This article contains spoilers

First a book, then a Netflix Original series, 13 Reasons Why has been one of the most controversial TV series in a while. The book kind of skated by without too much controversy, but when the first season of the TV series came along, all hell broke loose.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, 13 Reasons Why is about a teenage girl named Hannah Baker who commits suicide and records thirteen tapes as to the thirteen events and people that led to her suicide. The story is told by Clay Jensen, who worked with and was friends with Hannah who finds himself amidst the passing of the tapes. There were a lot of things that were problematic with the first season, but nevertheless, the show got a season 2.

You can’t discuss what you’ve never seen, so I’ve watched both. Season 2 righted a lot of the wrongs that were born in season 1.

1. Hannah explicitly states that her tapes WERE NOT for revenge

One of the larger criticisms of season 1 was that Hannah leaving the tapes was to get revenge on the people on the tapes or to make them feel guilty for her death. In one scene earlier in season 2, Hannah explains to Clay that the reason she left the tapes wasn’t to get revenge, but instead to tell her own story the way she wants it told. A lot of critics said that others may think by Hannah’s example that suicide would be the ultimate revenge for your enemies, but Hannah dispels this idea of her tapes explicitly.

2. Mental illness is addressed

Another one of the large criticism that fell on season 1 was that it did not address mental illness. Mental illness accounts for a large number of suicides, but season 1 let Hannah’s suicide look like it was more the result of external forces on her, rather than internal turmoil. Hannah never really got a developed mental illness in season 2, but Skye ended up being the mouthpiece the show desperately needed to introduce the struggle that is mental illness into the show. She openly discusses how her mind works with Clay and explains how it isn’t his fault and that it’s just the way her mind works.

3. A man can’t save a suicidal girl

In season 1, many said that it seemed as though Clay’s love could have saved Hannah which is PROBLEMATIC. A guy can’t save you and that narrative is TIRED and UNREALISTIC. I was really really pissed at the beginning of season 2 when it seemed as though Clay was trying to do this with Skye. However, she stepped up and said that there was nothing that he could do and that she had to do this on her own. Skye was the real hero of the first half of season 2.

4. You can find support in a support group

A lot of the original criticisms said that there were no places for Hannah to turn to. In addition, they said that all of the places that she tried to go (the counselor) failed her. In season 2, Jessica goes to a sexual assault support group and ends up feeling very heard and finds a friend as a result. Although at first apprehensive, Jessica used the resources out there to help her and found the help she was looking for.

5. Season 2 added an opening PSA

Again, people were miffed because there were no resources for suicidal viewers looking for help. At the start of the season, there is an unskippable PSA at the beginning from some of the actors on how to get help and that you should get help. This PSA is also accessible at any other time during your viewing but is required to watch at the beginning. In addition, at the end of each episode, there was a link to visit to get help.

6. The show doesn’t blame the victim for their sexual assault

During season 1, there was a lot of controversy about blaming Hannah for getting raped by Bryce by putting herself into a compromising situation with him in his hot tub. However, season 2 absolutely tears this to shreds with the testimonies of Jessica, Justin, Jessica’s family, Nina, Alex, and Olivia. They all stand by Jessica and validate her story and support her. They don’t blame her and they encourage her to get the help she deserves.

7. There were perspectives other than Hannah’s

The story told in season 1 was almost entirely one-sided: Hannah’s side. The tapes presented Hannah’s side of the story and there wasn’t much time for anything else. Season 2 gave the outlet for the other people in the story and on the tapes to tell their stories in the trial between the Bakers and the school. We find out that the story Hannah told omitted some things and misjudged some others. There are three sides to every story and we get a second.

8. There was more serious bullying

This is going to sound ridiculous, but there were people that were mad because the things that Hannah faced didn’t seem severe enough. Well, the writers listened and listened good. The bullying in season 2 reaches an all-time high. I cried only about 3 times in season 2 and EVERY SINGLE TIME it was for Tyler Down. People crapped all over him. Yes, he was a creep, but oh my God. I just wanted to hug the kid damn near every second of his on-screen time. This came to a head during the last episode when there was a scene that entirely topped Hannah’s graphics suicide for me in a level of disturbance. Tyler returned from a reform program and seemed to be a changed man. Then Bryce’s gang comes in and holds Tyler’s head in the toilet and bashes it on the seat while sodomizing him with a mop or a broom. I cannot think about this scene. I could never watch this scene again. To those critics that said Hannah’s situation wasn’t serious enough, is this better for you?

9. It is possible to find support in others

In season 1, people thought that the show was implying that reaching out to others for help was a useless task based on Hannah’s attempt with the guidance counselor and lack of attempt with her parents. In season 2, Jessica finds support in her parents and in her friend Nina. This shows that it is possible and able to find help in your community and family. Hannah may not have had success in season 1, but even the counselor is reformed and remorseful in season 2.

10. Hannah isn’t condemned by the church as the result of her suicide

This wasn’t really a criticism of season 1, but I thought this was a particularly powerful moment in season 2. At the end of the last episode, Hannah’s parents host a funeral at a church for her. Before this, they go to talk to the pastor of the church and he discusses how he doesn’t think Hannah’s soul is damned as a result of her suicide as some religions would lead people to believe. He says that it was a tragedy, but she was troubled. He doesn’t justify her suicide as a good decision, but he doesn’t condemn her because of it.

11. Hannah was a bully herself

A lot of people said that Hannah was portrayed to be a perfect, blameless victim. In season 2, one of the girls from her old school comes along to testify and as it turns out, Hannah was a bully to the girl in question. Hannah knew what it was to be a bully and to be bullied. Although this was not something that I was excited to see, it did add dimension to Hannah’s character and eliminate the blameless victim persona.

12. Season 2 had better research

Season 1 was said to be unrealistic and unhelpful in terms of starting a conversation about suicide. Season 2 attempted to amend this problem by adding the aforementioned PSA and by teaming up with Northwestern University to do research for the second season. Better research can help aid the realism of the show.

13. The characters were more developed

One of the large problems that I had with the first season was that the characters seemed like they did things just for the fun of it, rather than having an actual motivation for their actions. They all seemed like single-dimensional characters with no actual development throughout the story. This season was the answer to those prayers and added a backstory to just about every character, including Bryce. Season 2 really gave the characters more depth and rounded them out in the ways that they needed so desperately to be rounded out.

Season 1 was problematic and season 2 was too in some ways, too. However, season 2 solved many of the problems that season 1 posed. If the show continues on an upward trend like this, I am very much looking forward to season 3. They left me on a lot of cliffhangers and I need answers.