13 Reasons Why Season 2 Review: The Good, The Bad and The Verdict.
No punches pulled in this even bolder season.
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| Credit: Netflix |
First of all, I just want to say that I was honestly satisfied and content with the first season and firmly believed a second season wasn't at all necessary but regardless I was excited and full of anticipation for season 2. I spent a whole day binging the entire show and what an emotional roller coaster it was. It was gripping, sometimes scary, beautiful and sometimes necessarily uncomfortable.
The show is controversial and considering its themes and topic, how couldn't be? the new season focuses on the aftermath of Hannah's death and its impact on her friends and family as well as the school environment. Taking a much more expository format and delving further into the past tragedies shared by the characters so here's the good and the bad of the newest season.
The Good
Olivia Baker:
I'm not sure if still referring to her as a Baker is appropriate anymore since she and Andrew separated but Olivia dealing with heartbreak is at the core of season 2. Watching her fight to tell Hannah's story as well as coping with disappointment when the kids weren't able to push through their tragedy and speak or when they were bested by the unrelenting defense attorney at court while also coming to terms with the fact that there was a lot about Hannah she didn't know and a lot of things she might have said or done to be there for her daughter and realizing that in her own small way, she failed Hannah was heart-wrenching. 
Jessica and Alex both dealing with their individual traumas:
This season Jessica and Alex had to deal with the effects of what they had gone through the previous season. Jessica struggled with coping with Bryce's sexually assaulting her and Alex slowly recovering from the physical effects of his suicide attempt at the end of season 1. Both recovery stories were treated with a great deal of sensitivity by the show which is something rarely done right, showing that sometimes the road to recovery is a long and painful one. Watching Jessica go through therapy in a bid to move on and Alex coming to terms with his injuries and pushing through them became perhaps the season's strongest points and made possible by the incredible performances turned in by both actors.
Hannah and Zach's relationship reveal:
This was hands down the most uplifting part of the entire season, it was a beautiful twist that I greatly appreciated. It was nice that although Zach was on Hannah's tapes in season 1 for playing a part in 'failing' her, they had had something beautiful the prior summer. The connection both characters shared was evident and most importantly to see that things weren't always gloomy for Hannah leading up to death.
Clay confronting Hannah:
This was something I really expected to happen at some point in season 1 and when it didn't, I hoped to see it in the new season and I was I did. The act of suicide is a sensitive issue and one which different people interpret differently, some see it as a sign of weakness regardless of whatever led to it while others try to understand what motivates it and empathize with the victim. One thing that is agreed upon is that it leaves a mark on those who are alive, Clay breaking down and telling Hannah "you did an evil thing" was a powerful and for me a necessary scene regardless of what side you take.
More sides to Hannah:
Something I really appreciated this season was the fact that the show did not attempt to place Hannah on some sort of pedestal and present her as a saint. Season 1 mostly presented her as a perfect victim who was wronged at every turn and although she is very much the victim, season 2 makes us realize that Hannah wasn't perfect and she doesn't need to be. She was a teenager, she got high, she hooked up with guys and all to the amazement of her parents who realized painfully that there was so much she didn't know. Hannah didn't deserve all that happened to her and whether or not she was the perfect kid her parents and maybe viewers would her loved her to be changes nothing.
The Bad
Katherine Langford who plays Hannah on the show is such an amazing actress and gave did an amazing job in the first season and with Hannah dead by the end of the season (more like since the beginning really), I just knew the showrunners were going to find a way to have her return for season 2 and although she was necessary for the new season especially with the flashbacks, having her as a projection of Clay's inner thoughts wasn't particularly necessary. The whole device gave the season a less grounded feel than what had already been established in the previous season and frankly it was distracting.
Skye:
By the end of season 1 it was already established that Clay was going to rebuild his broken with Skye and at the start of the new season it seemed as though he had moved on from all the Hannah trauma and had started a new life with Skye but unfortunately it wasn't to be and it was made clear that he still had a lot to deal with. Skye's story then progresses to her having to deal with her issues and seeking out help which ends with her saying goodbye to Clay and moving away. The whole arc felt unnecessary (mostly because of its quick conclusion and its lack of consequence on the whole story) and ultimately felt forced.
Jessica and Justin:
Frankly, I was annoyed by this, Jessica's long emotional road to recovering from being raped was an important part of season 2 and although Justin was a big part of her trauma, it seemed like she had healed at least up until the season finale where she has sex with Justin in the locker room moments after kissing Alex on the dance floor which happened after they Alex and Herself decided to act like "people who date". It's clear the show is setting up a love triangle between this two and it hurt because it felt like undermining Jessica's journey over the course of the season.
Tyler Down's Arc:
There was always going to be violence in this new season and honestly, it always felt like Tyler would be the perp. From the moment he shown with his guns, I had a feeling in my guts that he was eventually going to either shoot someone or some people. He was the most obvious choice even from the previous season and although the show does its best to steer us away from the again obvious plotline by making him come to terms with his issues and addressing them, it fails and at the end, it was shocking but without any real surprise.
That Cliffhanger:
Although Tyler is stopped from carrying out his mass shooting at the school dance by Clay and is given the opportunity to flee the scene, the season ends with Clay remaining on the scene holding the assault weapon, implying that he is going to be on the spot for Tyler's actions and opening up a lot of questions. While it was great to see Tyler get a second chance, the cliffhanger felt forced and anticlimactic and was done simply to create room for a season 3.
The Verdict
Like I made clear earlier, even though I wanted a second season of this show, it didn't really need one but the new season was bolder as it explored darker themes and was the better for it. The show did a good job exploring the effects of Hannah's death on the entire school community as well as adding more layers to the characters, properly using the flashbacks to expand upon the events of the first season and helping us to understand just why those events happened. Most importantly, I believe that these are real stories that need to be told, heard and seen and even though some scenes were uncomfortable to sit through, they were necessary and the show did a good job of telling them.
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