13 Reasons Why
One of the more recent TV shows that I have watched is called 13 Reasons Why. This show premiered on Netflix on March 31, and its 13 episodes were all released at the same time. 13 Reasons Why is based off a young adult book written by Jay Asher that was released back in 2007. The story in the book revolves around a teenage boy named Clay who receives a box of 13 cassette tapes delivered to his door. He soon discovers that the tapes are from Hannah Baker, a classmate of his who recently committed suicide. In these 13 tapes, Hannah talks about 13 different people and the things they did which ultimately led her to decide to take her own life. Each episode of the series revolves around someone's tape and tells the story of what they did to Hannah. Before she took her life, Hannah designated a second set of cassette tapes with Tony, one of Clay's friends, and told him that if the people on her list didn't listen to the tapes, then she wanted him to release the second set of tapes to everyone.
I first read 13 Reasons Why in February of this year. I had seen promotions for the Netflix series and had remembered that I had heard about the book before but had never gotten myself to read it. The show looked like something I would be interested in watching, so I decided to go ahead and read the book before the show came out. I can say that I liked the book and would probably read it again someday. The book is read through Clay’s perspective and has excerpts from Hannah's tapes. In order to develop 13 Reasons Why into a Netflix series, the writers and producers definitely had to do some adapting to the script for it to translate onto the screen.
The Netflix series sticks to the basic storyline included in the book. Clay gets the tapes on his doorstep and begins the journey of listening to each one and going to different locations that Hannah marked on a map (which came with the cassettes). In the book, the whole story takes place overnight. Clay receives the tapes during the day, then all throughout the night he listens and travels around town, letting Hannah's story unfold. In the Netflix series, the story happens over a period of several weeks. Clay only listens to a few parts of the tapes every once in a while because he gets overwhelmed by flashbacks and by everything he hears on the tapes.
One major addition to the series that wasn't in the book is the presence of all the people who were on the tapes. In the book, they are only talked about, but in the show, they are actually main characters who are a big part of the storyline. You get to see how they actually react to the tapes existing, and you receive more information on their backstories and how they interact with each other after Hannah's suicide. I will say that the interactions between the teenagers are often a bit too dramatic at times. The show features the teenagers, who are on the tapes, taking every measure they can to make sure that others, especially Clay, don't tell anyone outside the group about the tapes and the information that is on them.
Another storyline in the series that wasn't in the book revolves around a lawsuit that Hannah's parents make against her high school. Hannah's parents are only talked about in the book, but, in the series, they have more of a major presence. I really liked having her parents being characters on the series because you get to see how Hannah's suicide affected her parents, which is something that you don't get to find out in the book. Clay's parents are also featured in the series as well, and you get to see how they deal with Clay and the problems he has after he receives the tapes. One other thing to mention is that Clay and Hannah have a stronger and closer friendship in the Netflix show than they did in the book where they were more like acquaintances.
There are various other storylines in the
show that were added to make the plot more interesting, and certain scenes were
amped up to make the show more dramatized. The 13 Reasons Why book deals with
serious issues such as bullying, rape, and suicide. In the actual book, there
are two specific instances in the book where two individuals are sexually
assaulted/raped, and these scenes are depicted on the Netflix show. They are
shown, in full, and they are very hard to watch. Also, included in the show is
the heartbreaking, gut-wrenching scene where Hannahs commits suicide. When she
decides to end her own life in the book, Hannah overdoses on pills, but it is
only mentioned and is actually never a real book scene. The Netflix show
changed the way that Hannah commits suicide, and they show her doing it without
censoring any of the details. The writers and producers of 13 Reasons Why
decided to show Hannah committing suicide by slitting her wrists in a bathtub.
They felt that if they showed Hannah taking her own life in this way, then
people would see that suicide isn't beautiful in any way. Honestly, the scene
where it happens in the show is so heavy and difficult to watch. After I
finished the 13 Reasons, my emotions did feel somewhat drained, and the
heartbreaking reality that suicide is something that happens very often set in
with me almost instantly.
Since the show's release, there has been a lot of controversy regarding whether or not 13 Reasons Why was a problematic portrayal of mental illness and suicide. Some say that the show romanticizes suicide and leaving behind tapes (or any other kind of notes) as some kind of revenge. Certain health professionals, adults, and teens are expressing concern that the show is not helping to talk about the role that mental illness can have on suicide since it was never confirmed if Hannah did have depression. There are people who feel that showing graphic images of rape will be triggering to some viewers and that also depicting the act of suicide is doing more harm than good. People on the other side of the argument believe that the show is a good representation of what is happening in our schools and that it opens up a necessary conversation about serious issues such as bullying, rape/sexual assault, and suicide.
If you have never seen 13 Reasons Why before, I would say that you should watch it at least once, but only if you feel that the show won't be too much for you. Those who have dealt with rape/sexual assault, bullying, mental illnesses, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts should take precaution and decide beforehand if they can handle the material depicted in the show. I would definitely recommend that teenagers watch the show with their parents or with someone they trust in case they have questions and need answers about certain issues. One important thing that can be taken away from watching 13 Reasons Why is that everything affects everything. Every word you say to others matters and everything you do has some effect, not matter how minuscule it may seem to you.
