"13 Reasons Why" Season 2 Recap: Here's Where All the Characters Stand at the End of the Finale
Trigger Warning: This post contains language about sexual assault, suicidal ideation, gun violence, and substance use that some readers may find disturbing.
13 Reasons Why season 2 debuted on May 18. The first season of the Netflix show followed a high school student named Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) who is tasked with following a series of tapes left to his classmates by a girl named Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), after she died by suicide. The adaptation of the novel by Jay Asher and executive produced by Selena Gomez sparked a major conversation when it debuted in March 2017. While some applauded the series for putting a spotlight on various taboo subjects, it also received criticism from some viewers and mental health experts for its portrayals of suicide, sexual assault, bullying, and substance use.
The second season of the Netflix series continued to explore those topics by following Liberty High students as they deal with the aftermath of Hannah's death — as well as their own traumas — and try to move on with their lives. The primary focus is the Bakers’ (Kate Walsh and Brian d'Arcy James) lawsuit against the school, which claims Liberty took a blind eye to the bullying Hannah faced and failed to respond to warning signs of her suicidal ideation. Meanwhile, Clay and his classmates have another mystery to solve when mysterious Polaroid pictures surface that suggest (spoiler alert) the school’s baseball team is responsible for serial sexual assaults.
The show has also implemented PSAs from cast members including Katherine, Dylan, Alisha Boe, and Justin Prentice out of character, some fans also created other resources, including a guide of potential triggers so that potential viewers aren't as blindsided by the intentionally difficult subject matter.
Yet some viewers are still calling out the new installment, arguing that some of the storylines in season 2 are too "disturbing" to watch. The show's creator, Brian Yorkey, has defended those creative decisions, pointing out that "When we talk about something being 'disgusting' or hard to watch, often that means we are attaching shame to the experience. We would rather not be confronted with it. We would rather it stay out of our consciousness. This is why these kinds of assaults are underreported. This is why victims have a hard time seeking help. We believe that talking about it is so much better than silence." However, it appears that the creative team behind the show is taking measures to listen to viewers. During July 2019, Netflix announced that it would be editing the controversial scene of Hannah dying by suicide.
13 Reasons Why season 3 premieres on August 23, 2019, and there are also some major changes following a time jump. The biggest? That Bryce Walker is dead and nobody knows who killed him. The latest installment will surely have plenty more twists and turns. Whether you quickly watched 13 Reasons Why season 2 the first weekend it dropped, simply want to know how the second installment ended, or need a refresher of how everything went down, we have you covered. Here's a recap of how things went down at the end of the second season to bring you up to speed where the show's characters stand. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Hannah’s Parents
The Bakers have lost their lawsuit and are planning to divorce. They meet with a priest (Anthony Rapp, the actor who alleged Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was 14) to finally arrange a funeral for Hannah. After the service, at a reception at the popular cafe Monet’s, Mrs. Baker tells Clay she’s moving to New York to live out Hannah’s dream. She shows him a document by Hannah that she recently found. It outlines “11 Reasons Why Not,” and Clay is listed twice.
2
Clay
While speaking at Hannah’s funeral — and seeing a hallucination of Hannah in the church as he did throughout the season — Clay quotes ex-girlfriend Skye Miller (Sosie Bacon): “‘I can love you and still let you go.’ So, Hannah, I love you, and I let you go.” He sees his last vision of Hannah, leaving the church.
At the Spring Fling school dance, Clay hears the song he and Hannah danced to and begins to despair. Tony Padilla (Christian Navarro) realizes what’s happening, and he and Clay’s friends surround Clay in a hug. Then, Clay tries to stop Tyler Down (Devin Druid) from doing something terrible.
Jessica
Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice) and Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn) were arrested for their roles in Jessica Davis’ (Alisha Boe) sexual assault after she and Justin went to the police. A month later, Jessica recounts the assault at Bryce’s sentencing. During her testimony, a montage shows Hannah, Nina Jones (Samantha Logan), Courtney Crimson (Michele Selene Ang), Mrs. Baker, Sheri Holland (Ajiona Alexus), Mrs. Jensen (Amy Hargreaves), Mackenzie (Chelsea Alden), and Jessica’s mom (Andrea Roth) detailing times they were assaulted or harassed. Bryce is sentenced to a meager three months probation; Justin must serve six months in custody. Although upset about the sentencing, Jessica says she feels stronger for telling her story.
Later, at Monet’s, Jessica and Alex Standall (Miles Heizer) confirm they’re dating again and agree to attend the dance together. At the dance, they kiss. Then, Jessica finds Justin in a locker room. They talk, kiss, and become intimate.
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Nina
It’s revealed that sexual assault survivor Nina stole the box of Polaroids — featuring girls (including her) at the baseball players’ secret spot, the Clubhouse — from Clay. She burns them, presumably because she was assaulted at the Clubhouse and believes the assault is strictly her story to tell.
Bryce
After his sentencing, Bryce tells Zach Dempsey (Ross Butler), who has distanced himself from his former friends and was the one who gave Clay the individual Polaroids, he’s transferring to a private school. Bryce confirms that Montgomery was the one harassing the testifying students and tells him they’re "done" as friends. Montgomery is upset. At the dance, Chloe Rice (Anne Winters) tells Jessica she’s pregnant; the father is presumably Bryce.
Justin
Justin has been in juvenile detention for a month. He can’t get out because his mom is missing, and he must be released to a guardian. (Earlier, Justin went to see his mom and took her boyfriend's money. She said the boyfriend, a dealer named Seth, would kill her because of it, and Justin told her to leave Seth.)
Soon, Justin is released into temporary emergency custody. At Monet’s, Justin is moved to tears when Clay says his family wants to adopt him. Outside, Seth is in his car looking angry. That night, Justin prepares to use heroin, sees a vision of himself as a child, and uses anyway. Later, he attends the dance.
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Tyler
Tyler has finished his diversion program, where he was placed as a result of trashing the baseball field. He checks in with the guidance counselor who replaced Mr. Porter that he has learned a lot about anger and self-control. He returns to Liberty High. Montgomery, blaming Tyler for their canceled baseball season, attacks Tyler in the locker room; as two teammates hold Tyler down, Montgomery rapes him.
On the night of the Spring Fling, Tyler gathers a number of guns and heads toward school. On the way, he texts Mackenzie a warning, and she alerts the others. Clay, determined to stop Tyler, tells his friends to lock the school doors and not to call the police. (Professionals always emphasize informing someone about any threat of gun violence.) Clay confronts Tyler — who’s carrying an AR-style rifle and walking toward school — and tries to reason with him, saying, “You don’t get out of this alive, and I don’t want you do die.” Eventually, Tyler lets Clay take the gun, and Tony drives up to whisk Tyler away. Clay is left holding the gun as police sirens grow closer.
*If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can seek help by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
For more resources on sexual assault, visit SafeBae, RAINN, End Rape on Campus, Know Your IX, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.*
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Related: The 13 Reasons Why Cast Opened Up About How the Show Handles Sexual Assault
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
