Who Is Ani Achola in ‘13 Reasons Why’ Season 3?
The third season of 13 Reasons Why is officially here, and if you’re anything like me, you have a whole lot of questions heading into the new season. Sure, Who killed Bryce Walker? is obvious, but here’s another: Who the heck is Ani?
Spoilers for 13 Reasons Why season 3 ahead. You’ve been warned!
If you’ve watched the trailer (and let’s be real, you have), then you know what I’m talking about. Over the top of sinister, intriguing glimpses of the entire major cast reacting to Bryce’s death, there’s a narration from an unfamiliar British voice, which later turns out to belong to Ani (Grace Saif). “Here’s the thing about the kids at Liberty High,” she tells us. “They’re connected by their secrets, connected and forever changed. The truth is, given the right circumstances, the right motivation, anyone could have done this. Bryce Walker did hurt a lot of people, but the one he hurt the most was Jessica Davis.”
Which, absolutely, that is all fair and true, but how does Ani know so much about the gang and their secrets when we’ve never seen her interact with any of them before? It later turns out that Ani’s narration is actually part of what appears to be a police interrogation, so is she being questioned as a person of interest in Bryce’s murder? So. Many. Questions.
If you’re wondering about who plays Ani, Grace Saif is a 23-year-old British actress who graduated from RADA in London two years ago. 13 Reasons Why is her first major TV role, but she’s previously appeared in the UK daytime soap Doctors and several short films.
She also voiced the part of Abby in the World of Warcraft: Battle of Azeroth video game and has starred in short films, including Wilton in 2016 and Night Out in 2018.
“Eight months after preventing Tyler from committing an unthinkable act at Spring Fling, Clay, Tony, Jessica, Alex, Justin, and Zach find ways to shoulder the burden of the cover-up together while helping Tyler move toward recovery. But when the aftermath of a tumultuous Homecoming game culminates in the disappearance of a football player, and Clay finds himself under police scrutiny, it’s up to a shrewd outsider to steer the group through an investigation that threatens to lay bare everyone’s deepest secrets. The stakes are raised in this riveting third season of ‘13 Reasons Why,’ as the consequences of even the most well-intended actions can alter a life forever.”
So Ani is definitely the “shrewd outsider,” right? It’s possible that two seasons of this incredibly dark show have turned me paranoid, but the use of the word “steer” here is making me high-key suspicious. What exactly is Ani’s angle?
Alright, and here’s where we’re going to get a little spoiler-y regarding some revelations from episode 1 of season 3. If you have yet to start your binge and want to stay completely unspoiled, maybe stop reading right here.
In the season 3 premiere, it’s revealed that Ani’s mother works as a live-in nurse for Bryce’s ailing grandfather, which is why she and her mother live at the Walker house. Ani strikes up a friendship (and maybe more) with Clay, but it’s also hinted that she had a ~complicated~ relationship with the late Bryce, which in turn is bound to make things ~complicated~ between her and Clay, who rightfully loathes Bryce! And also maybe killed him! But probably did not because that’s clearly what the trailer wants us to think!
There are bound to be more twisty revelations regarding Ani as the season goes on, because...it’s 13 Reasons Why. But so far, she’s super intriguing.
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