Biggest Unanswered Questions In 13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why, a Netflix adaptation of a young adult novel by the same name, dominated pop-culture headlines in the weeks following its March 2017 release. Both the novel and TV series tell the story of Hannah Baker, a teenager who takes her own life and leaves behind 13 taped journal entries to explain her decision. The show's raw, unflinching portrayal of bullying, sexual assault, mental illness, and suicide was lauded for bringing awareness to some of the problems facing today's teens. But it was also criticized by parents, schools, and counselors for its graphic depiction of those very same issues.
Though Hannah's story (mostly) came to a heartbreaking end in the show's final episode, many of the other characters remained in limbo. While we wait to find out whether 13 Reasons Why will return for a second season, let's revisit the biggest unanswered questions the Netflix series left behind. (Note: Spoilers ahead.)
Why did Hannah pick Tony?
One of the biggest unanswered questions we're left with is why, exactly, Hannah picked Tony to carry out her posthumous wishes. Not only does Hannah task Tony with ensuring the people named in the tapes listen to each one before passing them on, but she also gives him a second set of tapes to release publicly should someone stray from the plan.
While you'd think Hannah and Tony must have been close for her to count on him so completely, we rarely see the two of them together onscreen, save for a few friendly but short interactions. Even Clay, the show's main protagonist who was probably closer to Hannah than anyone, wonders why Tony was given such an important job. Though Tony is arguably the nicest character on the show, how could Hannah trust he would follow her instructions? Are we to assume most of their friendship took place offscreen? Should Netflix bring back the show for a second season, hopefully we'll learn a lot more about our "unhelpful Yoda."
What really happened to Alex?
Throughout 13 Reasons Why, Alex is one of the few people who feels remorse over his role in Hannah's suicide. His guilt eventually leads him to try persuading everyone on the tapes to confess what they've done, to no avail. Toward the end of the show's final hour, it's revealed Alex is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the head—but there are subtle hints Alex may not have been the one to pull the trigger. Did Alex try to kill himself, or did someone else shoot him in retaliation for what he did to Hannah or another unknown misdeed? Does Alex survive his injuries? We'll have to wait to find out.
What's the deal with Tyler?
Tyler's transgression against Hannah was one of the most insidious. He repeatedly stalked Hannah and took photos of her without permission, presumably due to his unrequited crush on her. In the show's final episode, viewers get a glimpse at Tyler's rather large collection of guns and ammunition, leading many to suspect he's plotting a school shooting. Because Tyler is also shown hanging photos of the other teens mentioned on Hannah's tapes, it seems like they're the first ones he's gunning for.
Tyler's character evolution in Season 1 leaves us wondering what he's planning and why he's amassed such an arsenal. Further, was taking down Alex's picture in the darkroom supposed to indicate that Tyler shot him, that he was crossed off the list? How do the other students respond to Tyler revealing the presence of the tapes during his deposition? So many questions, so few answers.
Where did Justin go?
Justin has the unfortunate distinction of being the only classmate of Hannah's to be featured on more than one tape. Though it's hard not to feel for him after learning about his difficult home life, his erratic behavior throughout the series and steely determination to keep Clay from revealing the truth make him one of the more disliked characters.
Before the credits roll in Season 1's final episode, we see Justin—broken and wracked with guilt over his complicity in the rape of his girlfriend, Jessica—leave town with nothing more than some clothes, a bottle of vodka, and a gun. Where is Justin going? Will Jessica ever forgive him for lying to her about the rape? Does he eventually return to Liberty High? Tell us, Netflix!
Will Bryce ever face the consequences of his actions?
Ah, Bryce. If we're pointing fingers at the show's worst villain who played the biggest role in Hannah's suicide, Bryce Walker would be public enemy No. 1. Not only does he frequently harass Hannah throughout the series, but he commits two rapes. His first victim is an inebriated and unconscious Jessica, whom he assaults during a drunken party at her house. A couple episodes later, he does the same thing to Hannah after she's inadvertently left alone with him in his hot tub.
Although Clay secretly records Bryce admitting what he did to Hannah, his fate is still unclear by the time the show comes to an end. Is the taped confession enough to put Bryce behind bars? If not, will he face any consequences at all for his crimes? Let's hope so, for Hannah and Jessica's sake.
What happened to Sheri after she turned herself in?
Sheri is certainly one of the more likable characters on 13 Reasons Why, but that doesn't mean she's blameless. While driving Hannah home after the disaster that is Jessica's party, she becomes distracted and accidentally knocks over a stop sign at an intersection. Scared of getting into trouble, Sheri flees the scene while Hannah goes off in search of a phone to call the police. In the meantime, Jeff Atkins—a genuinely nice guy who was helping Clay overcome his shyness and pursue a romantic relationship with Hannah—is tragically killed in a car crash at the very same intersection.
After Hannah's suicide, Sheri's guilt eventually leads her to take responsibility by telling the police what happened, but the show concludes without showing the fallout of her confession. Will Sheri go to jail or otherwise be punished for her role in Jeff's death? If anyone on the tapes deserves a second chance, it might be her.
Does Jessica get the help she needs?
Hannah's onetime friend, Jessica, spends the majority of Season 1 facing down her own demons. Though she's initially in denial about what Hannah says happened on the night of her party—in a mistaken attempt to protect her, Justin claims it isn't true—she starts suspecting Hannah may have been right and turns to alcohol as she grapples with her uncertainty. When the truth finally comes out during a confrontation at Bryce's house, Jessica is unable to forgive Justin for his lies and struggles to come to terms with the assault.
In the final episode, it looks like Jessica is about to tell her father she was raped, but we don't actually see her tell her story. How will her father react? Is it too late to call the police to report what Bryce did? Does Jessica get the help she needs to recover? Only time will tell.
Why does Skye cut herself?
Skye, a barista at Monet's and an old friend of Clay's, has a tough exterior but is eventually revealed to be self-harming. Having listened to all of Hannah's tapes and regretting he didn't do everything he could to help her, Clay reaches out to Skye in the 13 Reasons Why finale in hopes of rebuilding their friendship and, potentially, preventing another tragedy.
Since viewers don't see much of Skye's backstory, we're left wondering why she became a cutter and if, like Jessica, she eventually asks for help to confront the underlying issues resulting in such dangerous behavior. Besides, who isn't interested to find out how her relationship with Clay progresses now that they're reconnecting?
How does Hannah's death affect Clay over time?
Despite knowing what happens to Hannah in the end, viewers can't help but root for her and Clay to admit their feelings for each other before it's too late. When they finally have an opportunity at Jessica's party to take their budding friendship to the next level, Hannah's trauma and past experiences with boys put an abrupt end to things before they can really progress. After listening to Hannah tell her side of the story, Clay is overcome with pain over not having told her he loved her. He also blames himself for the other terrible things that happened that night.
While it's clear the tragedy has already changed Clay for the better—after all, he makes an effort to spend time with Skye after seeing she's hurting—one can't help but wonder how Hannah's death affects him in the long term. Will he learn to share his feelings more openly in the future? Do his parents ever find out the extent of his relationship with Hannah? Seeing Clay bounce back in a potential Season 2 would certainly give viewers the chance to find out.
What will Mr. Porter do with the tapes?
Over the course of 13 Reasons Why, school guidance counselor Mr. Porter seems to genuinely care about his students, even if he is a little oblivious and ineffective in his job duties. After he's unable to help Hannah when she comes to him in a last-ditch effort just before her suicide, he becomes No. 13 on the tapes, eventually receiving them from Clay in the show's final episode (along with Bryce's recorded confession, which Clay added to the collection).
We only see Mr. Porter listen to a snippet of his tape—how dare he skip ahead?!—before Liberty High's principal interrupts him with the news of Alex's hospitalization. How will he react to hearing Hannah's words about his role in her decision? We never quite learn what's supposed to happen once all parties have listened to the tapes, so what does Mr. Porter do with them once he's finished? And finally, what are the odds he either resigns or gets fired?
How will Hannah's parents react when they learn the truth?
Some of the most heartbreaking scenes in 13 Reasons Why feature Hannah's loving parents trying to figure out what drove their daughter to suicide. After searching in vain for more details about Hannah's school life throughout the season, they finally get the second set of tapes from Tony once he realizes how much knowing the truth might help them. But will finding out what really happened to Hannah ease their grief, or will it cause them even more pain to hear everything she went through without their knowledge? Do they decide to go through with selling their house and leaving behind the town where their daughter died? Though Hannah is unlikely to appear in another season of the show except in flashbacks, checking in with her parents could bring some much-needed closure to their difficult story.
What is the outcome of the lawsuit against the school?
While they don't know everything their daughter experienced at Liberty High, Hannah's parents suspect the school played some kind of role in Hannah's suicide, especially after Hannah's mother finds hurtful and insulting messages scrawled on the walls of the girl's bathroom. Thinking the school has a culture of bullying and wanting to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else's child, Hannah's parents file a lawsuit against Liberty High for failing to take steps to protect their daughter.
Many of the students named in the tapes receive subpoenas and are forced to testify about their interactions with Hannah, but her parents don't learn too much until Tyler mentions the tapes during his deposition. With the evidence they've already gathered—and now that they have the actual tapes from Tony—what is the outcome of the lawsuit? Does anything really change at Liberty High, or will Principal Bolan continue to insist there's nothing the school could have done? But most importantly, will the Bakers get justice for their daughter?