Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for You season 5.

Summary

Jenna Ortega doesn't appear in You season 5 due to scheduling conflicts with Wednesday season 2.
Fans hoped she would reprise her role as Ellie, a character aware of Joe's evil nature.
Although Ortega couldn't appear on camera, using social media could have integrated her story effectively.

Before watching You season 5, the highly anticipated final season of the Netflix thriller about serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), there were a few things I hoped to see. One of them was a cameo appearance by Jenna Ortega, who played Joe's L.A. Neighbor Ellie Alves in You season 2. Ortega shines in whatever project she appears in, but she was particularly compelling on this continually surprising series. Fans wanted some characters to come back, and Ellie was at the top of my list.

Ortega's career has led her down some cool paths since You season 2. Besides starring as Wednesday Addams on Wednesday, she has become known for horror movies such as Studio 666 and Scream 5 and Scream 6. So, did Ortega come back to play Ellie in You season 5?

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Does Jenna Ortega Appear In You Season 5?

Unfortunately, Jenna Ortega doesn't appear in You season 5. Co-showrunner Michael Foley told TV Line that Ortega filmed Wednesday season 2 in Ireland at the same time that the final season of You was shooting.

In 2023, co-showrunner Sera Gamble told IndieWire that the writers wanted Ortega to reprise her role of Ellie in You season 4. It would have been interesting to see what Ellie was up to then. Gamble said:

“We wanted to bring Ellie back and we heard, ‘Oh, Jenna is doing some show. It’s been just such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again.”

I Think You Season 5 Could Have Included Jenna Ortega's Ellie Alves This Way

You season 5 is slow at first but ultimately excellent, and while I was happy to see several past characters come back, I think Jenna Ortega could have made a brief appearance. There is a great montage of past characters who share that Joe Goldberg is evil, including Paco (Luca Padovan) and Sherry (Shalita Grant) and Cary Conrad (Travis Von Winkle). Ellie could have been part of this scene as she could have shared that she realized the truth about Joe.

Although Ortega was filming Wednesday season 2 and couldn't make an on-camera appearance, You season 5 uses social media in several scenes, and Joe could have seen a social media post from Ellie. She could have explained that she knew Joe in Los Angeles and that she has been following his crimes for the past few years. Ellie is a great character as she's spunky and doesn't suffer fools. She's initially fooled by Joe, and while she isn't aware of the extent of his killing spree, she does hate him by the end of You season 2. Joe gives Ellie money to live somewhere else. Ellie knows her sister Delilah (Carmela Zumbado) is dead and tells Joe he has messed up everything for her.

I would have loved to see a social media post from Ellie sharing her story of living near Joe. While Joe thinks he can start fresh in New York City at the start of You season 5, his wishes come crumbling down when he realizes he can't fight off his instincts to keep committing murder. I also want to know what Ellie's doing now. Did she have enough money from Joe to go to college, or does she have a job? It would have been great to get those answers.

While it's a shame not to see Ortega play Ellie again in You season 5, at least fans can see the talented star when Wednesday season 2 streams on Netflix in August and September 2025.

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Release Date: 2018 - 2025-00-00
Network: Lifetime, Netflix
Showrunner: Sera Gamble, Greg Berlanti
Directors: Marcos Siega, Lee Toland Krieger, Cherie Nowlan, DeMane Davis, Kellie Cyrus, Marta Cunningham, Martha Mitchell, Victoria Mahoney, Erin Feeley
Writers: Justin W. Lo