Penn Badgley is "glad" his hit Netflix show You is ending.
But before you berate the actor for gleefully depriving you of the fan-favourite series, you may want to hear why exactly Penn is happy about this ending — because it makes a lot of sense.
In case you haven't heard, You is coming back for a fifth and final season on 24 April, when all 10 episodes will be available to stream on Netflix. And for Penn as for the show's creators, now is the right time to end the series for good.
The main reason for this — per the Gossip Girl actor — is that the world at large looks a whole lot different now than it did when the show started in 2018, and the actor believes that the type of entertainment we crave and need exists in the wider environmental context.
When it comes to hero-worshipping evil characters or real-life people, "I think we all have to wonder how much value is there in exploring the darker side of human nature," Penn told The Guardian in a recent interview.
"I do think we need to explore the 'light' side, and I don’t mean light in a way that is thin or has less gravity."
Penn went on to explain that he doesn't think You could premiere today.
"It’s a politically intensifying world, and I don’t think this show would make sense starting right now. It’s ending right now," he said.
"The way this show plays with questions of how we reward bad people, that was a more playful question eight to 10 years ago. 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."
We have to admit, we're looking forward to Netflix serving us more of its wholesome offerings such as Nobody Wants This and With Love, Meghan.
