Thirteen reasons, 13 episodes. In the last week there is no doubt that Netflix’s new series “13 Reasons Why” has had everyone talking. The series, inspired by Jay Asher’s novel of the same name, has been highly recognized as a compelling story that tugs at everyone’s heart strings, regardless of age. Social media has featured gifs, quotes, fangirling and even the occasional meme. Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, among other platforms, have acted as agents to promote the series creating a social movement.
The series centers around a junior in high school, Hannah, who has committed suicide and, you guessed it, the thirteen reasons why she did. The series has become a sensation as it follows the path of 13 individuals who either contributed to the act of her taking her own life or acted as an innocent bystander. That’s where the sensation comes in – the series acts as a wakeup call to the audience that anything and everything you say or do can ultimately affect a person. It’s no longer about being a blunt bully but rather seeing injustice and not having the courage to speak out against it.
The series deals with an abundance of sensitive topics, suicide being the most prevalent. Yet, it incorporates aspects from all walks of life – rumors, trust issues, friendship mishaps and the thing many young adults crave, romance. Hannah recalls her story by highlighting different situations that marked her life and eventually led to her downfall.
The series was filmed in a manner in which the message is clearly conveyed by simply analyzing the frames, lighting and edits. The messages subtly highlighted by the different angles demonstrated the director’s intentions when reaching the audience. The series further developed the characters and stirred audience’s emotions, which helped fill in any of the gaps in the novel. In that sense, the novel fell short. The characters were two-dimensional in the novel, while the series was able to illustrate how, although the characters may have acted despicably, they are humans with faults and flaws. Though it’s not justification for some of their actions, it does make the audience sympathize with them.
While the series developed the characters well, it also stretched out the longevity of the story. The beginning of the series and the development of the plot were a bit slow. Some scenes dragged out longer than they should have. Although detailed scenes allowed the audience to gain clarity, some added details took away from the main focus and slowed the progression of the plot.
The series is definitely one to watch before finals arrive and your schedule becomes more hectic. Despite the slow start, it’s a compelling series worth the patience. The editing, film direction and theme were well-developed and able to maintain the audience’s attention on the screen. I can give you thirteen reasons to watch the series, but you’ll just have to see how it all plays out for yourself.
