13 Reasons Why: Season 2
13 Reasons Why is a Netflix original series directed by Brian Yorkey. The show is also popularly driven by the executive producer Selena Gomez. The show recently released its second season on Netflix and has been a hot topic of conversation ever since, even now a few months later.
The first season of 13 Reasons Why followed Clay Jenson, played by Dylan Minnette, who’s friend Hannah Baker, played by Katherine Langford, had recently committed suicide. Baker left 13 tapes behind for certain people to listen to, giving them the reasons why she ended her own life. Jenson is emotionally torn by the recent loss of his friend and strives to find out the true reason behind her death, as well as expose those who he feels are responsible.
Now, the new season of the series takes place five months after the end of the first season. This season follows the trial of the Baker family versus Hannah Baker’s high school. The family believes the school knew about Hannah’s condition and could have stopped the tragedy that was her death. We see all of the students that were involved in the tapes from the first season again, but this time in court. With this season, we learn even more about Hannah’s story, and what truly happened in her relationship with each of these fellow students.
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, what do I think about “the scene?” At the end of this season, there is a very graphic scene of a sexual assault of a male student. This was a horrific thing to see, and I would strongly advise viewers to use serious discretion in watching this particular episode. It is incredibly graphic, and I do not think it should have been included in the show at all. I do not understand the creator’s motive behind adding this plot, and showing such a graphic depiction of it, but I found it disturbing and completely unnecessary.
Here’s the thing, I really do not agree with the concept of this series. Suicide is a horrific thing, and this show somewhat glorifies it. It makes the heroine of the story a dead girl and portrays her as a sort of martyr. Truth be told, the series does not well-portray the reality of the aftermath of suicide. I know the show is supposed to help “start a conversation” about mental health, and suicide, but quite frankly it is only showing people that their lives will be glorified is they choose to end them themselves. That is just not reality, and it is kind of inappropriate to portray it as so.
However, my opinion is not the only one that matters and many, many people love this show. The second season of 13 Reasons Why is full of the same emotional draws that the first season contained, and if that is something you loved, then you will love the second season as well.
