Even though her character Kate Lockwood didn’t just survive the fourth season of You (quite the feat, as those familiar with the series will be aware), but, in its closing scenes, moved from London to New York with anti-hero Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), Charlotte Ritchie didn’t know if she would be returning for the psychological thriller’s fifth and final outing.

“My deal had an option for two years, so I knew there was a possibility,” the 35-year-old actress tells Luxury London. “But you never know what might happen. Who knows? In the first scene of season five Joe might have been stepping over Kate’s dead body into the arms of another woman.”

Spoiler warning: that’s not how the fifth season of You begins.

Instead, having returned to New York City intent on building a peaceful life, Joe is now married to Kate. They’ve also got custody of Joe’s son Henry, who he previously left in the care of a co-worker, but as Kate battles to keep control of Lockwood Corp, Joe returns to his murderous ways, all while growing closer to free-spirited playwright Bronte (Madeline Brewer). So far, so familiar — but expect plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Despite the huge success Ritchie had over the last decade — including lead roles in British TV hits Ghosts, Fresh Meat, Call The Midwife, and Feel Good, as well as being a contestant on Taskmaster — after the fourth season of You, Ritchie says her “general disposition or the way she was brought up” meant she never expected to get the comeback call.

After her return was confirmed, Ritchie realised that she needed to change her approach to portraying Kate. Throughout the fourth season, she’d been “judging Kate quite harshly.” The difference this time, she explains, is that rather than Kate being in an “insecure place in her life,” she’s now “much more optimistic and powerful.” “She has a husband, kid, and family members she loves. She feels proud. It was really lovely to embrace her a bit more.”

Despite her initial judgment of the character, Ritchie admits she isn’t completely different to Kate. They both have analytical brains, she says, although Kate is more calculated while she can be more emotional. Their styles, however, couldn’t be more disparate. “I could never in a million years wear the clothes she does, as amazing as they are. She has to present herself in a certain way. She’s cautious and careful in that way. I don’t think I’m like that.”

Considering the way Kate turns a blind eye to Joe’s killings in You, it’s probably for the best that Ritchie doesn’t share too many similarities with her character, with the show’s dark depiction of ego, murder, greed, and self-preservation making season four particularly difficult to shoot. “Kate was so tortured and cold. That really got under my skin, especially after a 12-hour shoot.”

Ritchie believes the “darkness” of You’s writing is one of the reasons why the show has struck such a chord with viewers since it debuted back in 2018. She points particularly to the way violence is combined with “wit, satire, melodrama, and romance… It has an alchemy that’s quite hard to define. The writing is so brilliant. It explores so many genres and scratches different itches that way. Plus, dare I say it, the casting is always great, too.”

Without Badgley, though, Ritchie believes the show wouldn’t have worked. She credits him with drawing such a huge audience, especially after You joined Netflix for its second season at the end of 2019. “He’s a huge reason why it’s so popular. He holds the show together so brilliantly.” Thankfully, he’s the complete opposite of Joe, too. He takes great care in making the work as thoughtful and enjoyable as possible for everyone on set. “He’s the driving force behind the great atmosphere on set. He’s also very funny, which is helpful. Whenever you’re doing a scene with someone who is a monster it’s nice to know when the cameras cut he can make you laugh.”

Badgley has regularly reminded viewers how much they are supposed to detest Joe, because of, you know, his constant murdering. Ritchie admits Joe isn’t quite as monstrous as other despicable television characters, because he’s “so witty and literary.” Instead, the show is designed for viewers to “see how his charm can be so dangerous.” She hopes that season five, though, will really “bring home just how awful Joe is. I hope viewers really feel that. I also just hope they really enjoy it and they feel like it’s a justified way to end a really fun five years.”

As Ritchie looks to her future away from You, she’s grateful that the “enormous” popularity of the show has afforded her more choice in the kind of roles she’s put up for and pursues. It’s a far cry from when she first started acting, when just getting an audition was a cause for celebration. But as Ritchie’s acting options grow, she’s also had to deal with other characteristics that she’s not felt before. “I’ve noticed in myself a bit of ambition poking through in a way that feels a little bit unhealthy. It can be risky.”

Moving forward, she wants to determine what “ambition and success looks like” to her. She’s constantly asking herself, “Is this the kind of thing that I want to be doing? What are my tastes? What’s my instinct? What do I really like? Now that I have a choice, what do I choose?”

Not that she’s complaining about these quandaries. Instead, she’s excited to answer these questions and decide her future, while finding creative fulfillment and controlling her ambition. “It’s a cool and nice position to be in.”

Season Five of You is available to stream on Netflix now.

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