Netflix recently released their newest original series, 13 Reasons Why, based on the best-selling novel with the same title, written by Jay Asher. The show was produced by Selena Gomez so it is safe to say it made headlines before it even dropped. With all this hype surrounding one show, it can be difficult to get into it. The bar is set so incredibly high that you may simply have no belief it will live up to the expectations. Let me give you some reasons of my own as to why this show is actually as good as people say it is (spoiler free.)
The show centres around several characters, all linked together in a multitude of ways that the audience finds out more and more about as the story develops. The focal point of the show, however, is Hannah Baker. In the first episode, we learn that Hannah, (played by Katherine Langford) a quirky, witty, and complex teenage girl, has killed herself. Our other main lead, Clay Jensen (played by Dylan Minnette,) is going through this time, after learning about the suicide, dazed and confused. We are introduced to some characters here and there but the real story does not start until Clay receives a box of cassette tapes only to find out they were sent by Hannah Baker prior to her suicide. In order to keep this spoiler free, all you need to know is that Hannah explains that each side of a tape is dedicated to a person, a reason, as to what led her to make her final decision to kill herself.
First and foremost, the characters are well developed and multidimensional. This is not to say that anyone is a “good” character, because everyone, even our protagonists, have flaws. Rather than focus on likeability, these characters are real (meaning they kind of suck.) There are characters who are straight up terrible people and then there are the characters who mean well but still make bad choices that lead to terrible outcomes. The thing is, every character has another side to them- even the terrible ones. This kind of writing is exceptional because simply put, it’s hard. It is truly difficult to make a show that you want people to like and fill it with characters who cannot be put in a “good guy” or “bad guy” category. That’s what makes it more real. There are no true good or bad people in the real world. There are simply people, each dealing with their own lives differently. Some have it harder than others, some take it out more on others, and some just try and get by. Although the show plays up the drama (it is a drama series after all,) it actually does a good job at presenting teenage characters as they are: unsure, flawed, and at the end of the day, just kids making adult-like decisions.
The storyline is also one of the fundamental reasons to watch this show. If the premise was not intriguing enough for you, there is a lot more to it that may spark your interest. For the sake of keeping this spoiler free, I can’t really go too much into the different storylines, but simply know that there are so many sides to every story. The show does an excellent job at keeping each episode interesting, emotional, and suspenseful. You may think you know what is going to happen next, but you will be wrong. Also, for those of you who may have read the novel already, the show has many elements and entire storylines that are not in the book. I myself read the book when I was younger and although I knew major key points that would occur in the show, I was still shocked and devastated throughout the episodes.
Finally, I’ll say that the pure, raw emotion that the cast and creators somehow managed to put into this fictional drama is reason enough to give it a chance. You want so much for these characters (some of them at least) to succeed. The disappointment you feel as an audience is important too. That may sound weird as you probably don’t want to be disappointed when you watch a show. However, I’d argue that that’s what makes the show interesting. Everything the characters feel, you feel right along side them. Hannah Baker was disappointed time and time again, and as you watch the stories unfold, you will feel her disappointment. You will feel the devastation the people that loved her feel as they try and make sense of the chaos that is now their lives. I know I am making this show sound like a nightmare. You have your own drama, why get sucked into a fictional show to experience more? Well, because it’s important. This show demonstrates that our actions, whether we actually do something or simply stand back and let it happen, always have consequences. We need to know that.
Although the story is fictional, bullying, harassment, and suicide are not. These problems are occurring daily to an increasing number of people. If anything, this show is a way to bring that conversation back into the mainstream. We need to be less horrible to one another but more than that, we need to speak up when we see something wrong. It is not enough not to inflict pain on one another. If you see someone in need of help, you need to stand up and help them. That is how we get through this together. Watch the show. Give it a try. It isn’t perfect by any means but it brings up good points, interestingly flawed characters, and is truly one of those stories that needs to be heard.
Good luck my fellow TV addicts!