'13 Reasons Why' is a shit show.

Okay, I have so many thoughts, feelings and concerns about the show '13 Reasons Why' that I can barely think straight.

I watched it quite a few months ago and almost every one of the 13 episodes left me agog and aghast. I shit you not, this post has been on the books ever since. And now OF COURSE THEY HAVE A SECOND SEASON! I'm torn between the urge to hate watch just to see how they could possibly justify it's existence and not giving this dumpster fire of a show anymore attention (bar this post of course). Not only is the writing questionable but the plot and the motivations of most of the characters play out like they were thought up by angry 12 years olds.

So here it is.

SUICIDE IS NOT A FORM OF REVENGE!

Honestly I could just leave it there and the people who have suffered through the show will know exactly what I mean, whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant but you should know what I'm talking about.

Since I doubt that if you're reading this and you haven't seen the show by now, this post is not going to sway you to watch it, I'll give a brief summary of what goes down in this fucked up show.

*Side note: I can't actually believe how much praise this show has been getting, it's fucking awful.


The show focuses on the central character Hannah, who when we join the story is already dead of suicide. Now we all know what suicide means but apparently the writers of the show, the character of Hannah and all of the other idiot characters (especially Clay bless his heart,) seem not to know what the fuck it means.

Clay (our other, far more likable main character,) is left feeling all kinds of gutted that his friend is gone, then he receives a box of tapes that Hannah made shortly before committing suicide. Roll credits '13 Reasons Why'. When I say tapes I do indeed mean cassette tapes, you know those things that were around (for the very start of my music consuming career,) in the 80's and 90's that got all tangled up in your mum's tape player? Yeah she records her '13 reasons' on cassette tapes (front and back of course). Maybe this is the cynic in me but am I the only one who rolled her eyes at this concept, like OF COURSE IT WOULD BE ON A CASSETTE TAPE! How else will anyone know how different and out there the character of Hannah was!? It just screamed pretension to me and trust me that was just the beginning.

And at this point dear reader you may be thinking, 'Hmm 13 reasons why what? Why she loved her dear friend Clay? why she felt so low and desperate that she took her own life? 13 reasons why he shouldn't feel guilty about her death?' Yeah no scrap all of that because what Hannah does instead is create a box of blame and then peaces the fuck out.

As you probably guessed the 'reasons why' is referring to reasons why Hannah dead. And let me tell you I sat through the whole bloody show and only one (one and a half at a push,) of the reasons were serious enough to create so much despair and anger in Hannah.

I forgot to mention that this show is set in high school, I know right? Bloody school, a shit time for most, a hell scape for others but here's the thing, life is hard, school is a part of that and most of the reasons on Hannah's list are average high school experiences that in an emotionally stable teen would cause no more than a week or two of commotion.

In no way am I trying to downplay teenagers who do actually suffer from mental illness and suicidal thoughts, I am simply stating that Hannah was not an accurate depiction of one.

Let me explain.

Firstly, the character of Hannah is far from a sympathetic one. You would think that in a show aimed at impressionable young people (myself included,) the writers would try and dumb it down for us by at least making us feel empathy and or sympathy for ONE OF THE BLOODY PROTAGONISTS. But alas, Hannah is cold, judgmental and kind of a bitch to her friends. What is there to like about her? I couldn't tell you, if the writers were hoping her death alone would be enough to make me like this girl, they really shit the bed on this one. Not even her being dead made her more tolerable.

Secondly and this is my biggest problem with this show, the way Hannah goes about her own death, planning it out, taking the time to pin point each and every problem (and I mean the slightest gripe,) with people she thought had done her wrong (honestly if you looked at this chick sideways in the hall one day, you're going on the tapes.) I wish I was exaggerating dear reader but it's true, there was indeed a character who was put on the tape simply for publishing a poem of Hannah's in the school paper. And the show acts like this kid is the devil and we're supposed to take it seriously as one of the reasons why she committed suicide!?

Not only does this demonise a teenager for behaving like a teenager, it praises Hannah for reacting like a drama queen. Why would this ever be a reason a person would become suicidal? It's honestly a joke. Like I mentioned earlier, something serious does happen to Hannah something very serious and just awful and that for me was the singular moment that justified her despair however even that raised some issues because she goes on to the blame a teacher for not being a mind reader.

I'd rather this post wasn't too long and so I'm just going to cut to the chase (and maybe follow with a part 2.)


The biggest reason that this show sucks is that it puts this dead girl up on a pedestal for killing herself, not asking for help and worst of all seeking revenge through her own death. Just think about it for a moment, taking the time to sit down (supposedly in a suicidal haze,) and direct blame and responsibility for you deciding to take your own life, to your peers for the dumbest most trivial things? That doesn't sound like Hannah was suicidal, it doesn't sound like it should be a preachy Netflix original about actions having consequences, it sounds like a fucking horror movie.

Imagine being so vindictive and immature as to spend time not reaching out to your friend or your counselor for help but to craft cruel tapes of shame doling out responsibility for the way YOU feel and taking none for your own actions (because a lot of the situations she blames people for she is NOT as innocent as she would have us believe her to be.) What made my jaw drop even more though was that, among the people who had also watched the show (mainly my friends,) I seemed to be alone in my thinking. They were so blown away and empowered and angered by Hannah's actions while I just wondered what the fuck I had just watched.

However and surprisingly when I turned to the internet for sanity, I was met with well, sanity. Reams and reams of articles, vlogs and even studies about how harmful the messages being sent on this show were to it's intended audience. Studies indicating that suicidal people should never be shown depictions of suicide (of which there is a very graphic one in the show) People who mirrored my dismay at the disgusting notion that your suicide should be motivated by a 'I'll show them' mindset.
I don't know of many suicidal people who plot the downfall of the people they blame mostly because they are busy actually being suicidal not verging on sociopath like Hannah.

I will finish off by saying that I've been following the responses to the second season and I am pleased to say that they are not good. There has been much controversy around certain other brutal scenes depicted in the show. But what I mostly saw was exactly what I had thought when they announced season 2 and that is...

What the fuck for?


God this show is a train wreck. No hate to the actors of course they seem passionate about the message which makes it even more sad that the only messages it sends are bad ones.


If you watch this show, goddess help you, if you don't, I hear Brooklyn Nine Nine has just been saved from cancellation... just putting that out there.

Suicide is NOT a form of revenge, say it with me people!

Love,

The horrified and angry Girl in Blue

xoxo