section_path: Reception
section_name: Reception
paragraph_text: Reception
  
  On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 37 critic reviews are positive and the average rating is 6.8 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, " You wisely wraps things up just before Joe Goldberg's murderous machinations become stale, delivering a final season that ought to satisfy most viewers' morbid curiosity." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 53 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
  
  Rebecca Nicholson from The Guardian was largely critical of the season, seeing it as a weak conclusion to what was once a fun and self-aware thriller. She criticized the show for stretching its premise over five seasons, losing its satirical edge and becoming repetitive and contrived, and how it handles its central character, questioning whether the show views him as a hero or a villain. The final season is described as plodding, overly convoluted, and ultimately disappointing, with an ending that Nicholson found borderline insulting to the audience. She praised fan-pleasing cameos, a mid-season twist that provides some momentum, and moments where the show's dark humor resurfaces, particularly in its critique of the ultra-rich. While Nicholas Quah of Vulture found some aspects of the finale amusing and fitting, he expressed disappointment in the show's handling of Joe's arc, arguing that his eventual punishment—castration followed by life in prison—is symbolic but ultimately insufficient given the character's multi-season evolution. Quah thought that Joe's self-mythologizing is central to his villainy, making his downfall feel somewhat abrupt and lacking deeper reckoning. Overall, he praised Badgley's performance and acknowledged the entertainment value of the series, but criticized how it struggles with making Joe both a protagonist and a figure of deconstruction. Quah also pointed out broader cultural themes surrounding justice, gender dynamics, and the depiction of violent men.
  
  On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 37 critic reviews are positive and the average rating is 6.8 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, " You wisely wraps things up just before Joe Goldberg's murderous machinations become stale, delivering a final season that ought to satisfy most viewers' morbid curiosity." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 53 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
  
  Rebecca Nicholson from The Guardian was largely critical of the season, seeing it as a weak conclusion to what was once a fun and self-aware thriller. She criticized the show for stretching its premise over five seasons, losing its satirical edge and becoming repetitive and contrived, and how it handles its central character, questioning whether the show views him as a hero or a villain. The final season is described as plodding, overly convoluted, and ultimately disappointing, with an ending that Nicholson found borderline insulting to the audience. She praised fan-pleasing cameos, a mid-season twist that provides some momentum, and moments where the show's dark humor resurfaces, particularly in its critique of the ultra-rich. While Nicholas Quah of Vulture found some aspects of the finale amusing and fitting, he expressed disappointment in the show's handling of Joe's arc, arguing that his eventual punishment—castration followed by life in prison—is symbolic but ultimately insufficient given the character's multi-season evolution. Quah thought that Joe's self-mythologizing is central to his villainy, making his downfall feel somewhat abrupt and lacking deeper reckoning. Overall, he praised Badgley's performance and acknowledged the entertainment value of the series, but criticized how it struggles with making Joe both a protagonist and a figure of deconstruction. Quah also pointed out broader cultural themes surrounding justice, gender dynamics, and the depiction of violent men.