13 Reasons Why: Season 2 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Low Points

Justin taking thousands of dollars and leaving his mom $200

While it is understood Justin and his mom didn’t have the best relationship, considering there was a real good chance Seth would kill her for real, the fact he left just $200 for her to escape with was dirty. Especially since he CLEARLY was pocketing a few thousand dollars. In my mind, he basically gave his mom enough to escape for a day or find a way to numb herself before Seth probably broke her like a baby bird.

No Flashbacks of Hannah Being a Bully

Considering the majority of Hannah’s scenes take place in the past, was it wrong to want to see Hannah as a bully? Whether she was in a Zach kind of way, in terms of being an enabler, or was really taking an active role? I mean, the second season was primarily about expanding our view of Hannah outside of how she and Clay saw her so why not show her be a terrible person as well?

Tyler Being An Ass to Mackenzie

As much as Tyler was a creep in season 1, it was nice for him to find a community, and a girl who liked him, despite his reputation. So, to watch him screw that up, despite how forgiving and sweet Mackenzie was, it was truly mindboggling. Because, as embarrassing as it surely would be to ejaculate in your pants because of making out, taking note Mackenzie even forgave that? Who finds people like that and lets them go? Much less acts rude and nasty towards them?

The Attempt To Humanize Bryce

There are very few productions which allow a villain to be unredeemable if not present things so that you can just enough understand their point of view. However, while you can strangely make murderers sympathetic by showing abusive childhoods and things like that, even make them into superheroes, there is no coming back from rape. So Bryce being lonely, seeking something real, wanting a brotherhood to replace his absentee family and all that? I got nothing.

Well, outside of an understanding how taking a human life is more forgivable in media that leaving someone alive, but stealing their dignity, sense of safety, and just leaving them with the kind of mental trauma they’ll never recover from.

Realistically, Clay Talking Tyler Out Of Shooting Up The School With That Speech Seemed Improbable

I’m just saying. Clay was the one who made what happened on the tapes general knowledge, released a nude picture of Tyler throughout the school, and even as some kind of “friend” was wildly inconsistent. So the fact that Tyler really gave Clay a pass and let him talk him out of a shooting? It just didn’t seem realistic.

The “Who Is Leaving These Polaroid?” Mystery and Who Was Threatening Witnesses Was So Weakly Handled

Considering the Polaroids were revealing major information about the school’s, multi-year preserved, rape culture, the fact it wasn’t made into a more interesting thing was unfortunate. Yet, similar to Montgomery threatening everyone, you can see that this story pretty much got drowned in better things to talk about. Thus making both an afterthought at times.

On The Fence

Certain Characters From Season 1 Become Downgraded and Forgotten

Okay, while Marcus isn’t really missed at all, no offense to his actor, the fact we didn’t get to see Courtney explore her first time flirting and being with a girl sucked. Especially in terms of a relationship context. Alongside that, not fully addressing Ryan’s loneliness as a gay guy, who is flamboyant, was also unfortunate because as much as we saw Tony with Caleb, that was never the central focus of Tony’s storyline. It was helping Clay. So between Ryan and Courtney, they could have pushed for the diversity we saw from Nina, Jessica, and Sheri, but with queer people.

Its Handling of Its Queer Character

Leading to the need to address and question, taking note Hannah and Zach had a sex scene, albeit one more PG than the rest of the show, how come none of the queer characters got that? You can show Tyler being forcibly sodomized by Montgomery but no sexy time between Tony and Caleb, Ryan on a Grindr hook up, maybe Courtney’s first time with a girl, or something like that?

Sheri

Sheri was done so dirty. Granted, was her role big in season 1? In retrospect? Absolutely not. However, considering how Skye got expanded, Zach got his moment in the sun, and how new characters got developed, there couldn’t be some love for Sheri? She did just get out of a juvenile detention center, had a whole new attitude, that could have been worth exploring. Maybe even her trying to pick up where she left off with Clay. Perhaps trying to be the Clay to his Hannah since he was clearly going through one meltdown after another.

While You Recognize Clay Is Going Through Trauma, It Doesn’t Make Him Any Less Annoying

With the way the show shifted the narrative, Clay has been an increasingly annoying character since the beginning. However, his possessiveness over Hannah reaches an all-time high and combine that with him shaming her ghost and jealousy? Not to mention, it really seems like he was with Skye purely to keep her alive and to not have another death on his conscious? Needless to say, he came off really crappy. Not enough where he couldn’t make a comeback, but even in the case of dragging Tony into his mess. Tony was on probation yet you have him associating with drug addicts and someone who have guns on his person?

Oh, and let’s not forget the multiple ignorant statements Clay made to Tony and Sheri. Not to forget, being willing and able to use Jessica and Chloe for the purpose of getting justice for Hannah. Damning if they have even come to terms with what happened to them.

The Use of Hannah

While you do have to appreciate them filling out more why each person was so disappointing to Hannah, at the same time, Clay hogging her led to many missed opportunities. Hannah talking to Jessica could have really been something or even Alex, since he was in the pool house while Hannah was being raped. Heck, Zach and Justin being haunted and seeing her could have also been good to follow up on the extended information we got about her time with them. Yet, all we see is Clay questioning, belittling, and admonishing her all season. Alongside her making him go more and more crazy.

Understanding Bryce’s Supporters

There is a certain amount of manipulation at play which helps you understand Bryce’s relationship with his supporters. After all, Bryce is in a public school where, while there don’t appear to be many who live on the wrong side of the tracks, as shown through Montgomery and Justin, many don’t come from good households. However, like with Bryce, trying to humanize them in your mind is difficult. Even if, in the case of Montgomery, you could understand his desperation. If not them all relying on the team to fill some gap caused by inadequacies of their family.

Yet, knowing Bryce is a rapist and being silent or defending him, it brings massive guilt by association. Then, of course, Montgomery shoving a broomstick up Tyler’s rectum? Something so over the top that even though you know it happens, you can’t help but question why the show had to imply it? You get another character past the point of any return and who, honestly, I wished popped up before Clay or was already outside. Because, while Bryce got smacked by his mom and that felt so good, Montgomery can’t even use some crappy, not knowing what consent is, excuse.

Chloe’s Tough Choice

However, one supporter of Bryce who you have to give a pass to is Chloe. Since she really was the only one you can make a valid excuse for. The rest of the guys, from Justin to Zach, they aiding and enabled Bryce for their own personal reasons. With Chloe, whether you factor in she was pregnant; that her family probably didn’t have the money for an abortion, and that she may not want one; that she saw how Jessica was handled so really going against Bryce would make life horrible; on top of her life just getting good with her being cheer captain, she had a lot to lose. Not to forget, she was pressured into being on the stand and, like the guys, she would lose access to the privileges Bryce had if she went through with all it would require to testify.

And I know, perhaps a double standard is in play here. Heck, maybe even an example of Jessica’s point about how innocent white girls seem in a position like hers. But that is why this is on the fence. On one hand, you get it, but on the other, there shouldn’t be so many excuses which seem so valid. Especially since, if the show dug more into the guys, outside of the pregnancy thing, they could maybe go tit for tat.

Overall: Positive (Watch It)

13 Reasons Why remains in a very precarious space. Because of its platform being Netflix, there are no real limitations beyond how much flack Netflix is willing to take. Thus making it where, the line FreeForm, MTV, CW and other networks can’t cross? 13 Reasons Why can. Also, it can go beyond the 90 minutes many of the movies which take on individual subjects it approaches cut off at. Putting it in a very rare position for a TV show focused on teenagers, yet rated MA.

Which, in many ways, the second season of 13 Reasons Why acknowledges and excels at taking advantage of. Mental health, be it in terms of grief, post-rape, dealing with the mental illness, or which comes from the stress of your environment, are on full display. It also addresses rape culture in a way it peers can’t and bullying in a way which seems to go a bit far, but bullying itself is an act of taking things too far. So while Tyler being sodomized feels so much like something just to be part of the news cycle, at the same time you can’t deny that is part of someone’s story.

Add in the less dramatic elements like showing how culture and race play into characters’ lives, some form of [tooltips keyword=’LGB’ content = ‘There are no trans characters so putting the T in there makes no sense ‘] representation and how stressful working in a school is, and you get a much more well rounded season than season one. Which of course includes a much more well-rounded Hannah.

Leading to why the positive label. To put it simply, no show is going to be able to be as raw about teenaged life as 13 Reasons Why. You won’t see HBO and the premium stations touch it, if some network tried to revive Skins for the 2^nd time it would probably be as watered down as the first, and so 13 Reasons Why occupies a space that likely won’t be duplicated again ever. And, to a certain degree, I’d argue the people involved recognize that and that is why they pack so much in and sometimes add in such unbelievable moments. For they know, for the people who relate to a certain situation, there might never be another show which really fleshes out what they go through. So they’re giving it their all, warts and all and accepting the criticism.

Has Another Season Been Confirmed?: It has been confirmed

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Episode List

Episode 1

With book writer Jay Asher not involved in the production, 13 Reasons Why enters a new stage. One which seems ready to make Hannah less of a victim.

Episode 2

As Hannah establishes herself as the annoying voice in Clay’s head, Courtney takes the stand and you are led to question if she may still lie or reveal the truth.

Episode 3

It’s Jessica’s turn to hit the stand and as Sonya breaks her down, Clay tries to figure a way for Bryce to be in Sonya and Dennis’ crosshairs for a rape charge.

Episode 4

It’s Marcus’ turn on the stand and with him supporting Sonya’s goals, unlike everyone else he lies. All the while the alliance against Bryce grows stronger.

Episode 5

As Ryan takes the stand, we learn more about his relationship with Hannah. Alongside seeing Alex and Jessica try to retain some sense of normalcy.

Episode 6

As Zach reveals there was more to his relationship with Hannah, Clay deals with the fantasy in his head of who Hannah was not matching up with reality.

Episode 7

Desperate times call for desperate measures as Clay fails to do much for Hannah on the stand and there are multiple incidents at Alex’s birthday party.

Episode 8

As Olivia and Andy take the stand, and everyone deals with the tapes coming out, we get an update on Skye.

Episode 9

It’s Mr. Porter’s turn to take the stand and with him being guilt-racked, he runs through what he wished he did.

Episode 10

As Tony reveals how he owed Hannah, and what pushed him to circulate the tapes, Clay enters the clubhouse and makes some discoveries.

Episode 11

Once again Clay is at a breaking point as Bryce takes the stand and remixes what happened between him and Hannah.

Episode 12

Both sides have made their points, witnesses have been run through and final statements have been given. It’s time for the verdict.

Episode 13

Sometimes there is no grand victory, perhaps not a redemption story like we see in movies, and there is just life. Something which, for one character, has made them decide to do the opposite of Hannah.