Initially known for his role in the smash series Gossip Girl, Penn Badgley has seen his stardom soar with his portrayal of Joe Goldberg in Netflix's thriller YOU.

The show, adapted from Caroline Kepnes's novels, debuted its first season in 2018 and is now gearing up to release its fifth and concluding series on Netflix on 24 April.

This upcoming series will be Penn's last appearance as the enigmatic serial killer Joe, whose destiny remains shrouded in mystery. Despite the end of this iconic role, Penn has expressed relief at parting ways with YOU.

In a recent candid interview, he delved into his experience playing the dark character and why he believes it's time to wrap up the Netflix saga 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 shared with The Guardian.

He continued: "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."

Penn confessed his ongoing concern about Joe potentially being perceived as "too likeable" and has consistently aimed to portray him less sympathetically "at every turn" across all five seasons, reports The Mirror.

While Penn and his fellow cast members remain tight-lipped about Joe's fate, fans are desperate to discover whether he will ultimately be held accountable for his litany 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.

Nonetheless, he assured that the creators ultimately crafted the "best resolution" for his character Joe.

The fifth and final season of YOU sees Joe returning to New York City with his spouse Kate Lockwood (played by Charlotte Ritchie). Despite having constructed his ideal life with Kate and their son Henry, Joe finds it impossible to outrun his previous transgressions.

Netflix has promised audiences that Joe will grapple with predicaments that compel him to "confront the consequences of his actions" and to grapple with reconciling who he once was with who he seeks to become.

YOU is available to stream on Netflix