What to expect in Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why: Forget audio tapes, Polaroids will speak a thousand words
The controversial suicide drama Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' announced the return of season 2 on May 1 and surprised fans with the release date of May 18. Nearly after a year of speculating if the mystery drama would have a sequel, fans are glad that the surprise came close to the release date. Since the first season of the show was completely based out of the 2007 novel of the same name by Jay Asher, it was pointed out the television series adapted by Brian Yorkey wouldn't be realistic since the book has no sequel.
When Asher was accused of an alleged sexual assault case in February, Netflix and the show parted ways with the author. Now, the second season will be a complete television adaptation with only guesses and theories to assume the plot and no concrete published script to quench the thirst for mystery. Season one of the series has no definite closure and has a lot of scope for story development. Season two may be the answer to loopholes and abrupt plots including Alex Standall's death.
The first season of '13 Reasons Why' had 13 episodes narrated in 13 audiotapes recorded by Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) before she killed herself by slitting her wrist in a bathtub. Each tape named an individual from her school, Liberty High, responsible for her death. The story unfurled as Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) listened to the tapes, finding out why she took her own life.
The series produced by pop star Selena Gomez was the most tweeted show of 2017, praised for an engaging storyline and superb cast but at the same time criticized for glamorizing suicide. When health experts and parents cited concern, Netflix issued a warning disclaimer before each episode. For the second season, there is a minute's disclaimer video narrated by the actors which will autoplay before every episode.
The warnings have come and fans are geared with the right state of mind (hopefully) to binge on the second season. Here is all you need to know about what to expect from season 2 of '13 Reasons Why'.
A week ago, Netflix dropped a kickass trailer along with official date announcement. The trailer gave us enough hints about the plot to fathom what's coming.
We sense the audio tape is going to continue for some time but Polaroids will take over. In the last episode of season one, Clay Jensen has added an audio tape of Bryce Walker confessing that he raped Hannah Baker. We anticipate a continuation as the last person to get the audiotape is the 13th person to be named on Hannah's audio list- Mr. Porter, a school counselor. Fans are speculating if he will do good and take action against Bryce Walker for Hannah's justice or if he will destroy the evidence since he is named on the same cassette (side 13) of the tape.
The trailer starts with a still of Tony getting out of the car, holding a cassette tape, the main device of season one. The polaroids swirl throughout the trailer and we see Tony's face scarred and marred when the polaroid passes over his face. We see Jessica Davis posing for a selfie in bed but when a polaroid picture passes over her face, we see her in pain, crying.
We see Mr. Porter in his office cabin placing Bryce Walker's file in his drawer and the polaroid depicts he is under pressure resting his forehead in his hands. Next, we see Bryce pouring himself a drink with a new girl by his side, who is passed out in the polaroid. Following is Hannah's mother, who was introduced to the tapes at the end of season one and she's gone all detective in season two drawing a board map.
And finally, we see Clay dressed in his work attire, with a summons to appeal on the bed. His polaroid depicts Hannah and how her sadness became a part of his. Looks like he will continue to fight for her despite warnings and earn his main guy, nice guy spot again in the new season.
The note on the trailer concludes that the "tapes were only the beginning" and hints at all the mysteries to be solved with new mysteries to be created. Justin and Alex are off the trailer. Netflix tweeted the summary of Season 2.
The court case against the school is still on and Netflix has confirmed that we will see a different side of Hannah. The narrator will not be the dead girl. Questions have arisen as to who will be the narrator, who will share the story and who has taken all the polaroid pictures.
We saw in episode one Tyler Down, has been stocking guns in his suitcase and fans have guessed that he could be preparing for a school shooting. This theory is made even more evident with his photograph room filled with pictures of all his classmates. Just before we heard about Alex Standall's suicide, we saw Tyler take his picture down with a flashback of Alex being kind to Tyler. However, Alex's suicide has not been confirmed and we have heard the cop's son shoot himself in the head.
The official synopsis of what happens in season two was released in Netflix's statement;
“Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of Hannah’s death and the start of our characters’ complicated journeys toward healing and recovery. Liberty High prepares to go on trial, but someone will stop at nothing to keep the truth surrounding Hannah’s death concealed. A series of ominous polaroids lead Clay and his classmates to uncover a sickening secret and a conspiracy to cover it up.”
According to Dylan Minnette who plays Clay, there is a time-jump after the closure of season one's last episode. The actor said: “There’s a time jump. Season two is a couple months after season one, and there’s a lot that’s happened to Clay in between. You’re playing catch-up when you start, and you see where Clay’s at.”
He added: “Clay’s trying to live his life … but I think Hannah, his life with her, and everything with the tapes, is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to him, and I don’t think he’ll ever be able to escape it, no matter how hard he tries.”
Vice-President of Original Series at Netflix, Brian Wright, teased the storyline in an Elle interview; "[season two] continues the characters' journeys. It continues this dialogue and these conversations and the exploration of some of these super tough topics, but in a way that's always wrapped in a very entertaining and propulsive thread and story."
Brian Yorkey, the showrunner added: "In a way it felt that to leave them there would be unfair to the characters and also to the viewers who really had come to care about them. Jessica in particular, her experience continues to be a central part of season two. We wanted very much to look at her recovery. To look at what it is to go from being a victim of sexual assault to being a survivor of sexual assault."
Season one was about Hannah's truth and this season will be the truth of all the others. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brian Yorkey said: "Season two is very much more about everyone else’s perspective on that story — their side of the story, their reaction to it, their coming to terms or refusing to come to terms with their role in Hannah’s life and death. For that reason, the season is more diffuse in a way. There are more perspectives involved. It’s a wider range in some ways than season 1. That was very intentional and it’s a different flavor in the same world with the same characters."
He also told Digital Spy that there will be 13 different narrators; "This year will be 13 different narrators." He added later that Clay's pursuit for justice gives "a sort of structural idea, that not only provides the engine for 13 episodes, but also the voiceover, which is not cassette tapes, but something different this year."
Besides the same characters with different sides to the story plot, there are seven new cast members to the show, namely, Anne Winters who will play Chloe the beautiful “it girl” at Liberty High and the new head cheerleader. She's the girl who appeared in the trailer next to Bryce at a pool party.
Bryce Cass will play Cyrus a cynical mischief maker playing an unexpected champion of the downtrodden. Chelsea Alden plays Cyrus' sister Mackenzie, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Samantha Logan will play Nina - a well-respected track star with a secret. Kelli O'Hara will play Jackie, a passionate advocate for victims of bullying. Allison Miller will play Sonya, a smart and ambitious young litigator and Ben Lawson will play Rick, the beloved baseball coach at Liberty High.
Soundtrack will come from show's executive producer Selena Gomez, as she confirmed on her Instagram account.
Season two, in a nutshell, may see the continuation of the lawsuit, the aftermath of Alex's death, Bryce's rape trial and a school shooting. Hannah Baker will continue to be the central plot as confirmed by Yorkey. Ten more days to go to rage on more than 13 reasons why a 17-year-old girl killed herself in a bathtub.