After over a year, the highly anticipated season two of the Netflix original series "13 Reasons Why" was finally released on May 18th. With the first season concluding all 13 of the tapes Hannah Baker had left following her suicide, many people wondered what season two was going to hold.
Season two was mainly derived from the court case Hannah Baker's mom, Olivia Baker, had brought against Liberty High School. In episode 12, the viewers are disappointed when Olivia Baker LOSES THE CASE.
While I, too, was disappointed, I believe this showed how life is never fair and many times we are let down.
Not getting the outcome we had hoped for is a reality we have to face many times in life. What defines us is how we take those disappointments and let downs and deal with it. It's how we change for the better from these times of disappointment.
The finale began with Bryce Walker testifying about how he raped Jessica Davis. After almost two full seasons, Jessica finally comes forward with her rapist's name. Jessica progressively became less ashamed of what had happened to her and finally wanted to do something about it. She realized she cannot let Bryce get away with what he had done to her and so many other girls. She accepts the responsibility of trying to make sure this would not happen to anyone else.
The viewers watch Bryce downplay the awful acts he had committed. Bryce blames his actions on the "culture of parties and hookups" he had been exposed to. He talks about how he needs to set an example in order for a change to happen. I don't know about you, but this made my blood boil. He does not own up to his actions but instead tries to justify what he had done by blaming in on a culture that is present in our current society.
Jessica delivers a speech that is directed to Bryce. She states "I will never forget the sheer terror of feeling your weight on top of me, of not being able to breathe." Jessica speaks out about the rape culture that is currently present; about how one person's actions can affect another person's life forever.
Many female characters from the show including Hannah, Olivia, Nina, Courtney, Sheri, and Lanie talk about times they have experienced sexual assault or harassment as well.
This part of the episode really displayed how sexual assault and harassment is something many people have to deal with in their lives. It has become so common but is DEFINITELY not okay.
After Jessica's chill prompting speech, Bryce's lawyer shares some words. He calls the rape "a terribly unfortunate event" and says "two young lives have been changed forever". He goes into how Bryce "lost all his scholarship offers and how Liberty High canceled the baseball season."
In my opinion, what Jessica went through and how her life changed does not even begin to compare the consequences Bryce had to face. Losing scholarships was a small price Bryce had to deal with in lieu of his actions.
The judge then begins to speak and says he wants "these two young people to look hard at their lives and their choices". This is maddening because Jessica did not make a choice. No matter how much she had to drink, she did not choose anything that happened to her. The judge says "he does not want to do any further damage" which is also frustrating because holding Bryce accountable for his actions would have done just that, prevented anyone else from getting raped by Bryce.
The Judge decides to sentence Bryce to three months of probation. After everything Jessica was put through, this again is another letdown viewers are given. This shows that Bryce is a rich, spoiled and entitled person who is given too many things in life and is portrayed as invincible; no matter what he does, nothing will destroy him.
Not only was Bryce let off too easy, Justin was being held in jail while Bryce got to stay free because of his parents' money. Justin, who was charged with accessory to sexual assault, is given six months probation. This is another frustrating thing that happens in the finale because Bryce, the one who committed the sexual assault, was given a less harsh sentencing then someone who was "an accessory" to the assault.
When Justin is released into the Jensens' care, we see the struggles Justin still are dealing with. He shoots up heroin in his foot. He does this so no one can see the track marks. This truly angered me because although Justin has made some mistakes in the duration of the two seasons, he always had good intentions and a good heart. The viewers want Justin to succeed and change for the better, not let what had happened to Jessica destroy him.
Another disappointing thing that took place in this finale was in terms of Tyler Down. After spending time in a behavioral camp to help manage his anger, he finally returns to school. On the first day back he is bullied by Monte and several other kids. They bash his head into a mirror and a porcelain sink in the bathroom and put his head in the toilet to suffocate him. Finally, Monte sodomizes Tyler with a broken mop.
This act of bullying and assault unleashes a furry in Tyler. He is left traumatized and does not know how to deal with it. The school again fails to offer any help to students who experience such awful things on school grounds. I do not know how so many students are physically assaulted on school property and the school is left clueless.
A change needs to be made at Liberty High before someone else gets assaulted again or takes their life.
Following the memorial service Olivia Baker held for her daughter Hannah, we see Justin's mom's boyfriend stalking Justin from his car. This leaves the viewers with an unsettling feeling, wondering what lies ahead for Justin. Justin did not choose the life he is stuck living. His family life is very difficult and it negatively impacts him throughout the duration of the two seasons.
As the episode reaches a close, the school dance begins. At the dance, Clay is traumatized by the playing of a song he and Hannah had danced together to at a previous dance. This displays how Clay is still in love with Hannah and has not fully let her go yet.
As a viewer, I want to see how Hannah's act affected others, but also how they all dealt and coped with it. I was hoping to see how Hannah's loved ones had dealt with this tragedy and moved forward.
Don't get me wrong, I understand it is easier said than done, but I believe the show should highlight how to cope with losing someone to suicide and how to help prevent it from occurring again.
Also at the dance, Jessica cheats on her boyfriend Alex with her ex-boyfriend Justin. If you are like me, I am happy to see Justin and Jessica back together, but the way it happens I believe goes against Jessica's character's morals.
Finally, the most controversial part of this finale is when Tyler shows up to the dance with numerous guns, ready to shoot up the school. Although he has been brutally assaulted and bullied countless times, we thought we saw Tyler turn over a new leaf following his time at the behavioral camp. I was truly disappointed in Tyler in this scene.
The finale ends with Tony coming to Tyler's rescue and Clay is left standing in the street holding one of Tyler's guns. The viewers hear police sirens approaching and are left wondering what will happen in the next season.
Although many shows use cliffhangers to make their viewers eager to see the next season, I was not happy with the ending. The viewers are left so unsatisfied because nothing has changed at Liberty High School. Bryce gets to just transfer schools and is given a fresh start which he does not deserve. Justin is still dealing with his demons and is lying to his friends and family about his drug addiction. Jessica was not given closure in terms of her rape because Bryce was not chastised. Tyler still has major mental issues, and Olivia Baker lost her trial against Liberty High.
Although life does not always work out the way one hopes, the viewers should have been given a little bit of closure and satisfaction. With no look into how to properly cope with losing someone to suicide, and no changes taking place in order to help prevent such a tragedy like Hannah taking her own life from happening again, I believe the finale of "13 Reasons Why" does not give the viewers any hope or happiness. It leaves you 100% disappointed.
