On April 18, Netflix finally released the long-awaited second season for its original series, "13 Reasons Why," (based on the novel by the same name), which follows a group of classmates of high school student, Hannah Baker, as they listen to a series of tapes detailing how each of them is responsible for her recent death by suicide.
Upon being released on March 31, 2017, the show received a lot of criticism for "romanticizing suicide", as well as for its graphic scenes depicting sexual violence. Despite the critics, the show has gained a strong following, commending it for its realistic and oftentimes gritty portrayal of unpleasant yet undeniably real problems being faced by youth in America. The show boldly explores heavy topics through the eyes of relatable characters, highlighting the dangers that our society faces if we continue to sweep such topics under the rug.
If you haven't watched season one of "13 Reasons", I definitely recommend checking it out, although be forewarned that if you suffer from suicidal thoughts, depression, or if you're a survivor of rape or sexual assault, certain aspects and imagery included in the show may be triggering.
All of that being said, personally, I was a huge fan of the first season of the show, but was on the fence about the need for a second season as it seemed like a lot of loose ends had been wrapped up during the previous one.
While part of me definitely had the mentality of, "I have no earthly idea how the story is going to continue now that the mystery of the tapes has been solved", I was too curious to not give season two a try.
Immediately I was hooked, just as I had been the first time around, and completely binge-watched the show- something that I absolutely NEVER do.
By the time that I had finished the 13th episode and gave myself some much needed time to reflect and take in what I had just watched, I came to the conclusion that in this rare case, the second season of "13 Reasons Why" may actually be better than the first season.
*WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS*
*TRIGGER WARNING: CONTAINS SUBJECTS OF SUICIDE, RAPE/SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND GUN VIOLENCE*
1. This season explores Hannah's story from different points of view.
In the first season of "13 Reasons Why", we only saw Hannah's story from her point of view. While this POV was "her truth", as is stated multiple times throughout the second season, we do learn that from time to time Hannah is an unreliable narrator.
For instance, during Zach's tape, she describes seeing him throw away the note that she had written to him about how lonely she was. Later in the episode, it is revealed that this never happened and Zach actually keeps the note folded up and inside his wallet.
During the second season, these stories are retold in court by the recipients of the tapes themselves. In many cases, we discover vastly different sides of Hannah's interactions with each character. While some of the characters obviously lie on the stand (Here's looking at you, Bryce), we still eventually receive the truth about each of Hannah's classmates' relationships with her.
This really helps to flesh out the story and makes Hannah seem more like a real person and less of a martyr, as well as making many of the characters from season one easier to stomach.
Additionally, seeing the "true" version of events, really shows how mental illness can warp social interactions from something easy to overcome into a reason to end one's life. This show isn't about a girl "overreacting" or "over-dramatizing for attention". Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety can completely change the way someone suffering from them may perceive a situation and this season does a great job of showing this, as well as depicting the signs that someone may need help for these problems.
2. Realistic depiction of our legal system.
One of the biggest downs to the season is the fact that Olivia and Andy Baker lose their case against Liberty High School, as they blamed the school for not doing enough to prevent bullying, sexual assault, and ultimately, Hannah's death.
To add insult to injury, Jessica Davis, Hannah's former best friend and one of her 13 classmates featured on the tapes, finally comes forward about being raped by Bryce and he gets off with just three months of probation. This occurs after the judge makes a statement about not wanting to ruin Bryce's life.
While the verdicts in both of these cases are frustrating and disturbing, they very accurately depict the current state of our legal system and show the changes that must be made in order to ensure proper justice for victims.
3) Many of the characters ended up being far more likable.
In season one, many of the characters were easy to hate, since they were introduced to the audience primarily through Hannah's tapes, showing them as the "monsters" they were in Hannah's eyes as their actions caused her to end her life.
Since we see different sides to each character and their relationships with Hannah in season two, many of the characters are far more likable, making the show easier to watch without harboring a blinding hatred towards every single character.
Bryce still sucks though.
4) It shows a deeper side to Hannah.
We get to see the real Hannah Baker in season two. All of her mistakes and darkness intermingling with the fresh-faced victim we've come to sympathize with after the first season. Hannah isn't even close to as perfect as she is originally made out to be, but that's almost better because it makes her far more relatable as a character.
5) It widens the conversation to include sexual violence and gun violence in addition to suicide.
In season one, sexual violence is definitely a recurring theme, but in season two, this serious issue is really examined. Season two very realistically shows how victims of rape and sexual assault deal with their trauma or in many cases, don't deal with their trauma. It definitely starts an important conversation about what we can do to be more understanding towards survivors and how best to help.
Season two also really dives into the issue of gun violence- something that is, unfortunately, an undeniable threat in our country nowadays.
6) It shows the aftermath of an attempted suicide.
At the end of season one, it was revealed that one of Hannah's former friends and one of the recipients of the tapes, Alex Standall, had attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head with his father's gun and was in a coma.
In season two, we learn that Alex survived but is missing his memory up to a month before his suicide attempt. Alex is also struggling with walking, the use of his hand, and is suffering from erectile dysfunction, all as a result of shooting himself in the head.
As Alex shows progress through season two, he grows increasingly frustrated with his mental and physical limitations. At one point he wonders aloud as to why he attempted to take his own life in the first place.
Throughout the season, Alex begins to regain control of his body while also connecting with an old flame, Jessica Davis, and realizing how much he meant to his family and real friends.
Alex's story really goes to show that suicide is not the answer and that things can get better. He was lucky enough to get another shot at life, but others, such as Hannah, will never have that chance.
7) It provides trigger warnings and access to resources for those struggling.
The biggest critics of "13 Reasons" season one lamented the show's lack of trigger warnings, as well as its failure to provide frequent shout-outs to available resources for those struggling from similar problems to the characters in the show.
Season two begins with a message from the cast urging those suffering from suicidal thoughts to either watch the show with a trusted adult or skip it altogether while also providing a website to go to for further resources for anyone suffering.
Trigger warnings are prevalent at the beginning of the episodes throughout the season and each episode ends with a cast member reminding the viewer that resources are available on the show's website.
While these additions may seem small, it shows that the show's producers were really listening to the complaints in regards to season one and it shows that they care about their audience.
8) It shows kids who are struggling that parents are a resource.
Throughout the episode, a common theme is the teenagers in the group not telling their parents about events involving sex, drugs, and alcohol, out of fear of punishment or disappointing them.
To this, multiple parents remark that they themselves have been in similar situations, made the same mistakes, done the same drugs, etc.
This really makes a statement about how speaking to parents about difficult issues may seem daunting because they're your parents, however, they usually have the knowledge and resources to help you. Also, if your parents are not easy to talk to, this season shows that it's okay to open up to a friend's parents or even just a trusted adult.
If you're going through something, especially as a teenager, always consult an adult about the situation as they can help you with seeking counseling, legal help, or even just provide some much-needed advice.
9) It teaches a lesson to those in the school system about how to better help their students.
Mr. Porter's testimony is definitely hard to listen to and completely heartbreaking as you realize just how desperately he wishes he had done just a few things differently and how those minor differences could have saved Hannah's life.
Teachers and guidance counselors, especially at the high school level, have a lot of students coming in and out of their classrooms and offices each day. While it is hard to be involved in each and every one of their lives, it is usually pretty obvious which kids are in pain and which ones aren't.
In my own high school, I remember several instances of kids being teased in FRONT of the teacher and the teacher simply changed the subject and tried to re-direct the class' attention. Matters of bullying are so prevalent in our school systems and yet they're so often brushed off and ignored.
While many students can get past being bullied, those suffering from mental illness as Hannah Baker was may not be able to adopt a "sticks and stones" attitude and move on. Ignoring their pain teaches them that they aren't important.
Those working in the school systems have to realize that they see these kids for a large portion of their young lives. Students are in the care of the school nine months out of the year, for roughly six hours a day. School employees have a duty to check up on students that seem to be going to difficult times; they have a duty to keep students safe while they are inside the building. Sure, lots of bullying may occur online, but that doesn't mean the effects of bullying done outside of school can't be seen inside the school as well.
The sad truth is that many educators either don't care enough to check for signs of a student being unwell or they don't want to get involved in a potentially dramatic situation.
As Mr. Porter said repeatedly throughout the season, the schools must do more for its students- and not just those involved in athletics.
10) It shows the events that can potentially lead up to a school shooting and the signs of a classmate possibly being pushed to that limit.
According to CNN, there have already been 22 school shootings in 2018, as of May 21 the most recent being the tragic shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which occurred May 18th.
While school shootings are horrific and tragic, they're also something that we can no longer mourn for a few weeks and then forget about.
Season two of "13 Reasons" explores many aspects of America's gun crisis.
At the end of season one, we saw Tyler Down (one of the tape's subjects) easily purchasing guns (despite being a minor) due to his fear of his fellow classmates, since he was often a victim of brutal and violent bullying. Before the season ended, we saw a shot of Tyler looking over a collection of guns that he was storing in his room.
Of course, this shows how easy it is for kids to purchase firearms in America. This is a fact that cannot be disputed, despite where you fall on the issue of gun control.
In season two, when Tyler and his new friend, Cyrus, get caught shooting bottles with Tyler's firearms on a neighbor's property, Tyler's dad decides to take the boys to go practice shooting in a safe environment, under the instruction of a police officer.
This depicts a parent deciding to introduce teenage boys to guns, in a safe and responsible environment with a suitable instructor.
Throughout the season, we see Tyler getting really good with his firearms, as he takes to shooting to deal with his anger and stress over Hannah's trial and his constant state of being bullied at the school, while the school fails to deal with it over and over.
At one point, while shooting with Cyrus, Tyler intentionally aims at a bird, instead of the bottles and cans that he has lined up to shoot at. While looking at the bird's corpse, Tyler doesn't seem upset or disturbed, but excited, remarking that the bird was just alive a minute ago and then because of Tyler, it is now dead. He mentions how shooting gives him power repeatedly throughout the season. This sentiment is common among victims of bullying, however, combined with Tyler's other disturbing behavior and comments, it is just a sign after sign of someone at risk of committing a school shooting.
Concerning comments are made by Tyler here or there, such as mentioning teaching the bullies a lesson with his guns, which freaks out Cyrus, although he fails to report the incident. Additionally, while teaching Clay to shoot, Tyler suggests that Clay just envision the bottles that they are shooting at as people he wants dead.
After a series of unfortunate events leaves Tyler feeling isolated, he becomes the victim of yet another violent act of bullying while on school property, in which his bullies go as far as to sodomize him with a mop handle.
Following this incident, Tyler shows up to the Spring Fling armed and ready to take out his anger on Liberty High's student body.
Tyler is a complicated character. He is a genuinely nice guy at his core, but his constant feeling of being powerless against those who regularly torture him, twist his character. Tyler suffers from mental illness, the same as Hannah. However, with Tyler's anger issues, his response to being bullied leads him to seek revenge rather than to simply kill himself.
This season shows that we can't just write off vaguely threatening remarks as just empty words. We have to notice the signs early on and stop the violence before it occurs.
11) It shows the importance of reporting sexual violence, including acts of rape and assault.
In this season, we learn that Bryce Walker has raped numerous girls at Liberty High School and has a box filled with Polaroids of him taking advantage of his victims.
As the female victims of rape at the hands of Bryce agonize over taking the stand against him, it becomes apparent to the audience that sexual violence (rape and/or assault) must always be reported, no matter how terrifying and humiliating making the report might feel.
If no one reports these heinous acts then entitled boys like Bryce will just continue to do the same things to other people. In order to get justice, victims of sexual violence must come forward and society must stand behind them, rather than shaming them and try to tear apart their case.
12) It points out how "boys being boys" can severely affect girls.
This season really highlights how the boys on the show treat their female classmates. They gossip about them, makeup rumors about having slept with them, tag them as "sluts", and sexually abuse them.
This behavior is not some dramatic aspect of this show. These toxic conversations really happen, often brushed off by school faculty as "locker room talk".
If girls complain about harassment, they are told that "boys will be boys".
Hell, when I was in middle school, a boy in my class kept snapping my bra strap and when I finally went to my teacher about it, I was told that he was "just being a boy" and to ignore him. That may seem minor (and it was), but that's how it starts.
Boys are taught early that they can claim their gender as an excuse for anything that they do wrong in life. This gives them all the power and leaves girls to feel as if we are overreacting by reporting harassment while at school.
This is a serious problem that has been laughed off by those in charge for far too long and things must change.
13) It shows the importance of stepping in when you witness acts of bullying or violence.
One of the big reveals in this season was that Alex and Montgomery were at Bryce's house while he was raping Hannah Baker. Alex only heard the noises, but Montgomery saw it and did nothing as he didn't want to get on Bryce's bad side.
This is similar to how Justin allowed Bryce to rape his then-girlfriend, Jessica, rather than risk speaking up and becoming an outcast.
Witnessing sexual violence aside, most of the characters witness bullying and violent bullying at some point or another and completely ignore it, rather than stepping in to help victims for fear of being shunned.
If you see someone in trouble then do something. It's just common decency.
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