This article contains mentions of self-harm, assault, and abuse.
Netflix has produced many teen drama TV shows, but few have garnered as much controversy as13 Reasons Why. Based on the bookThirteen Reasons Whyby Jay Asher, the series brought the intense story of the novel to life onscreen, but didn’t always handle the narrative with delicacy. Despite this,Netflix continued to renew the show until 2020,when it ended with season 4.
Many classicteen drama TV shows don’t hold up today, but even though13 Reasons Whypremiered in 2017, it still feels dated in the way it approached its sensitive subject matter. It can be groundbreaking when a show that focuses on teen life takes the ups and downs of coming-of-age seriously, but13 Reasons Whyoften opted for melodrama over sincerity, and this stirred up a lot of conflicting conversations.
13 Reasons Why Was So Controversial, I Can’t Believe Netflix Renewed It 3 Times
This Shocking Teen Drama Ran For Four Seasons On Netflix
The issues and realities of adolescent depression and bullying should be examined in TV shows,as they’re a reflection of real life. However,13 Reasons Whytoed the line between honest depictions of the events that can lead to self-harm and nearly glamorizing this. The show revolves around Hannah Baker’s (Katherine Langford) suicide, but the way it handles this is far from perfect.
13 Reasons Why’s biggest controversiesare difficult to narrow down, as the show sparked outrage and wide discussion about Netflix’s responsibility to its audience from the beginning. The scene when Hannah takes her own life is excruciatingly graphic, and it sparked questions about whether this extended, emotionally devastating moment was necessary, especially since Netflix eventually removed it (viaBBC).
However, after the backlash following the graphic nature of season 1, most audiences and critics were surprised to learn that13 Reasons Whywould be returning for season 2. The fact thatNetflix would ultimately keep the show on the air for three seasons following the explosive first installmentis a bit of a mystery, especially when reflecting on the series' reception.
The Controversial Netflix Show’s Reviews Consistently Went Down After Season 1
After A Shocking First Season, 13 Reasons Why Got Even More Unbelievable
13 Reasons Whyseason 1 was put under a microscopenot only for the way Hannah’s story unfolded, but also because it mishandled the way sexual assault was portrayed onscreen. The fact that assault is a very real issue, and pretending that it doesn’t happen can be just as harmful, can’t be denied, but13 Reasons Whywent so far as to humanize the abuser.
Despite these contentious elements,there were viewers who appreciated the frank nature of season 1 and the performances,even if the show wasn’t perfect. However, the slight redeeming qualities of the premiere installment faded with season 2, which took the character arcs in unexpected and disappointing directions, drawing out the fallout of Hannah sending out the tapes that detailed her reasons for committing suicide.
Things only got worse for13 Reasons Whyfrom here. It’s obvious, based on the audience and critical reception of seasons 2 through 4, that almost no one who was watching felt the show was going in a productive or entertaining direction. Season 1 could be criticized for romanticizing self-harm, butthe remaining seasons completely went off the rails,as it no longer had a book to draw from.
1
77%
80%
2
28%
52%
3
11%
42%
4
25%
51%
Running Out Of Source Material Made 13 Reasons Why’s 4 Seasons Even Worse
The Book Gave 13 Reasons Why Season 1 A Cohesive Story
Asher only wrote one book, and while this instantly lent itself to being adapted to the screen, it’s notoriously difficult to extend a book’s story after the source material has run out. This was especially true for13 Reasons Why, asHannah’s death was a natural end of the narrative.The way the series expanded the stories of the additional characters ended up making the story worse.
There wasn’t an obvious reason for Netflix to renew13 Reasons Whyafter season 1.
There wasn’t an obvious reason for Netflix to renew13 Reasons Whyafter season 1, and it’s likely that the streamer green-lit the project because sometimes controversy can be good for viewership. However, wanting to capitalize on the success of season 1 wasn’t a narrative reason to keep making additional seasons of the series, and the unfocused nature of the last three installments demonstrates this.
13 Reasons Why’s character deathsinthe other seasons don’t have the emotional weight of Hannah’s passing,and only serve to make it easy to take the show less seriously. If13 Reasons Whyhad been a miniseries, the legacy of the series would be very different. There would still be controversy, but the series might enjoy better longevity and a more nuanced conversation about its topics.
Instead, most audiences and readers of the original book have tried to forget the last three years of13 Reasons Why. Season 3 is considered the low point of the show, but Netflix still brought the project back one more time to try and fix things. In its attempt to up the drama,13 Reasons Whytook advantage of trauma rather than reflecting on it.
