13 Reasons Why Series Review

Thirteen Reasons Why, based on the best-selling books by Jay Asher, follows teenager Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers a group of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford)–his classmate and crush–who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah unfolds an emotional audio diary, detailing the thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, Thirteen Reasons Why weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect viewers.^[1]

I really liked the first season of 13 Reasons Why. It tackles heavy topics like suicide, rape, death, violence, and discrimination. It does a good job of showing how mental health issues can consume someone’s life, and the devastating consequences of ignoring the warning signs of suicide. The acting in this season is particularly strong; the actors depict grief and trauma in a variety of realistic ways.

The 2^nd season, while not as strong as the first, was still pretty good. It focuses on the lawsuit against the school and explores how PTSD affects different characters in different ways. It deals with the aftermath of what happened in season one, highlighting the fallout for Bryce Walker and others who caused harm, the continued presence of bullying in the school, and the consequences of past actions.

Seasons 3 and 4, however, were not as good. By this point, Hannah’s story had long been over, but the show continued to stretch out new plotlines. One of the strangest decisions was the attempt to redeem Bryce Walker in season 3, showing him in a sympathetic light after the trial. This completely contradicted the character they established in season 1; a man with no remorse for his actions.

At the end of season 2, it seemed like the writers were trying to make a point about how the justice system often gives rapists lenient sentences because of sympathy, but by season 3, that message was lost. Instead of diving deeper into the systemic issues like rape culture, patriarchy, or misogyny that contributed to Bryce’s behavior, the show changed its course and tried to show him as some kind of misunderstood protagonist. His redemption arc wasn’t just unnecessary—it directly contradicted the messages of the first two seasons, leading to a mediocre season at best.

This focus on Bryce also overshadowed Jessica Davis’ journey of healing and acceptance; when a story focuses on the abuser instead of the abused, it reinforces the idea that men are the true victims in rape cases, even when they’re the perpetrators of the act.

Season 3 also introduced Ani Achola, a new character who quickly became close with nearly every main character, including those featured on Hannah’s tapes. She begins romantic relationships with both Clay and Bryce, and it’s clear that her role was primarily as a plot device, to stir up unnecessary drama.

Ani’s character felt odd and out of place; she’s constantly lurking in the background, and eavesdropping on conversations for no reason at all. While her tendency to spy on others plays a small role in season 4, it’s never fully explained in season 3. Overall, Ani felt like a forced addition, and many fans consider her one of the weakest characters in the whole series plot-wise. Her presence didn’t further the story in any significant way; she just disrupted the lives of other characters.

Season 4, while not quite as weak as season 3, is still one of the weaker seasons. It picks up after Bryce was murdered by Alex Standall, a former friend of Hannah. The students involved in the cover-up decide to frame Monty de la Cruz, who had died in jail, for the crime. In response to all the chaos at the school, they implement extreme security measures, including metal detectors, armed officers, and highly realistic active shooter drills that traumatize the students.

These changes are not well-received, particularly by Clay Jensen. Throughout the season, Clay’s mental health continues to spiral. He experiences hallucinations, breakdowns, and multiple psychiatric episodes. His anger becomes explosive, and at one point, he even incites a riot outside the school following a particularly disturbing shooter drill.

Justin Foley’s arc in this season is by far the most tragic. Having developed a drug addiction in season 2, he struggles with recovery throughout season 4. He gets much better throughout the season and even gets adopted by Clay’s family and plans on going to college. That is, until he collapses at prom and is later diagnosed with AIDS, which he contracted while living on the streets. Tragically, it’s too late for treatment, and Justin dies shortly before graduation, devastating his long-time girlfriend, Jessica Davis.

Overall, 13 Reasons Why is a great show, and a good representation of mental heath issues that can stem from the education system from multiple different perspectives. Even though the last few seasons dropped in quality, they still had good messaging within the narrative, and I recommend that you try and atleast watch this series, if not read the corresponding novel aswell.

1. “13 Reasons Why” IMDb, IMDb.com, n.d., imdb.com. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.