire at Mooney’s, but the final moments of the finale revealed that she had miraculously survived. Kate had legally adopted Henry before the events ofYouseason 5, and it’s clear that the boy had developed a close bond with her. Ultimately, Kate isn’t a perfect mother, and she did some terrible things in Netflix’sYou, butending up with her was the best-case scenario for Henry.
Youseason 5 is available to stream on Netflix.
The events ofYouseason 5 revealed that Kate felt immense remorse for her crimes. She considered the burns she acquired during the fire at Mooney’s her penance—a sort of rebirth by fire.We can assume that Kate will stay on the straight and narrow as her story continues, setting an excellent example for Henry as he chooses who he will be. Still,Youleaves this big question ambiguous. Bronte’s voiceover states that Henry will have to decide for himself what kind of man he will grow into. While we will never know for certain,Yousuggests Henry won’t become a monster like his father.
Henry’s Final Conversation With Joe Suggests He Won’t Follow In His Footsteps
Henry Sees That Joe Is A Monster
The last interaction between Joe and Henry seen inYouseason 5 came during the serial murderer’s big showdown with Bronte. Father and son shared a phone call, andHenry ended things by telling Joe he was a monster for what he had done to Kate. The last time we see Henry inYouseason 5, he looks at Kate’s burns while Bronte’s voiceover notes that the boy has to choose who he will grow up to be. There’s an interesting parallel here between Henry and Joe. Joe’s father had abused his mother, and Joe championed himself as a protector of women after killing the man. Could Henry take a similar path?
The big difference here is that Kate hasn’t rejected Henry like Joe’s mother did.
The big difference here is that Kate hasn’t rejected Henry like Joe’s mother did. It’s implied that the love and care Kate has chosen to show Henry will ensure that the boy develops differently than Joe did. What’s more,Henry will forever see Kate’s scars as a reminder of the monster Joe had becomein the name of protecting others. With this example, it can be hoped that Henry will choose more genuine goodness.
You Season 5’s Nature vs. Nurture Debate Leans Towards The Latter
Henry Isn’t Doomed To Follow In His Biological Parents' Footsteps
Youhas always played around with the argument of nature vs. nurture. Joe Goldberg was raised in a toxic and abusive home, and ultimately shot and killed his father to protect his mother from the man’s rage. This experience was key in Joe’s development into a murderer, but the fact that he killed his father, to begin with, suggests that Joe was predisposed to such violence. The big question of whether Joe was a killer because of his experiences or because of who he was as a person is left for audiences to answer. Similarly,audiences can only guess who Henry would grow to become.
Henry may be predisposed to violence because of his genetics, but Kate’s love, Joe’s example, and (hopefully) years of therapy will help keep the boy on the right path.
Still, the ending ofYouseason 5 seems to lean more toward nurture than nature, or, at least, a combination of the two. Henry may be predisposed to violence because of his genetics, but Kate’s love, Joe’s example, and (hopefully) years of therapy will help keep the boy on the right path. It was too late forJoe by the start ofYouseason 1, and he had given up even trying to be good by the events of season 5. Henry is in a different position, however. Kate’s nurturing meansJoe’s son won’t have to go looking for love in desperate placesafterYou’s conclusion. His nature will be shifted as a result.
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You is a psychological thriller that follows a dangerously charming and intensely obsessive young man who manipulates his way into the lives of those he fixates upon, using extreme measures to pursue his unsettling aims.
