So there’s this show. You’ve probably heard of it, it's called Thirteen reasons why. I loved this show, binged watched it, and cried more times than I can say before it was over. Apart from the obvious important themes of the show, bullying, sexual assault, and suicide, there was something about this that captured my attention. The thirteen people who caused Hannah’s death are real human beings.
In hearing Hannah’s story it can be easy to blame the thirteen, especially those who caused intentional harm. Through watching the show, however, I started to notice little redeeming qualities, little moments that made me question whether the people who killed Hannah were really all that bad. Justin's sensitivity and commitment to Jessica touched me. Alex’s brutal honesty and acceptance of responsibility made me respect him. Mr. Porter's commitment to helping students, despite his ineptitude made me sympathetic towards him.
In most forms of media, the bad guys are the bad guys. They hurt people, take no prisoners, and consistently do the wrong thing, but in this show, they loved people, were kind, had families and made mistakes. Most of the thirteen weren’t demons. They weren’t soulless societal refuse, they were genuine, like us.
This is important. It shows that the ones that hurt people, the ones who drive them to despair, aren’t the sort of distant evil cyber bullies we think of. It’s us. We are the ones. Just like every one of the thirteen, we have good and bad sides and make mistakes. One rude comment on a bad day, a moment of insensitivity, can have a profound impact on a person's life, and I love the way this show stares that reality in the face. None of the thirteen intended to kill Hannah Baker, just like most of us don’t intend to put someone in that place through our actions.
This series gives us a mirror, it says, you could be one of them, that we are each one bad day away. It forces us to examine our actions, to take up personal responsibility for what we say, and to be the best versions of ourselves, to be kinder, more gentle, and more compassionate.
