*This review will contain spoilers for 13 Reasons Why
** This review will contain discussion on scenes of intense content (Sexual Assault, Bullying, and Suicide) which may be disturbing for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
Those of you who have read my other articles may notice that I like to add word play to my review titles. This review does not. This is a very serious show that is causing waves across the internet. Suicide is not something that should be joked about. If you or someone you know is struggling with anything and may be at risk, please help guide them to the following resources, found on afsp.org:
So, with this in mind, let's dive in.
The story follows Clay, a former friend of Hannah Baker, who committed suicide. One day, about a week or so after her death, Clay finds a package containing 13 cassette tapes (a precursor to CD's). He plays them, and finds that they are, for all intents and purposes, Hannah's suicide note. Each tape is directed at one person in the school, and how their actions are connected to her decision. The episodes follow Clay as he learns what happened to Hannah, and why he is on the tapes.
Each episode of the series focuses on one tape. The events cover a large range of events, from witnessing a sexual assault to PTSD to regular bullying, and finally, an actual sexual assault on Hannah herself. I will not detail these specific events, but those watching the series should be warned that they are intensely shot, and do not shy away from these events. If you have experienced these things personally, or are negatively impacted by this sort of content, I advise you do not watch this series, or, if you choose to, have somebody watch it with you or be near you to talk about it afterwards. The series does display warnings at the beginning of intense episodes, but, since it is a Netflix Original Series and has no commercial breaks, this is the only disclaimer that appears with these episodes. For this reason, I do wish they had edited in some fake breaks and added an infomercial of some kind, or at least to allow for a final disclaimer before intense moments.
This is not a series to take lightly. It is supposed to prompt discussion and reflection. By focusing on the people impacted by Hannah's death, many of which could have, in theory, stepped in and done something, makes the audience think about their everyday interactions and how one rude joke, or a single compliment, can influence a person, when they are combined with what else that person is dealing with. If you do watch the series, there is a 30 minute behind-the-scenes special titled "behind the reasons" that provides a lot of good insight and information with this series.
The writing of the series is very strong. There is nothing that is thrown away or taken for granted within the dialogue. This greatly impacts the overall acting, which is incredibly realistic as well. I would like to commend the writers and the cast on a fantastic relaying of the story in these regards.
Now, I do feel I need to address my views on the most controversial scene in the series: the death of Hannah Baker. The series shows the death in rather intense detail and does not censor it. I am not one to be made queasy by blood and gore (I sat through the deaths of Walking Dead's season 7 premiere without a problem), but this scene made me sick to my stomach. Again, to minimize possible problems, I will not detail the scene. Many people have an issue with this scene, as they feel that it has the potential to "glorify" suicide, but I think it does the opposite. We see hesitation in Hannah's eyes and hands before she starts, and we see her cry in pain and suffer as it is occurring, showing the ugly side of suicide. This scene also flows immediately into the discovery by her mother, showing the immediate impact of the suicide, not long after it happened. This chilling scene, for me, made the weight and cost of a decision like this very clear. You may think that there is nobody who cares, but there always will be.
Now, I do want to point out that this is coming from somebody who has been both a Clay and a Hannah in real life. I went through a bout of serious depression, and I have talked with somebody who was debating whether life was worth it. I also tend to have a thicker shell than most people I know, and can take more intense scenes without problem. This is the perspective in which I viewed this scene, and why my opinion is this way.
There are other major debates buzzing around within this series, but I don't want to get into those too much here, as there is a lot of division within this series.
Finally, there is one major detail that I had pointed out to me while discussing this series with a friend. In the last episode, we see a hearing for the lawsuit against the school. The dates of these recordings are in November of this year. This detail is important because that means this series is hypothetical. Hannah has NOT made the tapes yet, and she is still alive. This means that anybody anywhere could be Hannah Baker, and you might be their Clay.
Please, be kind to people and remember that there is the potential to help change somebody's life for the better. You need only reach out to them.
Let me know what you thought of the series in the comments below.
Also, for those of you who want some advice on how to talk with teens who are suffering from severe depression and suicidal thoughts, you might want to check out 13 Reasons Why Not, a book by Matt Mizell. The book discusses 13 suggestions from several counselors and the National Suicide Hotline on how to help in these situations. Buy the book here, or read it free with Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
** This review will contain discussion on scenes of intense content (Sexual Assault, Bullying, and Suicide) which may be disturbing for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
Those of you who have read my other articles may notice that I like to add word play to my review titles. This review does not. This is a very serious show that is causing waves across the internet. Suicide is not something that should be joked about. If you or someone you know is struggling with anything and may be at risk, please help guide them to the following resources, found on afsp.org:
24/7 Crisis Hotline: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1-800-273-TALK (8255) (Veterans, press 1)
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1-800-273-TALK (8255) (Veterans, press 1)
Crisis Text Line
Text “Start” to 741-741
Text “Start” to 741-741
Veterans Crisis Line
Send a text to 828255
Send a text to 828255
So, with this in mind, let's dive in.
The story follows Clay, a former friend of Hannah Baker, who committed suicide. One day, about a week or so after her death, Clay finds a package containing 13 cassette tapes (a precursor to CD's). He plays them, and finds that they are, for all intents and purposes, Hannah's suicide note. Each tape is directed at one person in the school, and how their actions are connected to her decision. The episodes follow Clay as he learns what happened to Hannah, and why he is on the tapes.
Each episode of the series focuses on one tape. The events cover a large range of events, from witnessing a sexual assault to PTSD to regular bullying, and finally, an actual sexual assault on Hannah herself. I will not detail these specific events, but those watching the series should be warned that they are intensely shot, and do not shy away from these events. If you have experienced these things personally, or are negatively impacted by this sort of content, I advise you do not watch this series, or, if you choose to, have somebody watch it with you or be near you to talk about it afterwards. The series does display warnings at the beginning of intense episodes, but, since it is a Netflix Original Series and has no commercial breaks, this is the only disclaimer that appears with these episodes. For this reason, I do wish they had edited in some fake breaks and added an infomercial of some kind, or at least to allow for a final disclaimer before intense moments.
This is not a series to take lightly. It is supposed to prompt discussion and reflection. By focusing on the people impacted by Hannah's death, many of which could have, in theory, stepped in and done something, makes the audience think about their everyday interactions and how one rude joke, or a single compliment, can influence a person, when they are combined with what else that person is dealing with. If you do watch the series, there is a 30 minute behind-the-scenes special titled "behind the reasons" that provides a lot of good insight and information with this series.
The writing of the series is very strong. There is nothing that is thrown away or taken for granted within the dialogue. This greatly impacts the overall acting, which is incredibly realistic as well. I would like to commend the writers and the cast on a fantastic relaying of the story in these regards.
Now, I do feel I need to address my views on the most controversial scene in the series: the death of Hannah Baker. The series shows the death in rather intense detail and does not censor it. I am not one to be made queasy by blood and gore (I sat through the deaths of Walking Dead's season 7 premiere without a problem), but this scene made me sick to my stomach. Again, to minimize possible problems, I will not detail the scene. Many people have an issue with this scene, as they feel that it has the potential to "glorify" suicide, but I think it does the opposite. We see hesitation in Hannah's eyes and hands before she starts, and we see her cry in pain and suffer as it is occurring, showing the ugly side of suicide. This scene also flows immediately into the discovery by her mother, showing the immediate impact of the suicide, not long after it happened. This chilling scene, for me, made the weight and cost of a decision like this very clear. You may think that there is nobody who cares, but there always will be.
Now, I do want to point out that this is coming from somebody who has been both a Clay and a Hannah in real life. I went through a bout of serious depression, and I have talked with somebody who was debating whether life was worth it. I also tend to have a thicker shell than most people I know, and can take more intense scenes without problem. This is the perspective in which I viewed this scene, and why my opinion is this way.
There are other major debates buzzing around within this series, but I don't want to get into those too much here, as there is a lot of division within this series.
Finally, there is one major detail that I had pointed out to me while discussing this series with a friend. In the last episode, we see a hearing for the lawsuit against the school. The dates of these recordings are in November of this year. This detail is important because that means this series is hypothetical. Hannah has NOT made the tapes yet, and she is still alive. This means that anybody anywhere could be Hannah Baker, and you might be their Clay.
Please, be kind to people and remember that there is the potential to help change somebody's life for the better. You need only reach out to them.
Let me know what you thought of the series in the comments below.
Also, for those of you who want some advice on how to talk with teens who are suffering from severe depression and suicidal thoughts, you might want to check out 13 Reasons Why Not, a book by Matt Mizell. The book discusses 13 suggestions from several counselors and the National Suicide Hotline on how to help in these situations. Buy the book here, or read it free with Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
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