impala_chick (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
impala_chick) wrote2019-01-23 07:11 pm
impala_chick) wrote2019-01-23 07:11 pm
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13 Reasons Why
I started 13 Reasons Why at the beginning of the month, because I felt like I needed to wallow in something heavy and sad (even though I said I wasn't going to fall for another teen drama). I became obsessed and just finished season two.
This show deals with heavy/dark themes including suicide, sexual assault, and school shootings. I will not discuss those things in-depth in my thoughts below, but those themes are mentioned, hence the cut.
Season one was really focused on Hannah's depression, and how you can never fully understand how your actions will affect someone unless you ask them. Season two, by contrast, gave every character more depth and asked each of them how do you deal with grief and trauma? And what should we do when you feel overwhelmed?
I have always admired the show for not backing away from asking tough questions, and for not being afraid to show people as less than whole. Even the heroes of the story have flaws. But I was hungering for any kind of closure. It seemed like as soon as any of them had things figured out, they descended into darkness again. The only person who really got closure was Skye, because she committed to putting herself first and sticking to the things that worked for her, including medication and therapy (even though I was never a fan of Skye/Clay). And Zach too, because he realized how much he'd hurt Hannah and how much he'd let other people control him, and he really busted out of that pressure in order to become his own person, help Alex, and be a part of Clay/Justin/Tony/Jessica's life in a meaningful way.
I loved how they let Clay work through his relationship with Hannah. Clay had to come to terms with the fact that he didn't get to know her in ways other people had. He allowed himself to be angry and depressed and destroyed and happy too. He had to acknowledge that he wouldn't get all the answers, and that he didn't have ownership over her memory, even though he loved her, and I think that set him free. The service was really well-done in its simplicity, and Clay saying goodbye to her ghost was gut wrenching. The dance! I kept hoping they would all meet in the middle of the dance floor, and finally the show delivered. Except they left out Justin :(
Speaking of which, best scene in the show was Clay asking if Justin wanted to be adopted. The tension! Clay trying to convince both himself and Justin it's a good idea... and then Justin feeling so undeserving of such acceptance, and being overwhelmed by the kindness of the offer, and accepting the offer anyway, was perfect. And then, minutes later, Justin asked Clay to the spring fling. Clay does his grumpy dad friend routine, but relents and GAH. HEART EYES. Gorgeous. A+.
With regard to the legal aspects, I really liked how they showed a lot of the logistics of a civil trial - including witness prep and direct and cross exam. None of the court scenes annoyed the shit out of me, so that's a good sign. The only part that I really didn't like was when the defense attorney was gripping the witness stand, way too close to the witness. That's a big no-no. I loved the snippets of the closing arguments they showed. I thought the arguments really summed up what had gone on all season. And Dennis! What a kickass lawyer. And Mrs. Jensen! I did not like her during season one but she just grew so much as a character and as a mother. I totally predicted she was going to be Justin's defense attorney.
Also, I'm glad they showed the sentencing phase of Bryce's plea. That's usually one of the more powerful moments for victims to truly speak about the impact of sexual assault and why we as a society should do more about it, and I liked how the show showed that while Jessica was speaking, it wasn't just about her. A lot of victims feel that way. I wonder what the logistics were of his plea though, because just going back to school after that did not make sense. Probation would have probably included some kind of protective order. And it made sense that Justin had to deal with more bullshit than Bryce did, and I'm glad they showed that social class and support network are huge barriers to the justice system, almost as much as race is in America.
In contrast, the attack of Tyler was really out of the blue. I could tell they've been trying to build up to some kind of school shooting scenario, but that brutal assault seemed like it was thrown in for shock value? I know that assaults like that do happen, and male sexual assault survivors are the least likely group to report sexual abuse, but I don't think that translates to someone wanting to kill his classmates. However, I understand the point the show is always making - that anyone is capable of bad acts, and we have a responsibility as a community to look out for those who are vulnerable or suffering.
I was conflicted about Clay talking him down, too. On the one hand, Clay is the resident expert on grief and can relate to suffering and tragedy, which makes him a good person to speak up for those who are vulnerable. On the other hand, it seemed like the show made a point of saying he couldn't "save" Hannah or anyone else in order to feel better. He had to just face his feelings. But in the end, they gave him the chance to save someone? And/or the ending was an excuse to build in a cliff-hanger when they didn't need one.
In light of all that darkness, here's the fluffiest cutest video I found of my new OTP ♥
This show deals with heavy/dark themes including suicide, sexual assault, and school shootings. I will not discuss those things in-depth in my thoughts below, but those themes are mentioned, hence the cut.
Season one was really focused on Hannah's depression, and how you can never fully understand how your actions will affect someone unless you ask them. Season two, by contrast, gave every character more depth and asked each of them how do you deal with grief and trauma? And what should we do when you feel overwhelmed?
I have always admired the show for not backing away from asking tough questions, and for not being afraid to show people as less than whole. Even the heroes of the story have flaws. But I was hungering for any kind of closure. It seemed like as soon as any of them had things figured out, they descended into darkness again. The only person who really got closure was Skye, because she committed to putting herself first and sticking to the things that worked for her, including medication and therapy (even though I was never a fan of Skye/Clay). And Zach too, because he realized how much he'd hurt Hannah and how much he'd let other people control him, and he really busted out of that pressure in order to become his own person, help Alex, and be a part of Clay/Justin/Tony/Jessica's life in a meaningful way.
I loved how they let Clay work through his relationship with Hannah. Clay had to come to terms with the fact that he didn't get to know her in ways other people had. He allowed himself to be angry and depressed and destroyed and happy too. He had to acknowledge that he wouldn't get all the answers, and that he didn't have ownership over her memory, even though he loved her, and I think that set him free. The service was really well-done in its simplicity, and Clay saying goodbye to her ghost was gut wrenching. The dance! I kept hoping they would all meet in the middle of the dance floor, and finally the show delivered. Except they left out Justin :(
Speaking of which, best scene in the show was Clay asking if Justin wanted to be adopted. The tension! Clay trying to convince both himself and Justin it's a good idea... and then Justin feeling so undeserving of such acceptance, and being overwhelmed by the kindness of the offer, and accepting the offer anyway, was perfect. And then, minutes later, Justin asked Clay to the spring fling. Clay does his grumpy dad friend routine, but relents and GAH. HEART EYES. Gorgeous. A+.
With regard to the legal aspects, I really liked how they showed a lot of the logistics of a civil trial - including witness prep and direct and cross exam. None of the court scenes annoyed the shit out of me, so that's a good sign. The only part that I really didn't like was when the defense attorney was gripping the witness stand, way too close to the witness. That's a big no-no. I loved the snippets of the closing arguments they showed. I thought the arguments really summed up what had gone on all season. And Dennis! What a kickass lawyer. And Mrs. Jensen! I did not like her during season one but she just grew so much as a character and as a mother. I totally predicted she was going to be Justin's defense attorney.
Also, I'm glad they showed the sentencing phase of Bryce's plea. That's usually one of the more powerful moments for victims to truly speak about the impact of sexual assault and why we as a society should do more about it, and I liked how the show showed that while Jessica was speaking, it wasn't just about her. A lot of victims feel that way. I wonder what the logistics were of his plea though, because just going back to school after that did not make sense. Probation would have probably included some kind of protective order. And it made sense that Justin had to deal with more bullshit than Bryce did, and I'm glad they showed that social class and support network are huge barriers to the justice system, almost as much as race is in America.
In contrast, the attack of Tyler was really out of the blue. I could tell they've been trying to build up to some kind of school shooting scenario, but that brutal assault seemed like it was thrown in for shock value? I know that assaults like that do happen, and male sexual assault survivors are the least likely group to report sexual abuse, but I don't think that translates to someone wanting to kill his classmates. However, I understand the point the show is always making - that anyone is capable of bad acts, and we have a responsibility as a community to look out for those who are vulnerable or suffering.
I was conflicted about Clay talking him down, too. On the one hand, Clay is the resident expert on grief and can relate to suffering and tragedy, which makes him a good person to speak up for those who are vulnerable. On the other hand, it seemed like the show made a point of saying he couldn't "save" Hannah or anyone else in order to feel better. He had to just face his feelings. But in the end, they gave him the chance to save someone? And/or the ending was an excuse to build in a cliff-hanger when they didn't need one.