Photo Credit: Netflix
Each day, I gave you a recap of one episode from 13 Reasons Why’s second season.
The 13 Reasons Why season 2 finale was eventful, to say the least. There is a lot to cover, so here are my thoughts, feelings, and recap of episode 13.
1. This is the most challenging recap to write.
I say this as a takeaway because as a writer, I have dreaded writing this recap for episode 13. This can’t be just a regular recap article. The things I watched as a 34-year-old woman were horrifying. And I can’t imagine being a teenager watching this episode. Now, I recognize I am lucky. I am not a victim of rape or sexual assault. While I can relate to some bullying as an adolescent, none of it compares to the degree of abuse some of these characters endured on this series, and especially in this episode.
Maybe I should have begun each recap with a warning. The show, after experiencing immense controversy from its content last season, decided to add a disclaimer before every show. They also direct viewers to the show’s informational website 13reasonswhy.info, which includes numbers to hotlines for those who need help, during the credits.
So, please know as you read, I will detail events from the episode, but I will also offer some links to information in addition to my usual commentary.
More from 13 Reasons Why
- 13 Reasons Why Season 4: Is this really the end for the show?
- 13 Reasons Why Season 4: When will the final season premiere?
- 13 Reasons Why: JanLuis Castellanos joins final season
- 13 Reasons Why season 3 finale: Who killed Bryce Walker?
- 13 Reasons Why: Final season 3 trailer wants to know who killed Bryce Walker
2. Jessica’s address to the judge is poignant and powerful.
The 13 Reasons Why season 2 finale picks up one month after Bryce’s and Justin’s arrests. Bryce, with his sorry attempt at looking innocent by wearing glasses, stands up and says how sorry he is for what he did. In my opinion, he is sorry he got caught.
It’s now Jessica’s turn to address the judge. She recounts the details of her rape.
“I may not remember all of the details, but I will never forget the sheer terror of feeling your weight on top of me. Of not being able to breathe.”
Her description just proves how far her character came from the beginning of 13 Reasons Why. In her speech, she is directly taking back the power Bryce stole from her. Then, to make the moment even more powerful, Jessica transformed into other female characters of the show, like Olivia, Mrs. Jensen, Nina, Courtney, Sheri, Mackenzie, and Jess’ mom. Each woman describing their own #MeToo story. I mentioned before, I never experienced a moment like that, but it made me think of the women who have and don’t have the voice to say anything.
I hope if anything good comes out of this show, it’s that one young woman who’s watching it feels empowered to share her story or that a young man will watch and realize he should change his attitude towards women.
Photo Credit: Netflix
3. The moment of truth for Bryce and Justin.
After that emotional moment by the female cast members, we learn that Bryce essentially got away with his crime. He skates by with three months’ probation. The judge’s justification for such light sentencing is that Bryce lost so much already. No more scholarships and no baseball championship since the school canceled the season. I just shake my head. BRYCE IS NOT A VICTIM. And the justice system failing Jessica here is just disgusting.
What is also ridiculous is the fact that Justin gets six months’ probation and the court won’t release him because they can’t find his mother. This shows another way the justice system fails the less fortunate. He didn’t rape anyone, yet he gets a worse punishment.
4. Mrs. Jensen quits her job.
I think Mrs. Jensen quit her job because she had a come-to-Jesus moment with her life. Her firm fought dirty during the trial, so, maybe she didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. She also recognized she needed to be there for her son and quitting would help repair their relationship.
Mrs. Jensen tells Clay she is working on getting Justin released in 13 Reasons Why. She will now work with the Baker’s attorney, Dennis, to help kids like Justin and sexual assault survivors.
5. Anthony Rapp plays a priest.
Musical theater geeks (like myself) received a pleasant surprise when Anthony Rapp made a cameo as a priest. I literally screamed, “OMG it’s Mark [from Rent]!” I think the casting wasn’t by accident. Rapp is the first person to come forward to speak about his sexual abuse by Kevin Spacey.
Rapp played a priest who would oversee Hannah’s service. They waited to hold the service because they were ashamed. Some churches even turned them away for the way Hannah died. But Rapp’s character told them that “one act doesn’t define one’s life.”
Photo Credit: Netflix
6. Clay lets Hannah go.
Filled with most of the cast, Clay addresses the church with a eulogy about Hannah. Though they may not see her, Clay and we see Hannah in the back of the church. He’s really delivering his speech to her. He tells her he loves her, and he is letting her go. He also wishes her peace and safety in a way she never felt on earth. With those words, Hannah gets up and walks out of the church.
I wrote in a previous article that I think this was the show’s way of closing Hannah’s storyline so that she won’t be joining the cast for a potential season 3.
7. Clay learns about Hannah’s “Reasons Why Not.”
After the service, everyone gathers at Monet’s Café. We learn that Olivia will move to New York (her pharmacy official closed) to live out Hannah’s dream of moving there. She talks to Clay and tells him she wishes she had known him when Hannah was alive. She gives him a piece of paper with a list entitled “Reasons Why Not” that she found on an old computer. The list contained reasons why Hannah shouldn’t kill herself. According to Popbuzz, here is the list:
"Mom and Dad: They will blame themselves, and it’s not their fault. New York: I could get there someday. If not college, then after college. And maybe I could start over there. Clay: He will also think it’s his fault, and it isn’t. He’ll think he could have saved me. But we can’t save people, not that way at least — it’s more complicated than that. Writing: I might, might write something great one day. Get it published. Even be a writer. Seems unlikely — but possible. Dad: Loves me without question. Always wants what’s best for me. Even though I’m mad at him, it would be unfair to him to leave. Mom: I don’t know if she could live through it. She is always so on edge already. But maybe that’s already my fault. I know she loves me — I wish she knew that I knew. Mom and Dad: Worked so hard to give me a better life. Would be letting them down. Helmet: Is a genuinely good guy. And I genuinely like him. And maybe we’re supposed to be together. Don’t know. But maybe. If I go, we’ll never find out. Maybe: Someday I could make a difference in someone else’s life. Maybe: I’ll have a kid of my own one day, and maybe she could be that someone else. Maybe: It’s not as bad as I think it is. Maybe it will get better."
Clay is listed on the list twice — remember, Hannah called him Helmet. Another reason Hannah listed, about making a difference in someone else’s life someday – judging by the restaurant full of people, I think she unknowingly made their lives better. I just wish she didn’t end her life to do it.
8. The Jensens want to adopt Justin.
Mrs. Jensen helps Justin get released from jail but into their protective custody. Clay approaches Justin with the idea of them adopting him so that he can live with them and finish school at Liberty High School. It’s a touching moment between the two unlikely friends. Deep down, Justin is a sweet boy, and it makes sense for him to connect with the sensitive Clay.
While the two boys talk at the window of Monet’s, we see Meth Seth watching them from the car. Remember, Justin stole a lot of money from him, and he’s pissed. I’m sure this storyline will come back around again next season.
And just when we think Justin is turning a new leaf, we see him shoot up heroin into his foot in front of a hallucination of little kid Justin we saw in the last episode. It’s heartbreaking to watch.
9. Almost everyone has fun at the dance.
Alex, with a newly cut ‘do showing off his scar, is now dating Jess. Tony goes with Caleb, and Courtney has a new girlfriend. Everyone seems to be having fun in 13 Reasons Why. That is until the song “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron plays. Clay transports back to the night he danced with Hannah last year at the same dance. A feeling of despair washes over him. But his friends, who hear the song and know the significance of it, find him and are there for him at that moment so that it hurts a little less for him.
On a side note, Bryce is there. Why would the school allow this criminal to attend a school function? Because the school is clueless and rewards rapists, I guess.
Photo Credit: Netflix
10. Jess still loves Justin.
Justin sees Jess and Alex kiss which upsets him. So, he goes to the locker room to be alone. Jess finds him there. And after a brief conversation about wanting to live their lives, they kiss. Then things keep going. I feel sorry for Alex, but I think Jess’ heart has always belonged to Justin throughout 13 Reasons Why.
11. Chloe is pregnant.
Jess runs into Chloe in the bathroom. At first, Jess is cold towards her, but Chloe reveals she’s pregnant with Bryce’s baby. This could be why she had a change of heart about testifying, or now she realizes she made a mistake. She seems scared.
12. Tyler is physically and sexually assaulted by Montgomery.
After Tyler returns from the diversion program a month after the previous episode, he seems relaxed, happy even. He asks Mackenzie to go to the upcoming spring dance, but she already has a date. Tyler takes it in stride and seems like he’s at peace with himself. He even tells the new guidance counselor he feels like he can manage his anger much better.
Monty, who comes from an abusive home, is still loyal to Bryce. And when Bryce rejects him after everything he did for Bryce, he snaps. For some reason, Monty blames the end of the baseball season on Tyler. The school canceled the season because of Bryce and the culture of the team as a whole.
So, when Monty sees Tyler in the bathroom and starts harassing him, Tyler responds how he was taught in his program. But Monty cuts him off. What happens next is nothing short of horrific.
I don’t want to go into detail about what comes next because it was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. Thinking about it makes me cry (which I’m doing right now). I read some other recaps to see how others reported on this specific scene. I think it’s only right to post that the phone number to the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673. There is also a Crisis Text Line that you can reach by texting “START” to 741741.
Photo Credit: Netflix
13. Tyler plans to shoot up the school.
Again, this is very difficult to write, mainly because the day Netflix released this show, another school shooting occurred in Santa Fe, TX. It’s the storyline the show has been hinting at since the end of last season. I know this is topical. I know it’s difficult. But I don’t know if this particular storyline is necessary.
In any case, Clay gets wind that Tyler is on his way to the dance with guns from Mackenzie, who received a warning text from Tyler. Clay takes it upon himself to run outside to stop Tyler from entering the school. I hope that other teenagers know how incredibly dangerous it is for someone to bear the burden of stopping a gunman the way Clay did on the show.
This is not typical. I know it’s a fictional television show and I don’t know what the right thing to do at that moment is. What I do know, is that the risk Clay took is too high and 99 times out of 100 could end tragically.
In Clay’s case, he’s able to stop Tyler. He takes the assault rifle away from him just as Tony pulls up and yells for Tyler to get in his car. We can hear the sirens approaching the school.
Clay stands in front of the school in shock, as Justin and Jess run out to him. And that’s how the 13 Reasons Why season 2 finale ends.
13 Reasons Why season 2 finale bonus takeaway: Nina stole the box of Polaroids. She opted to skip the dance in favor of burning the Polaroids.
Next: 15 greatest HBO series of all time
This season was painful to watch. Some storylines bothered me because I think they were added for shock value instead of for the integrity of the story. I don’t think the show sensationalized suicide. But in an effort to be topical, they decide to insert storyline about guns and a potential school shooting. Maybe they wanted to start a conversation. It’s too much trauma for one group of teenagers to take. And it’s also too much for audiences to take, too. That’s why I think critics have judged season 2 so harshly.
We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts about the 13 Reasons Why season 2 finale in the comments. You can also read yesterday’s recap for 13 Reasons Why.