TV Review: 13 Reasons Why Season 3

13 Reasons Why Season 3

Starring: Dylan Minnette, Grace Saif, Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Brandon Flynn, Justin Prentice, Miles Heizer, Brenda Strong, Amy Hargreaves, Ross Butler, Devin Druid, Timothy Granaderos, Steven Weber, Matthew Alan, Michele Selene Ang

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 60 minutes/episode

In 2017, when 13 Reasons Why first aired on Netflix, it became something special. It didn’t take long to figure out that this show was different; this wasn’t the usual prime time teen drama. Everything about 13 Reasons Why was significant: it was topical, it was daring and dared you to watch. It was the type of show that America, and probably the world, needs more of on their screens. I don’t want to spend too much time on season one and two because if you haven’t seen them, you should. Season one is about a teenage girl’s suicide, and Netflix has recently chosen to omit the actual scene from season one, and I am not on board with that decision. That scene was hard to watch, and that is the point. Suicide is a terrible decision to make and showing the pain of the act is something people should see. What point are you trying to make if you have it happen off-screen? I was glad to be able to see the show the way it was intended because that scene will be one that I never forget. So let’s dive into Season Three.

As the promos showed us, this season is about finding Bryce Walker’s killer. Bryce was a character that was in nearly every episode of the first two seasons, and he was complicated. He was a rapist and king of the bullies, but he was never a one-dimensional character. Even in season one, I saw him as someone capable of being more; of being better. That said, he was the main antagonist of the series, and he made some decisions that he could not come back from. His death is the hook of season three, and it is a good one.

I seem to be in the minority on this season, but I don’t think the show has gone downhill. It is still hitting the topics of today and what teenagers are facing in this ever-changing world. If you find yourself complaining because “no one in high school ever did ______,” then you simply didn’t attend that school. I can assure you there is plenty of sex, drugs, and assault of all kinds taking place on high school campuses all over. If you didn’t see it, then good for you, but don’t write this show off because it is showing you the other side of the coin.

In the same vein, if you start watching this show and there is a new character that you can’t relate to, so you decide to stop watching, then that is something you should keep to yourself. Season three introduces Ani, a new character that serves an important function. Ani’s mother is the caretaker to Bryce Walker’s Grandfather and the Walker residence. This gives Ani the ability to live in the Walker household and witness certain vital events.

Season three is all about what happened during and after the Homecoming football game, so there is a good amount of time spent between the now and what took place leading up to Homecoming. It is always nice to go back to the students at Liberty High; these characters are all deeply flawed and therefore, more realistic. As with most shows, this season does not stand alone. You will need to watch the first two seasons leading up to this one.

I’ve read about a lot of people upset that the writers have chosen to show Bryce’s ability to change. Again, this is not about what you THINK you know. The truth is that we are all human and we all have the ability to change; even the most despicable of us. I’ll stop there because this is a spoiler-free review, but parents and teenagers alike should be tuning into this series. It was one of the few shows that doesn’t hold back while showing us what it means to be a survivor, a victim, an addict, a friend, and a parent. Bryce is a troubled child who is now facing his demons. He ruined people’s lives along the way and left a lot of destruction in his path, but this season poses the question: can people change? Did he deserve to die? Be on the lookout for the some best scenes of the show featuring Bryce and his Mother. It makes you angry. It makes you sad. It makes you proud. Who else is willing to hold up the mirror to teenage social issues? Right now I salute this show for being original and for making another season of binge-worthy material that keeps us clicking NEXT at every end-credit sequence.

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