Worse than you Thought | An Autopsy of 13 Reasons Why Season 2

RIP on the vague title - I wanted to call this video "How Netflix Exploited a School Shooting" but KZbin would have cucked the reach so hard.
I finished this video still feeling like I had loads to say so I'll try to save those notes for part 3! Bizarrely this video came in only 20 seconds shorter than the last one - apologies on that, I'll make sure to add 20 seconds to the next one :(
Part 1 of the 13 Reasons Why series: • Netflix's Biggest Mist...
Songs by section:
Intro Song: Prisonic Fairytale - Silent Hill 2 OST
Mr Porter: Wishful Thinking - Silent Hill 2 OST
Alex Standall: A World of Madness - Silent Hill 2 OST
Justin Foley: Promise Reprise - Silent Hill 2 OST
Zach Dempsey: Fermata in Mystic Air - Silent Hill 2 OST
Jessica Davies - Laura Plays The Piano - Silent Hill 2 OST
Courtney Crimsen - Forest - Silent Hill 2 OST
The Bakers - Save - Silent Hill 2 OST
Marcus Cole - End Of Small Sanctuary - Silent Hill 3 OST
Ryan Shaver: A Stray Child - Silent Hill 3 OST
Bryce Walker: Never Forgive Me Never Forget - Silent Hill 3 OST
Tyler Down: Please Love Me...Once More - Silent Hill 3 OST
Clay Jensen: Casual Background - Silent Hill 3 OST
Hannah Baker: Rain Of Brass Petals - Silent Hill 3 OST
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00:00 Introduction to Season 2
03:06 Addressing Comments from the last video
06:19 Shedding a Light on Difficult Topics
07:59 The Premise of Season 2
08:33 Mr Porter & Making Things Right
13:22 Alex Standall & Rediscovering yourself
20:10 Justin Foley & Overcoming Addiction
26:27 Zach Dempsey & Standing up for Yourself
29:32 Jessica Davies & Victimhood
36:45 Courtney Crimson & Telling your Truth
39:49 The Bakers & Moving on Alone
40:59 Marcus Cole & The Politics of Morality
42:11 Ryan Shaver & The Bystander Effect
44:28 Chlöe Ryan & Escaping Abuse
51:34 Bryce Walker & Writing the Rapist
56:20 Tyler Down & Baiting the Worst Subplot
1:02:47 Clay Jensen & Actually just being the Worst
1:06:02 Hannah Baker & Destroying a Character for Drama

[@dogearflopper7011]

I'm always impressed by the wordplay in these videos. "Bryce is a rapist. What's he gonna do, ask him to stop?" "Where Mr. Porter finds his feet in this season, Alex drags his." I have to pause at times to appreciate the punchiness.

[@teslashark]

Mert is BRUTAL

[@ddjsoyenby]

ikr!

[@moleperson]

Those and “Chekhov’s erection” were probably my favourite lines in the whole thing 😂

[@MertKayKay]

I actually didn't intend a pun with "Alex drags his feet", I can't take credit for that one I'm afraid ._. (also I think it would be too mean)

[@rajaryan-fe1oy]

Even if it is what's he gonna do, chase you

[@randomnerd3402]

You know the fact that Twin Peaks, a show running from 1990 to 1991 handles the issues seen in the content warning much better than 13 Reasons Why should be absolutely embarrassing for the writers of 13 Reasons Why.

[@illeanacopper]

twin peaks 💘💘

[@merethessc]

Plus TP toggles the "dead girl had secrets" idea better in my opinion.

[@drf6377]

Lol, not really. TP had its fair share of problems like sexualizing minors and romanticizing their relations with adults

[@CrystalBrightz]

And then the show got weird, and not in a good way, sadly.

[@BrutalKnight55]

Twin Peaks was ahead of its time, yet also such a product of its time, in so many ways. It portrayed a mostly fantastic representation of a trans character, especially for the political climate of the time, yet it also contained a *MILD SPOILER* white character in disguise as an Asian person, which was essentially yellowface. Twin Peaks is so fascinating to me

[@eggmug562]

i will never get tired of people ripping into this show. it's such an *evil* show. It claims to want a discussion but just uses traumatic and edgy things to make drama porn while being weirdly obsessed with the sex lives of teenagers.

[@bluemuffin8848]

YES. THIS. I think the first season was okay, but I’m sure it had some pretty messed up things about it. The second season though they basically just used a very sensitive topic (Tyler’s r’ed scene) as a money grab and to start a new season. Like “OoH look a teenage boy just got /r worded/ you’ll have to come back to season 3 to find out what happened next” it’s a fucking disgrace

[@MyLoserBrain]

The mop scene actually traumatized me. Even just seeing small clips in this vid, I found myself feeling sick. I had no idea the scene was in the show, I watched the second season when it came out because I wanted to give the show a second chance, and the way it happens in the episode also felt so wrong. There's no warning, not even a little (as you showed with you thinking it was a good time to go to the bathroom) and then the show just moves on as if something absolutely horrifying didn't just happen. I was shaking after watching that scene. The way the show deals with these issues is so wrong and shouldn't have ever happened.

[@NomadSage07]

Real. It's like they wanted this to be like season 1s suicide scene - the big trauma. It's actually disgusting and honestly shows that they haven't learned anything at all.

[@YamiHoOu]

It completely threw me off how graphic it was. Like no implication or anything more tactful. Just right there in your face. Like god damn

[@MyLoserBrain]

@@YamiHoOu SAME. I literally had to take a moment after it happened.

[@archer5915]

One of the scenes i can't listen to, so yeah

[@xd._.28234]

yep, it rlly took me out of guard 💀🤌🏻

[@CleaverMama]

I don't know how universal this is, but when I was a teenager struggling with suicidal ideation a thought that repeatedly ran through my head was "When I end it, everyone who hurt me will be sorry". Teenage me absolutely would not have needed to see "ghost Hannah" hanging around Clay, commentating the events of season 2 as if you get to stand around after you die chatting to your bestie and watching everyone else realise the error of their ways. I know she was meant to be a manifestation of Clay's thoughts (or a straight up hallucination which is...concerning), but she didn't come across that way, at least not to me. One thing I will give the show - it's almost certainly because they still needed a bad guy for season 3, but I'm genuinely glad they lost the court case. What's the alternative? "Thanks to Hannah killing herself, a rapist ended up in jail. Great job Hannah, you really made the world a better place by committing suicide." I'd have hated that. I'm fully aware that last part is a me thing though. Nowadays I tend to live by the idea that if spite is the only thing keeping you alive, you should be as spiteful as you possibly can. Don't give the bastards an inch.

[@galdorial]

Don't EVER give up your spite. I've survived for so many years on that exact philosophy. If someone hates me thats GREAT! I'm happy to make a piece of shit's life worse with my existence

[@vibeanddie8926]

I feel this too. I say often at work that I'm operating on pure spite and adrenaline pretty much all the time, which is true, and I don't think I'd be alive otherwise.

[@thac0twenty377]

Hey! went tbrought that yoo. Glad you're here

[@mitskisupremacy2254]

Ah, I totally understand you. I actually read the book of 13 reasons why back when I was 13 (ironically) and retrospectively, it was one of the worst decisions I've made for my adult self. It sounds melodramatic and 'sensitive' but the idea of tormenting those who you blame for your suffering from beyond the grave is a message that should NOT be demonstrated in such ways to a teenage audience at all

[@MiniMeags]

LITERALLY

[@samalmond2321]

My biggest issue with season 2 was how tehy had Clay pressure Jessica into Testifying by releasing the tapes and telling her story without her permission literally expressly contradicting what he said he would do in the first season and making him a truly reprehensible himan being in my eyes.

[@MertKayKay]

Yes! Clay is NOT a good guy at all in this season

[@teslashark]

We live in an economy, so they did it!

[@eazymb.]

I’ve only seen the first season. To me, Clay was the nice-guy, white-knight phase a lot of men go through. Some just are that. Even if his actions were justified in some way. It always feels like he has to be the hero to everyone, instead of the person giving support. The people he cares the most about just happen to be beautiful girls he goes to school with. Surprise. That’s just the way his character came off to me in the show though. May be totally different in the book. I honestly felt better about his principal.

[@josephmatthews7698]

A bunch of kids running around thinking they know better than everyone else. Even adults and their own friends when it has absolutely nothing to do with them. Perfect representation of a teenager lol.

[@moonymoonlight]

while i appreciate how much you tried to give this series a fair shot, i think season 3 will make you realize that you might have given these writers entirely too much credit 💀

[@lankyboi23]

Agreed 💀

[@amethystimagination3332]

Chloe’s arc is so genuinely disgusting that I needed to take a break from the video. Whether the writers meant it or not they are blaming her for what happened to her and what happened to Bryce’s other victims. All they’ve done is make it harder for the Chloes of the world to come out, people who have had their boundaries bulldozed over the course of the relationship to the point where they have no idea what a healthy relationship is anymore. People who thought they could trust their partner only to find out their partner had been committing monstrous acts behind their back. It’s the most insidious form of victim blaming I have ever seen and whoever thought of it should be ashamed of themselves.

[@MielTheDeerling]

I agree. I was a Chloe at one point so seeing her made me feel represented until she became the villain. It hurt so much to see after everything she went through

[@amethystimagination3332]

@@MielTheDeerling As a fellow former Chloe I feel for you and it really is just salt on the wound

[@unavezms8167]

Did I watch the series? No. Do I care about it? No. Am I going to watch this video anyway? Yes.

[@fleacythesheepgirl]

Not content with getting a bunch of teenagers to end their lives the writers thought “let’s tackle school shooters!”. Remember kids if someone is a school shooter just talk to them and be their friend and don’t involve the police 🙃

[@clarkmichaels822]

The real lesson is that a (potential) school shooter is the kids' problem and not society at large. You don't want to die at school? Better start befriending the incel!

[@teslashark]

Them, gotta write the ass into assassination!

[@marymartin2154]

I went to high school with this kid, we'll call him A. He was obsessed with the Columbine shooters and started saying things like "we could do it, you know". I tried being a good friend, tried to tell him that graduating and becoming successful was a better revenge. Then I discovered that he had writtten fanfiction about me and him shooting up the school and calling us "the Romeo and Juliet of school shooters". That made me go to the school counselor and tell them everything including showing them the fanfiction. He got suspended and when he came back to school, he attacked me with a pair of scissors. I still have the scars to this day. So no, 13 Reasons Why, just talking to a school shooter will not stop them. I was just lucky A chose to attack me and never got to follow through with his plans.

[@ALJ9000]

@@marymartin2154 Jesus. I hope he’s doing better now, that kid’s got some unsolved issues

[@maddieb.4282]

@@ALJ9000you fucking think?? Biggest understatement of the century

[@samalmond2321]

Merty 16:52: "There is no tension in this scene because we know Alex isn't gonna kill his classmate" Netflix and 13RW Season 3: "Are you sure about that?"

[@MertKayKay]

NO WAY

[@teslashark]

@@MertKayKay Guess it has changed from a twist to a very delayed chekov gun.

[@mariannnnnnna]

​@@teslasharklollll

[@benamisai-kham5892]

LITERALLY MY FIRST THOUGHTS LOLOLOL "Alex wouldn't just kill his classmate" Me: 😶

[@thedarkprincess4196]

I mean he does have a TBI, aside from personality, that alone could be a reason he would kill a classmate.

[@MysticalMachineGun]

My jaw dropped when they ended season 2 with that garbage. Not only was it completely bonkers and disconnected from reality, the majority of school shooters are usually the bullies rather than the bullied. Trying to make it a sympathetic act and having all the other characters cover for him just... I was completely flabbergasted. My wife kept watching into Season 3 but I was out from that point.

[@MertKayKay]

Yes! The show is like "he's a good man with a good heart 🥺" bruh how?? Why??

[@JinStreams]

It's insane how they took something so politically relevant and motivated and removed every drop of that. Literally the opposite of what the show says its doing

[@KissyAdair]

How do you figure most school shooters are the bullies and not the bullied? I don't think that's true. Pretty much since Columbine, it's been the bullied ones who end up being school shooters.

[@frostfeather6584]

Well actuallly there are school shooters who were bullied, but they’re a lot like Tyler in the sense that they are being bullied for being a creep. Tyler takes pictures of EVERYONE without their consent. They didn’t just hate him cause he was weird, he was everyone’s stalker. Tyler’s progression is real, the problem is the show tried to play it off in a sympathetic light by having him go through the worst trauma imaginable to “set it all off” School shooters don’t need something that traumatic to be set off. They got the personality and circumstances right, but the trigger and the sympathy wrong. The sympathy should be in that no one got this kid in a facility to help him with his severe mental health issues, not that everyone around him should have been kinder to him. (It’s arguably the same problem with Hannah. Placing the blame on the people surrounding the ‘target’ of the issue, rather than placing the blame on the circumstances that led to them not receiving help.)

[@rikimaru700]

Degrassi did the same thing where the bullied became the shooter and the bully stopped him

[@freewingscosplay]

The stuff with Nina really annoyed me. It took me 10 years to tell anyone about what happened to me, and there are still close family and friends who don't know. That's no one's information to share except for the survivor's- if and when they want to share it.

[@MertKayKay]

Absolutely agree! The idea that everyone around you is entitled to your trauma is really unfair.

[@lycan4312]

My younger sister (13) tried defending bryce saying he was trying to " be better" i haven't watched the show myself so idk how they handle it but if young teens end up siding with him for some reason i don't think they condemned him enough

[@rivkavermeij]

They really tried redeeming him in season 3, so much so where I almost felt bad for the guy. Absolutely disgusting.

[@benamisai-kham5892]

​@@rivkavermeijHONESTLY I HAD TO KEEP REMINDING MYSELF HOW AWFUL AND DISGUSTING HE WAS THE WHOLE SEASON

[@darkvioletskull]

Most disrespectful thing they did was try to have us sympathize with that piece of caca​@@benamisai-kham5892

[@chirpi_575]

i HATE how they tried to humanize bryce, like the moment he chose to sexually assault those girls was the moment he lost his humanity. r*pists arent human

[@luiseduardo4748]

Was waiting for this one. Time to eat my lunch while i remember how this show is the worst thing to ever happened

[@saltydinonuggies1841]

The way you described Chloe’s story really hit me. I was with my ex for six months and during that time he assaulted repeatedly, I still don’t know how much was actually consented to because of his constant pushing. When you said Bryce “helped himself” to her that really stuck with me because that’s exactly what it’s like. They help themselves to any part of you, physical or otherwise, that they want. For however long they want, wherever they want. Until you’re just… no longer you. And then a lot of us get to experience what Jessica did coming back to school. It’s your word against theirs and even though everyone called them weird and creepy before, suddenly they’re such an “upstanding young man who’s going places.” I really enjoyed your take on all of this. I hate this show with a passion and even though I think they show SA in a fairly realistic way, I still despise that they felt the need to show the entire act. It just becomes trauma pron at some point.

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Salty, I'm glad to hear it resonates with you too, I hope you got some clarity. Happy to hear you're out of the situation too

[@eauxkei702]

Also sidebar, they filmed this in a city near my area, and I always find it funny how hard the try to make it seem like a small town in the show. It isn't. It's not the most remarkable city ever, but it has a population well over 200k lol.

[@MertKayKay]

The tiny town of... California Suburbia

[@maddieb.4282]

@@MertKayKaymost shows are actually filmed in Atlanta or Canada now lol

[@eauxkei702]

@@maddieb.4282 This show was filmed in California, though. She's right.

[@maddieb.4282]

@@eauxkei702it’s not an argument lol. I was just sharing some fun trivia. Don’t manufacture conflict where there is none

[@michaelandrews117]

I'm so excited for you to chat about Season 3. It's just such a wonderful train wreck that had me in awe of it's ludicrous writing, and horrified that it makes Bryce the protagonist.

[@MertKayKay]

Oh man I better start watching

[@coltonwilkie241]

Guys come on! Bryce was a misunderstood rapist. He did it for the TikTok, come on guys give him a chance!

[@Zeroshiki]

The series really took the sharpest nose dive I've ever seen from start to finish. 💀

[@samalmond2321]

I personally thought season 3 was the best at least in isolation because it became so absurd it lost any semblance of treating it seriously as a show that was intended to provide commentary and invite discussion.

[@violetrogers3755]

Season 3 went so far off the rails that the train ended up in another country. It was almost a comedy to me. I never got around to watching the fourth.

[@thanatoast]

They should have stopped bringing Hannah back past season 1. Her story was over, why do we need these flashbacks to Hannah's "secret" life? Her characterization works in season 1 and as you said gets completely butchered later. I can't wait for season 3, because that's when you start to wonder if it's even the same show as the first season. (Also in season 4 Clay says "We live in a society" and I think that saves that one and it is therefore the best one)

[@Turtlesism]

I feel a massive part of why Hannah basically got turned into a massive unreliable narrator and liar in season 2 was a direct response to the lash-back to the first season.

[@choles523]

I'm really glad you mentioned Clay giving major incel vibes! I felt this way about his character in season 1 and didn't see many people commenting on it. The way he gets mad at Hannah and Zach for having a consensual relationship gave me the impression that he thought only he could 'have' Hannah made me so angry, especially as the show constantly reassures him and the viewer that he's a great guy. As a side note: him stepping out in front of Tyler to attempt to stop the school shooting is DIRECTLY AGAINST all advice given by experts about what to do in that situation.

[@pyro7598]

Its a show calm down, its not a what you should and shouldn't do

[@noplacelikestorybrooke6968]

I think Clay is just the "nice guy" bullshit. Thinks he's a quiet gentleman but he's actually creepy, posessive, stalkery, obsessive and has a hero complex.

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

The mop scene is so unnecessary, they didn't need to show everything in explicit detail. If they didn't show anything or very little, I feel like it would be more authentic to the experience of SA survivors. After SA, many survivors can't fully remember the details of what happened. It's like a black hole appeared where their memories once where, but the emotions and pain remain.

[@blondbraid7986]

I don't think there's any reason to show scenes of SA on women or boys on screen ever, because it's not just triggering for many people, but I've seen too many examples of creeps either enjoying the scene and cheering it on (if the victim is female) or making disgusting homophobic remarks (if the victim is male). If you can't depict the subject through implication and words, you're not mature enough to depict it.

[@mochiandturtles5642]

@@blondbraid7986 It really makes you think that there's some ulterior motives behind it by the directors.

[@nocturnalcove9736]

This show loves to speedrun every American high-school trope. There's no average week or month at this place. Or even an average student unless you're an extra with no speaking lines.

[@ticklybee6853]

"Chekhovs errection" has me dead 💀😂

[@hanchan254]

As a heroin addict (15 years clean) i will say that the feeling that most people have towards you is resentment and frustration. And if I'm being totally honest, it's often justified. Expecting people who are not addicts to understand and not get frustrated is unrealistic. Usually their sympathy or empathy has been absolutely exhausted by the time you get to the point of being sick of yourself as well. It is just one of those tricky gray areas.

[@MertKayKay]

Definitely agree! I think Clay getting frustrated was good writing. I just wish we'd have seen more of Justin's process and understood him a little bit more as he went through it. Like, the story/relapses made sense, but they lacked the context. Like I WANT to understand, you know?

[@hanchan254]

@@MertKayKay definitely need more people to understand for sure. Having empathy overall so ppl don't just automatically jump to the "dirty junkie" trope is super important. I can try to explain till I'm blue in the face and it still doesn't get anywhere. Showing them in media especially can do so much to facilitate understanding.

[@benamisai-kham5892]

​@@hanchan254yes! As long as the representation is correct, even if it's small, we need more just to make non-addicts understand even a little more how hard of a battle addiction is. It's the worst of slippery slopes because not everyone can get the footholding to climb out of the rut they're in, it's so dangerous and scary. It's so much harder and more terrifying when you don't have a support net to help you get back on your feet.

[@JeromeSankara]

Saw that notification, I've got my comfort food, I'm ready to be disgusted by this show.

[@sunshinewabby]

Hell yeah!

[@randomnerd3402]

For I got some jelly beans

[@MertKayKay]

I hope it was delicious!

[@JeromeSankara]

@@MertKayKay it was!! As was the video

[@Vaultman24]

To be honest Hannah's request to have sex is not exactly as weird as probably a lot of people think. One of my exes requested it in a very similar manner which I read as an awkward way of sounding confident while admitting something she felt a bit insecure about.

[@cailinmoore8282]

One writing tip I learned a while ago (from KZbinr KrimsonRogue, great book reviewer) is "if, in a story, you can use anything other than rape, don't use rape." It is a very, very cheap shock value tool that is used a concerning amount in media, and 13RW is no exception. I typically have pretty thick skin when it comes to media, I can watch some very gruesome stuff without flinching. But there was two scenes that I had to skip entirely in 13RW, being the Hannah rape scene and the mop scene. They made me feel absolutely sick to my stomach and I could not finish them. And the thing that really makes my blood boil about their inclusion and portrayal is the fact that I myself have never been raped, and yet, I could not sit through them. So I can only imagine how triggering those scenes would be to actual victims of such a disgusting act. To me, this is what makes the show irredeemable, the fact that they show so many horrific things in disgusting detail without any consideration for why they're doing it beyond shock value or what impact it may have. And I get that that's the point, but I don't think you need to show it in full to prove that these things are bad when it's just common fucking sense. You'd think they would have learned from showing a full step by step suicide in the first season.

[@MertKayKay]

I completely agree! I feel like people use rape as an easy shock ticket. And 13 Reasons Why LOVES easy shock tickets

[@cailinmoore8282]

@@MertKayKay Oh for sure! If you take out all the shock value scenes the show would probably be half as long lmao

[@parasitone0814]

3:24 as a person who hasn't watched the first video nor has even ever seen 13 reasons why I can only say I am happy to see a thick cat look at me at the camera directly with no regards and cares of if I look at it or not, they seem to be best bean ever

[@MertKayKay]

Seffy says hi! She is very squishy :D

[@Cybarxz]

Tyler's assault in the bathroom was the hardest thing I ever saw in a show. This and a certain episode on season 3(I guess it was on the 3rd season) are the hardest and tensest things I ever saw in a show, you can't pay me enought to rewatch the saw because of this scene and that whole episode. I can't wait for part 3.... are we having a part 3?

[@rainbowlack]

literally like. Why is a rape scene in a teen drama so much more graphic and horrifically portrayed than in like, the shawshank redemption.

[@oneofnone7947]

It's fun to remember they ran out of book for season 1 and it really shows especially how the discussion they want is very one sided and just damaging to people suffering mental health

[@futuretorankusu4001]

You did mention the book a handful of times I just think people didn’t notice. The main one I remember was you talking about the graphic depiction of Hannah’s death being a shock factor scene differing from the book in which she chose a different means.

[@josephpercy8772]

When Bojack Horseman, a cartoon show where talking animals live among humans, handles suicide better than your show, you should know you've done goofed.

[@Octobris]

thanks to THAT Tyler's moment, you know which one, the very next scene (two characters walking) is burned into my memory and I watched the show years ago. That's how shocking you-know-what was.

[@sheisaMachine]

Hated it. Criminal

[@samalmond2321]

I thought when Tyler was getting the guns it wasn't because he was planning a school shooting but because he enjoyed the feeling of power he had from shooting guns and was becoming obsessed/addicted to it and eventually it started to sow the seeds of school shooting as an means of expressing his pain, not that that is by any means a justifiable throughline of logic.

[@MertKayKay]

Maybe so! I wonder too, I wonder if he'll ever say

[@EL-jq1sq]

I really appreciate your willingness to grapple with your internalised misogyny! I think most women have had to deal with similar thoughts, I know I have, but not everyone does it so gracefully

[@MertKayKay]

Oh mine is so bad, glad I'm not the only one

[@crudekid]

“What’s he gonna say? No?” is the funniest joke ive ever heard about SA lmfaoooo

[@MertKayKay]

Beat them at their own game

[@moonie9523]

i don’t think hannah was trying to lie, she never thought the tapes would go public. each character knew of their personal past with her and she didn’t think to recount that. she was already going down a dark spiral and i think the “betrayals” she talks about, both small and completely unforgivable, were just a series of tipping points. if she had realized some of these people still cared about her she would’ve been alive, but being a teenage girl comes with it’s own perspective

[@slademordorpuck]

I don't even know if it was about the tapes going public or not. This is probably giving the writers too much credit, but a lot of her "lies" can be seen through the lens of "she's depressed". When you're depressed, it doesn't always matter what type of support system you have, your mind convinces you that nobody is on your side, and you focus on the slights and hurts, even if they aren't the majority of your interactions. You may feel, even if they are genuinely supportive, that they are only faking it and no one really cares about you. Hannah may actually believe that these people have abandoned her or despise her, because that's how she sees it through her depression. It doesn't make her a liar, it makes her someone who can't and didn't see the full picture through her depression. At least, that's what I would hope the writers were trying to convey through that season.

[@etnataeterna2424]

I still sometimes remember the rewiting of Hannah's and Zac's relationship and get angry with the writers for discrediting everything she ever said before.

[@user-xl6io5mj2n]

That "whats bryce gonna do, stop him? he's a rapist" joke is the proof that comedy can be funny on on topic as long as you do it right, in the right context. I really chuckled at that one. Good one.

[@rivkavermeij]

The biggest problem I think I had with season 2 was that they made it seem that Hannah did have a good support system, making her suicide seem unreasonable by extention. As someone who has been bullied really badly in school, it really wasn't relatable to me. They could've done much better I think.

[@noplacelikestorybrooke6968]

I don't think that's unrealistic. You can have good parents and people who care about you and still be very depressed. I got bullied badly throughout school and never told my parents (who are great) so I don't think it's unrealistic at all. I also attempted suicide despite having a good family. The part the show doesn't explore is her internal world of self loathing, feeling like a burden on her family or anyone, not knowing how to talk about the thoughts she was having or how she was really feeling, fear of what would happen if she did talk about it, etc. etc. Instead it just externalises it and points the fingers at bullies and friendships etc. and I think that's why some people "don't get" why she didn't just talk to her good support system. It doesn't explain the internal battle people with depression and other mental illnesses face.

[@basuki_panda16]

The shows biggest problem is the constant need to up the ante: S1 is fairly grounded. S2 Hannah has apparently fucked or been close with everyone on the tapes pretty much. Making her come off even more dislikeable and that she did the tapes out of spite rather than resting her soul. School shooting and mop rape. S3 They were like we already had rape with a mop and an attempted school shooting. How do we get bigger than that? How about murder? Oh and the mustache twirling anime villian who runs a rape gang what if he was actually good all along? S4 Guy who was dating falsely accused murderer tries to get justice for a guy, who has historically been a side villian we have disliked throughout the show and Clay goes completely mad. If I wrote the original book and I saw this I'd be like WTF.

[@thac0twenty377]

ante, man

[@basuki_panda16]

@@thac0twenty377 I deeply apologize for my spelling/grammar error, as you can see it has now been corrected and this will not happen in future. I'm incredibly sorry for the negative effect this unacceptable blunder may have had on your otherwise perfectly good day living on this planet we share.

[@thac0twenty377]

@basuki_panda1656 well they mean different things. I wasn't being an ass, but if a polite correction has this much effect yeah, do you

[@spedrun]

We have been blessed with another hour of mertkaykay dissecting this show Also, I like that you tend to be more charitable and evenhanded with your discussions of shows. I feel like most people on youtube mainly just come at any show with unbridled vitriol or endless praise.

[@MertKayKay]

Thanks Spedrun! I feel like it's worth respecting the attempt even if it didn't pan out

[@iversiafanatic]

I like that you said WHY the shows portrayal of addiction was bad instead of just leaving it. The character is shown as an awful jerk, and you could’ve easily just left it at that. Instead you took the time to explain why he could’ve been acting irrationally in an empathic way- more effort then the damn show put in. But stuff like this makes me feel like you’re really too intelligent for KZbin, lol. You make some crazy good points here.

[@MertKayKay]

Aww shucks, thanks Mike 😊

[@vvrgo]

I remember the first review you did being a hard watch but damn was it a brilliant video, season one came out around the same time I started attending a Rape Crisis centre. I watched all of it and then spiralled hard. By the time the second season came out I was in a much better place to the point where I didn’t feel the need to hurt myself by watching it. Really interesting to see where they took things! Your retrospectives are some of my favs :)

[@MertKayKay]

Aww Vrgo! I'm so happy you're in a better place :) Thank you for watching and I'm flattered you like my videos

[@DetrimentalDarlings]

Zach is eating Mike and ikes in that scene btw! Idk if you have them in the UK but they’re basically a fruity gummy candy. Really good honestly. I did get a kick out of your cigarette comment though

[@MertKayKay]

I thought he was having some crunchy cigarette stubs, delicious 🤤

[@CalvinChikelue]

The retconning in this season is baffling & all the more astounding for how it ruins a lot more of the characters & plots than it helps.

[@danadau.365]

“Checkoff’s erection” had me dead I wish there was a show with a plot point like that lmao

[@nont18411]

Can’t wait for season 3 when they tried so hard to redeem a rapist like Bryce. Also, I find it funny and I would like to ask a question that “Why is it easier for the audience to stomach the redemption arc of the murderers like Darth Vader than the redemption arc of the rapists? Both committed irreversible crimes but somehow taking someone else’s life seems to be more redeemable than sexual assault.” Because I read Invincible comics and I’m kinda interested in the fact that the audience is able to forgive a guy who committed genocides like Omni Man but unable to forgive a rapist like (spoiler alert) Anissa.

[@ubertheif]

I'm really bad with words so this might not make any sense, but the difference might be between the lasting effects it has on the victims? Like it sucks if you get murdered, your family is going to care, along with anyone else you knew, but, and I'm not quite sure how to explain it sorry, the victim of sexual assault has to live with it until they die which is worse in a way. An SA victim may not be believed by those around them, and I guess there's also this feeling of a complete lack of control? I'm not trying to say murder is a neutral action or anything, but it's a lot easier to 'justify' as an action a character makes for "good" reasons (or at least understandable and/or interesting enough ones) in your head. Sexual assault is not something anyone can really do the same with. Like they're both crimes of the same level of severity, but in the case of SA, to me at least, the fact that the victim has to deal with the crime that happened to them for the rest of their life, potentially all by themselves if nobody around them believes what they're saying makes it so much harder to forgive the person who commits the crime

[@WobblesandBean]

Easy: Because in both cases, a woman is the focal point. When they're a grape victim, people tend not to care, but when they're the perpetrators, it's either used for comedy or atrocity.

[@nont18411]

@@ubertheif Interesting. I also think another reason the audience finds forgiving a murderer easier than a rapist is because most of the murderer characters are protagonists. The audience loves to see the protagonists like John Wick or Darth Vader (yes, Anakin is THE protagonist of Star Wars, not Luke. Even if you considered Luke as a protagonist, Luke still killed millions of people in a Death Star) killing their enemies in a badass way then they started to feel conflict and tried to turn over a new leaf. Easy pill to swallow. Easy to sympathize with. Meanwhile, most of the rapist characters are not protagonists and the rape scene isn’t badass so it’s a hard pill to swallow.

[@Moonless87]

​​@@ubertheiftrue. My mother was a victim of SA by her own brother in law when she was 11 years old. She's now 57 years old and still suffers from PTSD. She told as an adult about The SA to her sisters and her mother (her father had died in the 80's so she never got to tell him) but they didn't believe her, told her she was "imagining it" or "a liar" her older sister (the one with the child r@pist husband) had been jelaous of her ever since she was a little kid and had cut contact before my mother told about what her dear husband had done. I remember the first time I saw her sister and the husband was in my grandmothers funeral in 2019. She, the sister, didn't look sad at all, just bored and bitter. Before the funeral my father and my younger brother had talked how they were going to beat the brother in law after the funeral but changed their mind when they saw the guy. He looked absolutely pathetic. My brother whispered to me "he looks almost exactly like that American serial Killer Albert Fish" which I agreed! We were very over protective of my mother in the funeral because of that creep. When the creep walked past me I said "we know what you are, we know what you have done" he looked scared, lol.

[@fleacythesheepgirl]

Heros kill people. They stop the bad guy, they defend themselves and others, they’re soldiers. Heros never commit SA.

[@sway7653]

as a male SA survivor & someone who's had to recover from false SA allegations it hurts to hear about the hateful comments towards hannah. however watching these videos after seeing the show back then feels comforting, allowing me to look back and really analyze everything. the lows make me question the value of their messaging but when they get it right it hits

[@VicMeep]

🫂

[@Yusuf-sy4cj]

i love watching hour+ video essays on pieces of media that came out years ago

[@jasonw6571]

The show's hints about Tyler committing a mass shooting is the most annoying and disrespectful shit ever because instead of taking the effort to explore some kind of pre-existing conditions or any external factors that may contribute to his anger in the show or violent tendencies in the last episode, they just put all of the focus into sensationalizing the issue in a very pitiful attempt at giving a blank slate of a character like Tyler more depth, Which is apparently accomplished by creating a shallow unassuming loner stereotype and having them commit an action that doesn't make any logical sense in the context of their character development.

[@reicherwallace6774]

Why the hell did she not just burn the smiley happy victims and leave the obvious ones unburnt? Was there just no time to do that? Never watched 13 reasons why. Had too many reasons why not

[@AllergyPuppy]

Netflix wants all of the praise and none of the heat for using controversy to draw interest to a show. Like most who say they are “raising awareness” and “starting a conversation”, they are not actually interested in having the conversation or taking the criticism that would result. They want a shield they can throw up to any critique of their overproduced soap opera, not to actually say anything about the topics they bring up. It’s so lazy and so dishonest. The show would ironically be much less vile if they didn’t pretend like they were heroes for making it.

[@deeskman1549]

wow what an absolute coincidence, i just went back to watch your season 1 video again, saw you had season 2 up, and was hyped, didn’t realize it only dropped 5 hours ago

[@MertKayKay]

See I knew you were coming so I got it ready

[@kaialexander6806]

I never get the "she was just trying to get attention!" criticism of Hannah. Full disclosure: I do not like this show and this is not me defending it because I will not do that. _However,_ if someone is displaying concerning behaviour such destructive tendencies, self-harm, a sudden fascination with death, withdrawing from their loved ones, etc., yes, they are seeking attention and we should give them that attention because they clearly need it. Chances are they need help, but they don't know how to ask for it or they can't ask for it. And obviously, it's not that simple. For example, there'll be times where giving attention ends up being bad in the long run because it's conditioning the person to associate destructive behaviour with a reward. It depends on the person and the circumstance, _but_ that still doesn't make the criticism valid. Like okay so we need to approach it from a different angle, but that person still needs help. Like yeah, sometimes people act out and act childish because of petty reasons, but Hannah was recording a suicide note. Her attempt to "get attention" was a mentally ill person desperately trying to get help and no one being there for her. As a personal example, today, I'm 1 year and 40 days clean of cutting. Last time I did, I was in a very bad place and was doing it every day and while seeking attention was only a small part of my reason for doing, it was part of it. Enough of it that I did try to tell someone, albeit in a dark joke. And they asked if I needed help and there was no way I would have been able to say yes in the condition I was in so it went on for another month and a half maybe. It was only when I came to stay with my mom that I was able to stop and it's because my mom made sure I had nothing sharp in my childhood bedroom and that I knew that if I felt like I needed to, she was only a room over. Enough tough shit has gone down in this house for me to never forget that. And it worked within the day. And a big part of why it worked was that I knew she saw me and I knew that she loved me. So again, I'm not defending the show. I think it's a terrible show with a framing device that is actively harmful, _but_ the criticism that Hannah is "trying to get attention" is just stupid. Yeah, she's trying to get attention, she's a bullied, suicidal teenage girl in high school. You know how hard it is being a bullied, suicidal teenager in high school?

[@MertKayKay]

I agree! I also think that if someone is in such a dark place, then they NEED attention. The more we scrutinise the "she just wanted attention" argument, the less it holds up Also I'm happy to see you're on a streak of success with stopping cutting 🥹 here's to many more months

[@VicMeep]

I genuinely question if people who say that insensitive pathetic nonsense actually know what that means. Like...yeah, no shit she's trying to get attention. She's literally hurting herself and it's a clear sign that she needs help and a cry for help in of itself to even do that in the first place.

[@ngrey651]

I admit, I was confused myself. I was wondering "you have serious issues you're dealing with and instead of talking to your mom and dad, who would love and support you more than anyone, you only tell the school guidance counselor, that's the only adult you go to, and you don't even say the full story", but if her mom is shown to be more mean than we previously thought, then at least then it makes sense...Hannah thinks her support system is nonexistent. The idea of showing she's not totally honest or made some stuff up COULD have worked if the lies didn't make her look so bad. If you wanted to do a "there's three sides to every story, yours, hers and the truth", that's fine. But if you have to drag one character down to make another look good, especially somebody who's supposed to be a protagonist or victim like Hannah, well...that's just bad writing. And worst of all, what kind of actual message is this sending to end the season like that? You're basically arguing "Hey there's no point in the justice system at all, you might as well just do vigilante justice". That's always the problem with the implication of stories like this. It comes off like arguing there's nothing to do but either lay down and die, or actually pick up a gun and solve the problem yourself...maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that comes off like the implication for this sort of story. It's actually why I like "The Accused" a lot. The story is all about a rape, a woman's story is tragically ignored, she's been terribly victimized. People aren't taking her seriously. The rapists don't get much punishment at all. But it still ends on a hopeful note, because the folks who encouraged it actively get punished when they so EASILY could have gotten off the hook, showing that even a small victory like that, a bit of accountability, means there's hope for victims. Because it shows you need to step up when people are hurting. When they're in danger. And it provides closure to the victim. If they could have ended the season like that, then I don't think people would have complained as much about this show. But...again, maybe I'm just overthinking it.

[@MertKayKay]

Yes!! Very well put!

[@ngrey651]

@@MertKayKay Thanks! And thank you so much for putting in so much work into these videos.

[@moleperson]

I genuinely cannot WAIT for you to cover the next seasons, someone please do me the service of telling me when that happens.

[@bittersweettooth]

"it takes about three minutes to talk Tyler down" I don't know if that was intentional but it took me so off guard istg

[@izznt]

Fuck yeah let's goooooooo I'm excited to feel misrepresented by big corp tv but also feel accurately triggered by bullies ❤ Whilst simultaneously validated and reassured by kaymertmert I love emotional roller coasters with a positive and enlightening morals

[@MertKayKay]

Yes yes yes this is the vibe we cultivate

[@HelloFellowFriends]

Hehehe, KayMertMert

[@izznt]

Manifest 🙏 Mansplain 🙏 Misrepresent 🙏

[@Elizabeth-xp2sf]

I never watched this show and every breakdown I see of it makes me feel so justified in that decision for myself. From when I heard the story and what people were seeing I knew I wouldn't be able to watch and come out the other side okay.

[@kaitlynboss3497]

I’m really glad to see you continuing this series review. I hope to see the other two seasons come from you.

[@La-PetitMort]

You have one of my fav video essay voices and break things down so well while making it entertaining 😌

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Strawberry! :D

[@krispysis]

What the hell I was just rewatching the first part this morning and even went to your videos to look for this, what an awesome surprise!!!

[@alleosussquirt8041]

I feel like this show is the embodiment of a core concept, an idea, and then making it all up on the fly as you go in a VERY desperate manner.

[@raicrush]

Your first video was amazing so I’m very excited to hear about season 2. I was so excited when season 2 was announced but got bored within the first 30 minutes and never touched it again.

[@Astaraea]

Patiently waiting for you to cover season 3 and get as angry as I was about them trying to make us feel SORRY for Bryce. Like we were actually supposed to like him in that season. What the hell were they thinking?

[@MertKayKay]

>:) Can't wait

[@DazzlingMrScratch]

This is a fantastic video! I cannot wait for you to get to Season 4 after seeing this. The episode in the woods, everything with the riot, Clay’s bizarre dream sequence, and the finale are all so batshit insane I still can’t believe that half of it made it on the air.

[@MertKayKay]

Oh man I am so excited

[@jpeg904]

Sounds like another riverdale inspiration to me, netflix’s relation with that garbage show is so weird they really try make every other show just like riverdale (take Wednesday too… just why.)

[@shr1mpsush1]

I swear, nothing brings more me joy than the fact that outside of scathing reviews, this show has been almost totally left behind. Good. few pieces of mainstream media could be more deserving of such obscurity.

[@CyanMentality]

Merts, I discovered your Rachel Foster video last night and I've been kinda bingeing for the last 6 hours today. Thank you for the time, writing, effort and editing chops you put into this stuff. I don't imagine covering darker subjects is very lucrative on this platform, but it's very appreciated. You have a lot of compelling insight and I always come away feeling like I've learnt to appreciate perspectives that have never occur to me before. So yeah, cheers from New Zealand for the free videos haha

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you very much Cyan! I really enjoy making videos and I'm super happy you like them :D Hello to New Zealand!!

[@CyanMentality]

@@MertKayKay Yay you're very welcome haha. Also just a thought, if you had the footage of you comparing the 13 Reasons show to the books, but wasn't sure how to splice it into a video, maybe it'd work as a patron exclusive? Or just its own video. I'd personally find it interesting, but you deserve money for your efforts lol

[@AntheanCeilliers]

Just a brief blip @23:23 that losing/gaining weight are both possible healthy steps towards recovery depending on the trauma, addiction, and coping tool, and losing weight is not a universal good the way that learning a language is. Love your videos --

[@bearscenario5800]

You are such a talented script writer Mert! Thank you for another insightful and witty video

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Bear, it means a lot to see you coming back :D

[@brokengirlsrus]

I was randomly recommended this by KZbin (for once they were on point) and I love your commentary. So succinct, well put and compelling.

[@MertKayKay]

Glad you found me :D Welcome!

[@thatcher6923]

I honestly disagree with the point that media shows the ‘other side’ of drug addiction often enough. Because, yeah, they try to show it. But, as you said, it’s always in a very soap opera way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nuanced take on drug addiction in a drama tv show where both sides are taken into account. Drug addiction is hard to watch. It’s literal self destruction that is very hard for people to abandon. I’ve known someone who died of an overdose- and there was a buildup of years. And in that buildup, it’s so hard to understand that it’s not about you, but you can feel hurt by it anyways. We need drama shows to actually care about these kind of hard struggles. They don’t treat drug abuse with the fragility and care that it deserves.

[@gwencere9383]

I've been looking forward to this video a lot, I've never watched 13 Reasons Why myself but I love watching you talk about it lol

[@zelle8351]

Hi there, I’m a new viewer of this channel and I just wanna say that I think you’re an amazing commentator. You explain really important things with an incredible amount of critical understanding, criticize things that deserve it, but also see the other side of the argument perfectly. It’s really diplomatic, interesting, and so refreshing. Much love to you, can’t wait to keep watching

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Zelle!! :D

[@lightaflamethrower8573]

I had the good luck to be on a sports team with a lot of popular girls. I was tall and worked out a lot so I probably looked intimidating. I did not get bullied by my school’s population at large. However, I did have bad experiences with a close friend and an exchange student. If I had been bullied a lot I have no doubt that I would be absolutely miserable due to undiagnosed mental health issues. That being said, 13 Reasons Why (the tv show) feels a lot more dramatic than my memories of being in an American public school. I might have been a sheltered kid, but I honestly do not remember this sort of thing happening at my school. It doesn’t reflect my experience. The school shooting though, that was absolutely tasteless. I remember my first active shooter drill at school. I remember going into lockdowns due to bomb threats, people carrying knives into school, and threats of an active shooting. That was so gross.

[@lilschlagen]

I mean this show is hyper exaggerated which is a big part of it but it's also really that bullying is so nuanced that it's impossible to portray accurately. It's normally depicted as a dichotomy, you have the bullies and bullied when in reality there's varying degrees of bullying and more complex relationships between multiple social circles. I had some people who specifically targeted me to a minor degree and I got made fun of a lot for certain cliques I was associated with but I also ended up participating in bullying a girl myself which I feel awful about now. You'll never see that kind of story depicted because they're harder to do properly and take a ton of time to really explain. It's also why most portrayals of bullying are more physical than real life because it's easier to see someone get hit than hear multiple snide remarks or have reveals that others are lying behind the persons back.

[@maddieb.4282]

You’re not going to see bullying that happens behind closed doors. Just because it wasn’t your experience doesn’t mean it wasn’t a more severe issue at your school

[@bloodfiremoon]

Been waiting for this video, glad to see it. Super excited to watch!!

[@starryeyedace]

I have been waiting for this hell yeah Cant wait to watch you rip this to shreds

[@mehhh8888]

It really sucks that "help" lines are completely useless to those who are having a crisis and either just have you locked up for "self harm" or treat you like you're not worth helping because you're not actively hurting yourself. I've reached out multiple times only for them to reinforce the feeling that no one gives a fuck about me.

[@sanna9062]

May I ask where do you live?

[@sunshinewabby]

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE 🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@reitheist]

Yessss thank you for the continuation! Love your videssays

[@MertKayKay]

I'm really glad to hear it Rei! :D Thank you for watching

[@justsomerandompersononthei1773]

I love this one!!! It's been a while since i watched your original one (speaking of, it's currently age restricted and since i'm not giving youtube ny info i guess i'm not gonna watch it for a while longer :l) so o forgot you were doign a part two but now it's here and i'm thrilled to say the least. ❤

[@WobblesandBean]

God this series was horrid. I struggled a lot with Self Crit when I was young, and I can't imagine the writers thought this was ok to make a mockery of something so serious by making it so, so s†upid.

[@Jamie-rg1tl]

I love this. I’ve been waiting a while for this! Yay

[@thesleepydot]

I was really starting to believe you gave up on covering the second season at some point. I was quite saddened since I'm really really fond of your first video. So happy to see this now!!! This is a super well made video!

[@MertKayKay]

>:) Thank you! I love to keep you guessing lil dot

[@mattiemacleod487]

I read the book originally when I was 13-14 and it really helped me. I felt seen because the author understood how constant sexualization devastated my mental health and why social hierarchy and bullying were huge deals back then. Kids can be cruel, but cruelty affects kids more. The first season glamorized it in a way that I didn’t like too much, the second season completely went off the script and ruined the message. It’s like oh, hannah actually needed this many deep, dark scandals to do and feel what she did. It made the whole thing a soap opera as opposed to an honest depiction of how bullying affects a young person.

[@lyisim]

This is crazy I just watched the first part yesterday and was my introduction to ur channel I’m really happy and feel like this is such a crazy coincidence

[@MertKayKay]

>:) I did it just for you

[@lyisim]

@@MertKayKay I’m truly honored :)) you get a sub from me :]

[@shineyluna1268]

Finally, Some good food Ps, dont worry about how long it took to make a part 2. Its always worth the wait for your videos

[@MertKayKay]

Luna please you'll make me emotional

[@toongamer2810]

You're quickly becoming one of my favorite youtubers, I just watched the first 13rw video yesterday, thoroughly enjoyed it, and I shared a lot of the same sentiments as you, given I watched every season of the show as it came out 💀 But really nice work

[@MertKayKay]

Thanks very much! It's so flattering to know I'm one of your faves. Thank you for being here

[@valianikou7286]

I just found you and I cannot wait for season 3 review, I need ittt😭❤️

[@NYCbabyJes]

Great video essay, please do season 3 asap. It makes me sad to think we have to wait another half a year for the next one. ❤🙏

[@MertKayKay]

I will do it as soon as I can! Just got to get some other videos going and then I can crack on with this again

[@NYCbabyJes]

​@@MertKayKaycompletely completely understand ♥️. Can't wait to see what's coming!!

[@lizabee484]

Fabulous job as always Mert. Much love, and hope that your mental health isn’t doing too bad after creating this video, is being sent your way.

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you liza!

[@lizabee484]

@@MertKayKay Of course Mert! Much love to you!

[@Nat-hc7pu]

I'm so excited, I was waiting for this! Thanks :D.

[@MertKayKay]

You are welcome :D

[@olympiaoshiadahail9216]

Every time I see a note that you've dropped a video I let out an audible "YES!"

[@MertKayKay]

; - ; Olympia thank you

[@pimppimpproductions6497]

Another awesome video. I cannot wait for part 3! Good work

[@MertKayKay]

Thanks pimp!

[@tonygonk]

Excellent video, I like this channel a lot. This show reminded me of my favourite program Degrassi: The Next Generation (I’ve only seen seasons 3 and 4 via library DVD)

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Tony! :D

[@foreverangelxoxo]

i love your storytelling, commentary, and self-accountability

[@duchessofdementia7113]

good to see you back ! I really enjoy your content.

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Duchess! Is that name an Oblivion reference?

[@patrickolliffe8892]

Just found this channel, and I'm not going away anytime soon. I'm really enjoying the content

[@MertKayKay]

Thank you Patrick! Welcome!