Boy, oh boy. It has been a few days — scratch that weeks, oops — since I completed the second instalment of the controversial series and I don’t know where to start. As one of Netflix’ most controversial series, most of you probably already know that this is a series that explores difficult topics such as rape, bullying, depression and suicide.

Reviewing a series that is confrontational and discusses heavy, but uncommon themes in television, which are unfortunately common in day to day life, makes this task difficult. On the one hand, this series opens up dialogue about a painful and sometimes taboo subject, but as a side effect of the story being told in a visual and cinematic way that is designed to entertain: the show can be seen (and many critics argue that it does) as a way to glorify, poeticise or glamourise suicide. In New Zealand especially this is a concern as our suicide rate is now the highest it’s been in 20 years.

I will say, as a warning, that whilst I personally found the series, for the most part, well written and filmed, it is not one that I recommend, especially if you are struggling with your mental health. If you do decide to watch this, make sure you have a strong support group watching with you, and if you find any moments triggering, please, please pause, stop and talk.

The first season showed a series of interactions and relationships Hannah Baker had before she took her life. It works in an almost parallel narrative as she tells her story through tapes and the thirteen reasons why she did what she did. The story centres around Clay Jensen as he listens to the tapes and finds out more about his classmates’ interactions with the late Hannah Baker.

As Hannah’s story is told chronologically on the tapes, it’s pretty much a parallel structure. Towards the end of the series Hannah declares being raped in a hot tub by Bryce as the tipping point. She tells the stories on the tapes, gives herself one last chance, and after being given little to no helpful advice from the school counselor, she delivers the tapes and goes home to kill herself.

Season Two takes place following Clay’s decision to hand the tapes to Hannah’s grieving mother, who decides to take on a lawsuit against the school. The lawsuit is a gruelling experience which allows us insight into what was going through each of the other characters’ heads and their relationships with Hannah from their point of view. The court calls forward many of the names on the tapes to testify, allowing them to tell their side of the story, and allowing many of them to let go of the secrets they had been afraid of. From a storytelling point of view, this way of exploring the story adds so much more dimension to the characters.

Unfortunately, for a few of the characters, a legal setting doesn’t help gain any sense of justice. In the first series, we found out that Jessica, was also raped by Bryce, however, Jessica doesn’t feel comfortable about testifying for the majority of the series. As Season Two progresses and we discover Hannah and Jessica weren’t isolated events, the storyline shifts from suicide awareness to the experiences of rape survivors.

This narrative of the complexity of emotions of sexual assault survivors reflects the reality of our society and is especially relevant as the #MeToo movement has come to light. It allows an explanation as to why victims of sexual assault don’t always come forward immediately, or at all about sexual assault. This doesn’t make their stories any less valid, or truthful. It just demonstrates how victims handle these situations differently. Especially as many people who commit sexual assault are people who hold some kind of power over their victims.

In the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, often it has been producers, agents or directors holding the fear of never being able to get another job over their victims heads. In Jessica’s case, its the social power dynamic of the school and how Bryce’s popularity, wealth and the baseball team’s power overshadows anything Jessica says. She’s instead called a cheat, a liar and a slut.

It isn’t just this social power of abusers that 13 Reasons Why explores but also an emotionally manipulative one, as Bryce has sex with his girlfriend Chloe when she’s unconscious, and when she’s not in the mood. Just because someone consents once doesn’t mean they will want to have sex again. The message here is clear: Consent is important every time.

When Jessica finally testifies in the final episode, it’s an extremely heartbreaking scene as Jessica turns into all of the other female characters in the show who have faced sexual assault or rape and their perpetrators have received no punishments. She turns into every one of us who have experienced sexual assault or rape. In so many ways, 13 Reasons Why’s exploration of this topic and beginning the conversation is fantastic, but one of the show’s faults is how it is trying to incorporate too many tough topics into a short amount of time.

By this, I mean the show takes it too far with Tyler’s storyline. It’s too explicit, especially considering the emotion poured into the first half of “Bye”. Basically I went from bawling my eyes out and wanting to hold Jessica to being shocked by the brutality of Tyler being cornered, beaten up and raped with a mop in the school bathroom. He snaps and decides to shoot up the school. It’s just too much for this epilogue episode. It takes the conversation away from sexual assault to gun violence.

Whilst this show is a good platform for this topic of gun violence I wish they waited until the next season to explore it. By this, I mean it felt too forced and the show was trying so hard to be shocking and edgy. News flash 13 Reasons Why, your show already is.

For all the good the show does in trying to demonstrate how difficult life is, even for kids who do try to take the appropriate routes to achieve justice, and that schools and adults need to do better and rapists need to be held accountable, 13 Reasons Why ends up flipping this in the last 10 minutes and diminishes this entire conversation in an attempt to capitalise on the March For Our Lives movement regarding gun violence in the US.

Maybe as a kiwi viewer where gun violence isn’t as universal as depression, suicide, bullying, sexual assault or rape, this makes the show so obviously ‘Murican (American in a shitty accent). But maybe as one of the most popular series on Netflix, the writers should have known they wouldn’t need to leave some kind of over the top cliffhanger or shocking ending to try and pick up a third season. Ya’ll know 13 Reasons Why is gonna be picked up either way.

Where to get help

1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor

Lifeline — 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland

Youthline — 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat

Samaritans — 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline — 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

What’s Up — 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18 year olds). Phone counselling is available Monday to Friday, midday–11pm and weekends, 3pm–11pm. Online chat is available 7pm–10pm daily.

Kidsline — 0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline) for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.

thelowdown.co.nz — or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

Anxiety New Zealand — 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)

Supporting Families in Mental Illness — 0800 732 825

Show 13 Reasons Why: Season 2

Network Netflix

Release Date 18 May 2018

Binge Time 11 hrs 33 mins