13 Reasons Why Review

*These are all my opinions and how I personally feel about this TV series. There are spoiler alerts of both seasons but specifically lots from season 2.*

I understand that the topics of mental health and sexual assault NEED to be talked about and have more resources and things need to be changed.  But I don't think 13 reasons why did a good job of supporting these topics. All they did was show them. In ways that we didn't need to be shown. Even just implying these heavy topics can have an impact. Showing everything uncensored and completely graphic is UNNECESSARY and scarring and extremely triggering. Even for people who have not gone through these exact things. So the people who are victims of rape and failed suicide attempts????? I can't imagine what this show is doing for them. Nothing empowering or good, i'll tell you that.

I feel like it just emphasized how nothing happens if you choose to come forward after getting raped.
I feel like it glorified suicide because we see how it affected the people that Hannah left behind even though Hannah will NEVER know. It showed how suicide can be "getting revenge" on people and that is NOT AN OKAY THOUGHT. Showing how bullying and the way you treat people IMPACTS them and can lead to suicide- yes that's okay! Many things can lead to suicide. That is something that people need to be more aware of. That is real and that is necessary. I'm OKAY that this is bringing awareness to suicide and sexual assault. Because it needs more awareness and things to be changed but along with that it needs more resources for teenagers and adults.  So if you are going to discuss these topics and show people real and current things that happen- BE FREAKING EDUCATIONAL ABOUT IT.  Don't do a whole TV series to drill in the fact that there is no hope/justice for rape victims and no hope/justice for people struggling with mental illness.

BECAUSE THERE IS.

You want to make a difference about topics that NEED to be talked about through a TV show? Awesome. I'm all for that.

BUT SHOW HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE.
SHOW HOW THERE CAN BE JUSTICE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RAPED.
SHOW THAT THERE ARE ADULTS WHO CARE.
SHOW US HOW THINGS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH.
SHOW US HOW TEENAGERS CAN SEE HOW THEY IMPACT EACHOTHER.
SHOW US THE BULLYING CAN STOP.
SHOW ADULTS HOW THEY SHOULD HANDLE THESE THINGS.
SHOW TEENAGERS HOW THEY SHOULD HANDLE THESE THINGS.

AGAIN- BE EDUCATIONAL ABOUT IT.

Don't just show us things we already know.
Don't just show us these horrible things happening to students.
Don't just show us how terrible High School can be.
Don't just show us how disgusting things can get.

Show us HOW to make a difference and change it. 

I thought that's what season 2 was going to do. And there were some parts I really felt like it was doing that and heading in that direction but then 2 seconds later it gets ruined and another crappy horrible thing happens. If the whole point to this show was to make you feel yucky and disgusted inside 80% of the time, they did that. If the whole point of the show was to make people who have gone through these things relive terrible moments of their life, I'm sure it did that.

It did not leave me with the feeling of- things need to change!!!!! I want to change the world!!!!!! How can I help and make a difference!?
It left me with thinking- Wow this is messed up.

And if they were secretly trying to show HOW NOTHING HAPPENS and how things DONT GET BETTER to make us WANT TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND CHANGE- they sure as heck didn't do it in a good way.

Now to talk about specific parts of the show that I have opinions on...

+I'm glad that they made it so Alex had disabilities after his failed suicide attempt. Because that was realistic. The things he had to deal with afterwards is serious. I do wish it showed more about him getting professional help afterwards though.

+Clay seeing Hannah throughout the show... I didn't like that. Were they trying to show that Clay had a mental illness???? Maybe. But when Clay went absolutely crazy and was going to go and kill Bryce for what he did- I get that, that was as strong scene- but why didn't it show Clay getting help? Or Clay recognizing he needed help???

+They did a great job of showing things that teenagers go through. About how teenagers get raped and don't get taken seriously or get raped and don't come forward.  And that a lot of times people don't get punished for their actions. Okay show us that, make us believe/understand that, but then show how they CAN get helped. That them telling their story IS important. That when Jessica decided to fight for herself that there can be justice for her and for Hannah. That things can change and CAN get better for them. SHOW US THAT.

+Tyler went and got all this help and changed for the better- that's awesome. I'm so glad that happened and that they showed us that. But then when he comes back and then HE gets raped???? Horrifying. Like that's disgusting that they showed MORE RAPE in the first place. (and i would strongly recommend skipping this scene from minute 38-40). But show us how that camp IMPACTED him and changed him for the better. How it changed him so when another terrible thing happened to him he reacts better this time, and can go to an adult, and an adult can HELP him. Don't freaking make him just go back to how he was before and freaking almost shoot up a school!!!!!! How is that supposed to teach teenagers that getting help is important? That it's not a waist of time!? That nothing can change!? Show us that it can change their life for the better and have a lasting result.

+Clay telling his friends not to call the cops when he knew Tyler was coming to the school with a gun!? REALLY!? Having a 17 year old boy trying to talk down another 17 year old boy with a freaking gun? Clay shouldn't have to feel like he has that on his shoulders and that this is all on him to stop it. And don't show teenagers that that's how to deal with it when they know someone is coming to shoot the school!!!!!! Cops should be called!! His friends had the right idea. Like not going to an adult when knowing someone is going to shoot up the school or has showed sings of it......Like doesn't that happen enough? Kids knowing theres going to be a shooting or signs or things like that and no one doing anything about it and it happening? Why not show them protecting each other and getting people out of the dance and letting the cops take care of that??????

+Justin gets more time than Bryce? How is that going to show anyone WHY they should tell the truth if they know rape has happened? Thats just going to show the kid that he's freaking going to go to jail longer than the actual rapist?????? Like what the actual heck. Show us how when someone comes forward about witnessing a rape they are going to HELP the victim. Not freaking go to jail for telling the truth about what happened. I understand WHY he went to jail because he withheld that info----but then having him in there longer than Bryce? That just defeats the purpose of trying to teach kids WHAT to do.

+Bryce not going to jail? Getting 3 months of probation? Really. After 2 whole seasons. After all the fighting for justice. After the school winning in the trial. After all the reports and witnesses. That's how it's going to end? Him transferring to another school and playing football? Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Ya things like that might happen. And they showed that throughout the whole first half of the 2nd season. So why not actually FINALLY make a difference and have him get punishment?

This show was captivating. It makes you want to watch them all in one night. You want to see what happens. You want to know. HELLO THATS WHY I WATCHED IT. I just wish it would've ended more positive and empowering. That's all folks.

Rant over. Mic Drop.

xoxo
Bailey