"13 Reasons Why" (Netflix)

Just to add that in my view, the docu didn't contain much of anything in the way of surprises or revelations - it's essentially the creators and cast repeatedly riffing on "we hope this starts a conversation", etc. On the other hand, it's cool to hear Katherine Langford speak in her normal Australian accent, which she suppressed throughout the show.

 

I did see that brief special. It was good for what it was. I have my issues with the show, but I have to admit I am haunted by it, especially what I saw in the last two episodes. To then be hit with the news about Chris Cornell less than a day after I saw this show...it's all a bit difficult to process. I may have to read the book for another perspective.

The idea of a Season 2 makes me nervous, because there is no more of the book and I think there are too many ways to get it wrong. After all, Hannah's story has been told. If she appears in ghost form next season, as was done ad nauseum in Dexter, it could be awful. These writers better know what they're doing. On the plus side, the cast has the chops to pull it off, so who knows?



Dan

 

Agreed on all of that. This really feels like a one-and-done story; milking it for more feels wrong. Unless someone has a spectacularly great idea behind it, a second season is bound to fall flat. I hope it works out.

I have to say that while the show certainly had its faults, I think it mostly succeeded. Earlier episodes sometime seemed spotty and unpromising, but the show built in intensity as it went forward, and the last few episodes were indeed pretty powerful.

 

I seriously doubt that they would go the ghost route. I agree that another season is not needed and could end up diluting the original work, however, I am heartened by the fact that the original book author will be onboard and is enthusiastic about the project.

 

Just finished this series - had no idea a “season two” was in the offing - and won’t be interested. That said, there were some amazing things in this show. I felt the acting/dialogue played a little like an updated Dawson’s Creek (I watched a few eps years ago) - which is good and bad - but the good stuff was REALLY good.

The puzzling thing to me was: who’s the target demographic for this? 14-17 yr olds? If so, this show is darker than you wanna know... Comparable F-bombs/language issues to Tarantino flicks, but teen romance like a WB prime time show: to me that’s kind of disturbing.

I don’t picture *most* adults watching this, due to the acting/script issues. But the thought that this might be the “hot show” with kids that can’t even drive is ... as disturbing as the rape/suicide scenes for me.

 

Well, I may be just a single sample from the adults column, but I absolutely loved it. I really don't understand why a show about teens would only be of interest to the teen demographic. If it's quality drama, then its appeal should be much broader. If one read any of the reviews, they'd know that there is real meat in this series. That's how I first learned about it.

I also don't recall having any acting or script issues, other than perhaps being a little padded in an episode or two, but that can be said of 90% of the new short season streaming shows (especially egregious being the Netflix Marvel shows).

I'm looking forward to S2 with some reservation because I thought S1 was perfect as single limited series (not unlike Little Big Lies, which is also getting a S2).

 

I felt that they were aiming for elements of “Glee” in this show (the general look/feel of the teens/teachers), but then they threw in Tarantino-esque dialogue along with relatively harrowing violence/rape scenes, which seemed to skew the target demographic in an odd way, IMO. YMMV.

 

I thought it was great, but the upcoming second season makes me very nervous. Not sure how they are going to be able to sustain the story.

 

Full-length season 2 trailer. The new season premiers on May 18.

 

We know the reasons "why"--so why is there another season? (I suppose they could focus on the aftermath...)

 

I must say I'm extremely encouraged by the trailer. It looks very promising, so I think I'll rewatch season 1 in anticipation!

 

I'd rewatch this series in anticipation of season 2, but I'm already watching Westworld and The Handmaid's Tale, which is more than my sanity can stand.

 

Has anyone watched any of the new episodes of season 2?? Any good? I'm about to start this evening!

 

Yep, seem season two now. Was a second season needed? Nope, not at all really. A second season really had to be exceptional to justify its existence, but sadly it wasn't to be.

There were some good bits in S2, and I liked seeing the characters again, however overall, it was disappointing. It was way too padded out at 13 eps with lots of unnecessary detail and diversions. S2 didn't have the unique plot device of S1 (the tapes) and struggled to find a solid narrative core.

Things did pick up in the last 3 or 4 episodes quite a bit, but the last ep was all over the place and kind of anticlimactic. It looks like they're setting it up for another season, but I'm not really looking forward to it.

I didn't hate it as such, I just didn't find it as compelling as S1 and S3 can't be any better. They should have left it as a limited (one season) miniseries - it would have been better for it.

 

I've seen the first episode and must admit that it didn't grab me like the first season. I will probably get through it but not on my list of priorities.

 

Yeah, the first couple didn't grab me either, but then neither did the rest of the season. Now that some time has passed since I binged the S2, my assessment of S2 has gone farther down (since my last post).

S2 takes itself oh so seriously with all the 'serious topic' warnings and PSA helplines, etc. it's ridiculous. They're only doing it because they were (overly) criticized for S1 by some, for daring to tell the story about teen bullying and suicide. But they completely overcompensated, especially given that S2 is not even a pale imitation of S1.

 

I hope i'm not being out of bounds here but when I watched season 1, other than the final thing that happened to her there wasn't much that happened to her that was really extreme. I mean a lot of it was bog standard stuff that we all go through as kids. It makes you and shapes you. I didn't really see a lot of stuff that I would consider excessive bullying?? Maybe I am being too harsh??

 

Um, she was raped.

 

Some say it's for the kids but I think it's for parents.
It shows a few different sides of parenting. Maybe a little black and white but it's made me think as a parent.

 

He said, other than the final thing that happened to her.

Some of the other things that happened to her might have seemed minor on their own (eg the poem being published without her consent) but I think the sheer number of them and the way the crap seemed to be coming at her from ten different directions at once made her feel like the whole universe was against her, even before the real trauma happened... so she didn’t have the resilience to deal with the rape she might have had otherwise.

 

@Squealy
I knew what he meant and understand not wanting to use the word rape. But, I'm all about using it. I was raped, it's a loaded word but I use it.

She was suicidal beforehand, though for sure.
Sometimes I think victims tend to have more and/or more severe mental problems than most. Predators pick up on that.
It's silly for parents to sue whoever they think to be responsible for their child's suicide because they are as much to blame.
The school didn't catch it or didn't take it seriously. They knew Hannah for 1year. Her parents, a lifetime.
No parent shaming going here.
But I for one would never want to give a school that much responsibility.

The poem she wrote could easily be knocked out as any kind of support for the school's fault. That's art. We all have these feelings sometimes but most don't do anything about it.

 

Ok, I thought you missed that he wasn't including the rape when he said what she went through wasn’t so bad.

 

Oh man, I did this like huge edit afterwards. Kinda a tangentThis subject matter is a hour topic for me, sorry

 

Re-read my post.

 

My point is that I do not think all those kids needed a tape to say that they contributed to the death of someone. They were just kids being kids and really quite innocent. The last one was unforgivable.