REVIEW: 13 Reasons Why

Suicide, bullying and drugs are not always easy things to talk about, but a new Netflix show titled 13 Reasons Why seems to have covered everything in a way everyone can understand. 13 Reasons Why is a Netflix series based on the book 13 Reasons Why written by Jay Asher.The show and all 13 episodes were released on Netflix worldwide on March 31, 2017. It stars Katherine Langford as Hannah, Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen, Miles Heizer as Alex, Ross Butler as Zach, Alisha Boe as Jessica, Brandon Flynn as Justin, and Justin Prentice as Bryce.

The show consists of 13 episodes in which the life of Hannah Baker, a student at a local high school who recently committed suicide), is explained and the people and events that led to her ending her life. Throughout a series of 13 tapes (in which she request the viewer to simply follow 2 rules: To listen to the tapes and pass them onto the next person), she explains the story of her life’s downfall. Each tape has a subject related to a person/event and how that person/event hurt her and led her to commit suicide. The tapes are passed around to the people who hurt Hannah in the order they hurt her. Clay Jensen, a fellow high school classmate of Hannah, is the protagonist through which most of the story is told to(Hannah is sometimes the one telling the story too). He receives the tapes and is surprised to find out that he was a reason why. As the series progresses, it is shown throughout many flashbacks that he met her at work and that he grew to have feelings for her.

The show was based off the book written by Jay Asher and created by 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner playwright Brian Yorkey (“Next to Normal”) alongside Executive Producer Tom McCarthy. The book was originally published October 18, 2007, but did not hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list until July of 2011. The show was originally going to be a movie released by Universal Pictures with Selena Gomez as the lead role but was instead picked up as a Netflix television series in 2015. The filming of the series began around the summer of 2015.

The shows lead actors Katherine Langford and Dylan Minnette do a great job of portraying their characters struggles and problems. There are much intense and drama-filled scenes throughout the show, some scenes were so intense that therapy dogs were present on some sets to help the actors. The way all of the cast act make it seem like they really are going through the problems and struggles they experience. The directors and set crews also did an outstanding job in portraying the way that high school looks and feels and the screenwriters also did a phenomenal job in describing the life and struggles of some high school students.

Media critics also have given positive reviews to the series. The Rotten Tomatoes website gave the show an approval rating of 91% freshness. Many critics praise the performance of the cast and how the show was able to take a delicate and fragile subject and approach it in a mature understandable manner.Although the show has received mainly/mostly positive reviews, there are still some movie critics who think the show is very overrated and that it “romanticizes suicide” (Headspace Organization). Other organizations like the National Association of School Psychologists also disprove the series because “it may lead to impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies” (seventeen.com). Zoe Williams, a writer for The Guardian, describes the show as a “revenge fantasy” that portrays suicide “as an act that will achieve something”.

Many students here at Airport High School were hooked onto the show and binge watching it on Netflix over Spring Break. Katelyn S., a freshman here at Airport High School, said that the show “[was] different than any other show [she had] ever seen”. The gruesome scenes made “[her] feel really uncomfortable because of the way they showed it, it was really graphic and disturbing but made a point” stated Katelyn. Jala Walker, another freshman here at Airport High School, stated that “the show is a perfect example of what can go wrong if teachers and students don't get involved in helping someone who undergoes bullying”. Schools need to “do more and be able to identify the students who undergo bullying and offer help” she stated. Jala also said that “In a place where technology is all around us and social media can spread pictures rumours and pictures fast, we need to be ready to handle these type of situations”.

Controversy has surrounded the show 13 Reasons Why for some of its gruesome scenes and because those scenes could affect teens with mental problems. The show has very gruesome scenes, the most gruesome and graphic being when Hannah commits suicide by cutting her wrists. In the book, Hannah dies by overdosing on pills, which is way more different and less graphic than the shows actual ending. The shows startling scene has caused many people to criticize the show for including and showing the scene. According to Seventeen.com, the reason why the scene was included was to show that suicide is not an easy way out. Brian Yorkey, one of the shows screenwriters and producers, stated to Seventeen.com that “we did want it to be painful to watch, because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide,". The show basically wanted its viewers to see how Hannah’s choice of suicide inflicted physical and emotional horror not just to her but also to the people around her. Not only is the show being called to gruesome, it is also being focused on and condemned by some teen mental health experts. CNN posted an article about how teen mental health experts are saying that the show could pose “serious health risks for young people who have suicidal thoughts”.

In addition to the 13 episodes of the show, there is also a special 29 minute episode(which can be considered a documentary) that answers many questions relating to why the showrunners included things like the death scene(why they decided to change it), Selena Gomez(the executive producer) talking about what 13 Reasons Why means to her, the cast talking about the significance of the series, conversations talking about depression and the alarming rate of teen suicide, and clinical psychologists analyzing Hannah’s case. The special basically talks about how the cast and producers felt about the show. The psychologist talking and analyzing Hannah’s case gives the episode a type of validity that shows that professionals have discussed and covered the problems and how it could have been solved.

13 Reasons Why goal is to raise teen suicide awareness. As stated by most of the directors and cast, its point is to get a message of hope around, to get people to realize that suicide is never the answer. I enjoyed the show overall because it was able to show how bullying can affect and damage the lives of not only the victim but also of the people around them. The show was able to put the topic of suicide and bullying and put it in a way that people can understand.

The rates of suicide in the United States are alarming. According to the Jason Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10-24, each day there are an average 5,240 attempts by people between the grades of 7-12, and more young adults die from suicide than heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, cancer, and lung diseases combined. The website also states that ⅘ teens who attempt it show clear warning signs.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts call 1-800-273-8255 for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or use their Lifeline Crisis Chat. Both of the lines are available 24/7.