Let’s talk about....Thirteen Reasons Why Season 3

Before we get started, I should give a spoiler warning. So if you haven’t seen/finished season three yet then you should proceed with caution as this article will discuss major plot points. 

Now that’s out of the way, can I just say “Woah.” Season three is simultaneously incredible and frustrating and yet again shows why this show is so divisive. Personally, I have always been a fan and champion of this show but there are so many that call for it to be banned and I can imagine that the latest season won’t do anything to change the minds of those so vehemently against it. Why are so many people up in arms against this show? Well I could certainly give you thirteen reasons why, if not more, but to put it simply - the subject matter and content (suicide, rape, abuse etc) is seen as inappropriate for the target audience of teenagers and young adults. But let’s not get wrapped up in all that right now. Let’s discuss season three and more specifically what it did really well and what it didn’t do quite so well. 

Did well - The Suspects

This season focuses on the death of Bryce Walker or to be more specific, the murder of Bryce Walker.  As Bryce was a rapist and pretty much an all round douchebag who pissed off or hurt everyone he came into contact with, the list of suspects is not short. As with the previous seasons, this way of using a puzzle to be solved as the framing device works really well. The audience doesn’t know who the killer is so we’re taken along on the journey with the characters. You may have a prime suspect throughout or your opinion may change after each episode, but I liked how every suspect felt as likely as the next one. And even though I’ll admit I guessed quite early on who the killer was, it didn’t detract from the season and there were enough twists and turns to make me doubt myself along the way. 

Didn’t do so well - Ani

I kind of feel a bit bad saying this but here it is - I really didn’t like Ani. Firstly I should make it clear that it’s absolutely nothing to do with the actress Grace Saif who I think was brilliant and I did like the idea of a new narrator. But Ani is a character who didn’t experience anything from the previous seasons, who essentially has little reason to be so intricately involved with the main characters but is somehow suddenly completely in everyone’s business. We have little reason to care about her or root for her. She lurks around corners and in doorways listening and eavesdropping on conversations and then relaying them back to different parties with different details.
I still don’t really understand what her motive was for being so deeply involved in proceedings. It almost felt to me like she was bored and did it to entertain herself or to rebel against her mother. She messes Clay around, hinting that she’s attracted to him and then making him feel bad for liking her and she lies constantly. I know Hannah was an unreliable narrator but Ani feels even more unreliable. She’s saddled with a lot of responsibility and becomes a major part in the police investigation, but it all just felt a bit false to me because she has no history or backstory at the school, in the town or with the characters. And perhaps worst of all, she effectively becomes a ‘Team Bryce’ character - forever defending him and humanising him which leads me on to another issue...

Didn’t do so well - Humanising a rapist

This point is a really, really tricky one. On the one hand, I totally agree that humans are infinitely complex beings and perhaps no one is completely evil or completely good, rather we all may do terrible things but does that make us unworthy of redemption? In fact I will admit to having a slight fascination on this subject - the idea of our many complexities, what makes us a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ person and how we should be judged or not on our actions.
However, with that being said, I feel torn on the way that this season spent a lot of time humanising Bryce and Monty and trying to show them as sympathetic characters. These characters’ bad decisions and terrible actions aren’t things that can be defended at all. And this season starts to feel a bit like it is defending their actions, which I found incredibly uncomfortable. By episode thirteen, we are supposed to believe that Bryce is a changed man but if you listen to what he screams at Zach on the docks then it goes completely against his ‘reformed’ character. And yes I know you could argue that he’s angry and in pain at that point but it sure sounded a lot like the Bryce of old. I think the idea behind showing the many sides, feelings and actions of a person was good but I worry with how it played out and how that might appear to more impressionable viewers.

Did well - Technical prowess

Thirteen Reasons Why has always been a really well made and well shot show, and this season is no different. When I talk about transition shots, I always mention Thirteen Reasons Why and in my mind it is the king of transitions. As well as that, I love the changes in the colour palette and tone when the story cuts between the past and present. This season felt almost cinematic at times and overall it was just another technically great season. 

Did well - Perfect performances

Thirteen Reasons Why definitely boasts one of the best young casts on television and this season there were some outstanding performances. In particular, I have to single out Devin Druid, who plays Tyler Down. The scene where he breaks down and tells Clay about being raped was so raw and emotional. But in general, all the actors were great this season. 

Didn’t do so well - Bryce and Monty’s fates

By the end of this season, both these characters are dead and both died violently. For many they might feel that that is pretty justified and Bryce and Monty got what they deserved. Personally, I feel that these fates robbed both the other show’s characters, such as Jessica, and the audience of true justice. Bryce was never found guilty and Monty died within hours of being held in prison. Neither served a sentence and neither publicly admitted or acknowledged their guilt. There’s just something about them dying that felt like a cop out.

Did well - Survivors are warriors

This season saw Jessica leading a group of abuse survivors who were rallying against the system and campaigning for change. The dynamic of the group, with the difference in approach and how some members wanted to act compared to how others wanted to act, felt really realistic.
I also liked how this group were shown as strong and determined rather than victims. And the scene in the assembly where the survivors stand and individually name themselves as survivors of abuse was so inspiring and upsetting.

Overall, I did really like this season. I can never say I particularly enjoy this show but that’s only because it would feel wrong to say that given the content. But I think Thirteen Reasons Why is a brilliant show and more than that, it’s a necessary and important show. It would be all too easy to shy away from these types of issues, to sweep them under the carpet and bury our heads in the sand. But the simple truth is that these issues do exist and they are prevalent in society. To refuse to address them only exacerbates them and increases the power of those who bully and abuse others. Thirteen Reasons Why is an incredibly difficult watch a lot of the time but that only proves that it has the ability to evoke reactions and feelings that can hopefully lead to important changes. I would honestly advocate for Thirteen Reasons Why to be shown in schools, I think it would benefit a lot of people. I am looking forward to seeing where the fourth and final season takes us.