Hello, readers! It's been a while since I've written into the blogosphere in paragraph form, so I thought it only fitting to send my greetings and salutations. Hope you've all been well.
The following is a review of Season 2 of the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why that centers around the aftermath of a female student--Hannah Baker--whom commits suicide and leaves behind a set of tapes that give her reasons for why she decided to end her own life.
The setting comes 5 to 6 months after Hannah's death, and the season revolves around the previously unanticipated court hearing between Hannah's parents and the school. Similar to last season, the characters, the actors, and the writers of the show are the reasons that this season hits a home run. Not only does the show continue delving into the first season's core themes i.e. depression, suicide, rape, and assault, it ups the ante with new, lesser mentioned themes across the mainstream that include teenage drug use, school shooters, and--on a lighter note--the kind of unity that creates life long friendships despite the seemingly impossible-to-handle life moments.
Every actor does an exceptional job at creating awkward to ominous characters. A super special shout out deserves to be given to Justin Prentice who plays Bryce Walker on the show. It's an extremely difficult character to play: An antagonist that quite literally rapes his problems away. Thankfully, there has been a major outpouring of support and love for him to have the courage to play such a despicable role. (As a brief aside: There are videos of Justin reading letters from fans online who specifically express their gratitude towards him. It's very touching and worth the watch. but I'd recommend having a tissue or two nearby).
The strongest character this season is the school counselor, Mr. Kevin Porter. While an argument can be made for any one of the characters i.e. Alex Standall, who we discover in the beginning of the new season unsuccessfully committed suicide with a gun shot wound to the head, Mrs. Baker, who needs to handle most of the court procession on her own, because her ex-husband is seeking comfort from another woman, or Jessica, who keeps being reminded throughout the season of being raped or sexually assaulted. Mr. Porter, though, has a particular kind of character development that demands to be paid attention to. In the first season, Mr. Porter comes across as an aloof rookie Jr. Psychologist who wore the proverbial tin helmet to help make pretend that nothing bad happens to kids in school. In his numerous conversations with Hannah, nothing specifically clued him in to give feedback to her parents or help her when she needed it the most. His inability to connect with any student in a way that showed his genuine concern ultimately lead to fights on school property and Hannah's death. While he is not directly at fault for those occurrences, it's clear by the end of the first season that his lack of effort and inexperience serves as intangible linchpins that start the domino effect of unfortunate events.
Mr. Porter in the second season is a man to be reckoned with. Stricken with the guilt of Hannah's suicide, he starts to make it his mission to clean house. Knowing that Bryce raped Hannah and Jessica, Mr. Porter makes it his personal mission to be sure Bryce doesn't go near Jessica once she returns to school. The scene in the men's bathroom is specifically momentous, as he puts Bryce in a choke hold and slams him against the bathroom wall, thus asserting that he, not Bryce, is in control of the overall situation. And before they leave, he's sure to tell Bryce not to be seen anywhere near Jessica unless he wants more physical repercussions. Mr. Porter even ends up visiting Justin's mom's house, where he gets in a physical altercation with her boyfriend Seth while needing little provocation. Later in the season, Mr. Porter testifies in court where he explicitly apologizes to Mrs. Baker during his testimony through tears. In the most heart wrenching moments of the season, Mr. Porter says with remorse, "I coulda done more. I coulda stopped her from walking out that door. She didn't just leave. I let her go...I was just tryin' to do the right thing. I was following protocol. Protocol probably needs to change. But more importantly, Kevin Porter needs to change. Mrs. Baker, I didn't mean to let your daughter down...Sorry."
Much to the chagrin of the viewing audience, the Bryce Walker saga comes to a disappointing end. While he ends up on trial for Jessica's rape he is found guilty, but the judge only sentences him to 3 months probation. Infuriating? Yes. But as the writers explain in the after show segment "Beyond the Reasons," which immediately follows the last episode of season 2, the average sentence for a young, white male first offender of sexual assault is extremely lenient. Anyone who finishes watching the season, but feels like there are more questions than answers, it would be advisable to watch "Beyond the Reasons."
While this article includes plenty of spoilers, I'm going to hold back from spoiling the ending. Many of the themes/tropes used within the confines of the show are for the purposes of getting a larger conversation going regarding mental health issues, sexual assault, bullying, and the like. I hope that if you're someone who was able to get through the show that you continue to have an open mind when it comes to issues, such as the aforementioned conversational points, you may not understand very well.
I give the second season of 13 Reasons Why a solid 9 out of 10. The effort it must have taken the writers and show runners to produce this kind of show with the delicacy and study that they did is impressive and--for the purposes of getting a global conversation going--inspirational.
If you are someone who has been a victim of any of the show's themes, please only watch this series with friends or loved ones. And I'd advise even further not to binge watch the series due to the show's emotional heaviness. Please take breaks.
- PatInTheHat
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