Possible *Spoiler Alert* if you haven't seen the show or read the book.
If you haven't watched 13 Reasons Why, I would recommend watching it. I would look up trigger warnings before to make sure that you don't get triggered by anything. This show is amazing! If you have seen it, you know what I am talking about. After finishing it, I thought of how real this show is. I decided to come up with a list of 13 reasons why this show is so realistic.
1. Language
If you have seen the show, you know the vulgar language used in it. Some may see it as "too vulgar" but this is how teenagers in this generation talk. They yell the "F-word" and call girls sluts. It is painful to hear, especially when you know that it is so realistic.
2. It portrays real tragedy
Everyone at Liberty High School kept saying Hannah Baker's death was "so tragic" or "a tragedy". These are true. Hannah ending her life shows how tragic things can happen in community, small or large.
3. Real emotion
Hannah's death affected so many people in different ways. We see this with Clay, he starts crying more often and gets more depressed as the season goes on. Likewise, Hannah's parents start fighting more through their grief but they use it to make one other better. There is so much raw emotion.
4. It shows how you never know what someone is going through
A lot of Hannah's "friends" had no idea she wanted to kill herself. They thought that even though they called her a "whore" or a "bitch" that it didn't matter to her. It was like she was a puppet with no emotion to them.
5. Your actions impact others
Hannah made 13 tapes to explain the 13 reasons why she ended her life. She went through actions that some people may not see as a big deal, but in the end, they all led up to her ending her life. When the characters listened to the tape, and we as viewers hear them, there were small actions that hit home to Hannah. You never know what could affect someone.
6. No one is the same
Clay reacts to the tapes much different from Tony. Likewise, Tony reacted differently than Jessica or Courtney or even Justin. Alex was harassed by his own thoughts after listening to them to the point where he wanted to end his life. Clay has emotional breakdowns and slowly listens to the tapes because they are truly heart-wrenching.
7. Don't protect others and lose yourself
Throughout the entire series, we see guys like Justin and Zach protecting Bryce. Keeping in mind that Bryce raped AT LEAST two girls, they all lied and tried to make sure Clay did not pass on the tapes to protect their friend. In the end, the potential for them to go to jail for hiding the confession or perjury is high.
8. It is never too early to say you love someone
This focuses more on Clay and Hannah. It was obvious that Clay Jenson was utterly in love with Hannah Baker. After Hannah has flashbacks and shoves Clay off of her following their first kiss, Clay wanted to tell Hannah how he felt. When Hannah told him to leave, he did. He never told her he loves her because he did not think he should. It is NEVER too early to say you love someone, but it can be too late.
9. Suicide still has a stigma
Following Hannah's suicide, a lot of people called her "crazy" or a "crazy bitch" for ending her life. This has a deeper meaning than kids "just being kids." Suicide still has a stigma that someone was crazy. Hannah was not crazy, she just wanted someone to tell her to stay and she could open up to them. Hannah had a mental illness and needed help, she was not crazy in the slightest.
10. Mental illnesses are real
Hannah suffered from depression. This can be easily concluded from her story line. Mental illnesses are swept under the rug as if thy are not important or real in society. The reality of them is staring us in the face but we ignore it. As a society, we need to work on that.
11. People are mean
The way that Hannah's peers talked about her or to her is cruel. They called her names I don't even want to recite after being so taken aback when I first heard them. People can be so cruel and not care how that affects others.
12. Suicide is real
Suicide is a real problem that is in the world today. Caring for someone or asking how their day is can save someone's life. It is important to educate yourself on mental illnesses and suicide. That is the first step to preventing it. Learn more https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
13. You are SO important
One thing that '13 Reasons Why' portrays well is that everyone matters. Hannah Baker thought that if she killed herself that no one would care and this show depicts how many people really do care. It is always important to remember that you matter in this world and that the world would be a darker place without you.
Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
