13 Reasons Why Season 2 Episode 11 Review

Content warnings: This episode of "xiii Reasons Why" contains references to rape, suicide and illicit drug apply.

If you lot haven't noticed by now, every episode this season is narrated past the person testifying. This episode, Marcus takes the stand. Though Marcus is our narrator, his storyline is the least interesting matter nearly this episode. It's hard to tell if Marcus lies on the stand to protect himself and his Harvard access or his dad. It'south likely a combination of the two, but Marcus seems to have washed a pretty expert job of convincing himself he'due south washed trivial wrong. His testimony is so infuriating that it's nearly nice to encounter him go paint bombed by Cyrus and Tyler. The "hypocrite" written in paint on his auto is a nice touch too.

Tardily in season ane, the seed was planted that Hannah might non always be telling the truth on her tapes. She says Zach threw away the note she wrote him, but nosotros see after on that he kept it. Flavour two does a good chore of showing the way others perceived the events Hannah described in her tape, as well as some things that happened during Hannah'southward time at Freedom High that weren't documented in her recordings. Near notably, in this episode, we get to come across Hannah retaliate against Marcus and his advances, showing him what it'south like to exist intimately touched without consent. It's clear Marcus gets Hannah'due south point, though no one should accept to sexually assault someone to explicate why we shouldn't grope others without their consent.

Marcus isn't the only person Hannah'south taught a lesson. Mr. Porter seems to actually want us to believe he's learned a thing or two in the wake of Hannah's expiry. Either he'due south scared he is liable for Hannah's expiry or this redemption tour he's on is really only him trying to come to terms with the fatal mistake he made. Mr. Porter tries to get Marcus to pull a "Mr. Porter" and repent for his "reason why." He tells Marcus he told his wife near the tapes and "took a long hard look at himself." He says he knows he's on borrowed time at Liberty loftier and wants to help the kids who need help. He also implies that those who do wrong will get the punishment they deserve. Here's hoping that doesn't mean more Mr. Porter bathroom chokeslams.

Also repenting is Sheri. Sheri doesn't say where exactly she's been for the past five months, but it's probably safe to say she was in a juvenile detention facility. She comes over to Clay'due south house to aid Justin, who'southward been doing heroin, detox now that Clay has flushed his drugs down the toilet. Justin asks how she knows what a person needs while they detox to which she replies that she had two roommates who went through something similar during her fourth dimension away. Though she spent five months away, Sheri is eager to aid because, equally she says, it's going to take the rest of her life to pay for what she did.

The championship of episode iv is "The 2d Polaroid" because… Surprise, Clay gets a second polaroid. This time information technology's a photo of what appears to be Bryce raping an unconscious person. Seeing more prove that Bryce is up to no expert and knowing that the show police currently accept isn't plenty to land Bryce in jail, Clay is desperate to go someone to evidence to Bryce's actions. Jessica doesn't want to publicly disclose that Bryce raped her, even her parents don't know who the rapist is. While Jessica is starting to remember more about that night, she'south still telling the adults on the show she doesn't recollect. Enter Justin, who tin testify to what happened that nighttime. Simply when Clay tells Jessica he establish Justin, Jessica wants nothing to do with him. In fact, she doesn't want Justin speaking on her behalf at all. "It'south my story, and I don't want him telling it," she explains to Dirt. After losing her autonomy it makes sense she wants to control the narrative from here, but Clay historically has a hard time taking "no" for an answer when it comes to getting justice for Hannah — so nosotros'll see if he respects her wishes.

Guilt and regaining control are central themes of episode 4, and, perhaps, the whole season. While most of the characters in "13 Reasons Why" are trying to process their guilt, Jessica and Alex are working through what happened to them in an attempt to reclaim their autonomy. The show compares Alex's newfound disability to Jessica'due south assail. There is no denying both of their bodies accept suffered a trauma — though learning to alive with a physical inability is not the same as healing from an act of violence. So far, the writers have handled Alex's inability in a respectful fashion, so the comparison doesn't seem malicious or like veiled ableism. At its roots, it's a unproblematic comparison. Neither Jessica nor Alex fully know what happened to them — Jessica was drunk and Alex was in a coma after his suicide attempt. But when they both woke up, their lives were dramatically different, consummate with bodies that felt foreign to them. For Jessica, information technology's like her body is on autopilot, it's doing its job, but information technology doesn't feel like it's hers anymore. "It's like you're living in a stranger'southward body," Alex replies, and Jessica agrees. A stranger'southward listen too, she adds.

The episode ends with both of them trying to regain a bit of control. Jessica and Alex kiss, she gives her consent and it's nice to see her bask intimacy until it triggers a flashback. Alex, on the other hand, is desperate to unearth his missing memories. Alex really wants to listen to the copy of Hannah's tapes. He texts Clay, who is with hallucination Hannah, who suggests they protect Alex by keeping the tapes from him. After all, it was the tapes that triggered his downward screw. But Dirt isn't having any of hallucination Hannah's suggestions. If anything, he's annoyed that Hannah wants to protect Alex from the tapes, especially since she's the ane who caused all of this trauma in the outset identify.

Then Clay hits transport, and the episode ends with Alex beginning the tapes.

Stray Observations and Time to come Questions

• Wow, that scene with Bryce making out with hallucination Hannah was agonizing.
• Also agonizing, the scene with Bryce having sex with Chloe.
• Why did Mrs. Jensen take Clay's cell phone records from trial prove?
• Who put blood in Zach'due south bag? Is it only claret, or was there something else in in that location?
• Mr. Bakery'southward dorsum and he'southward seeing someone who is not Mrs. Baker. He'south coping with his grief differently and doesn't seem to sympathise why Mrs. Bakery is hellbent on getting justice for Hannah.
• Mrs. Baker needs to stop using Tony as her therapist (and repairman). I hope she's at least paying him.
• If Tony'due south anger problems are that bad that he needs anger direction, how does he manage to stay then calm with Dirt and Mrs. Baker?
• I don't similar where this gun plotline with Tyler is going. The man noticing them in the woods seems similar it volition exist relevant in a later episode. We spoke in our recap of season one almost how we didn't want to see a school shooting plotline in this season. Even if no school shooting happens this season, letting characters think that's an acceptable solution to bullying is dangerous to immature viewers.
• Speaking of guns, some other person feeling guilty this episode is Alex's dad. He feels responsible for Alex's suicide effort considering information technology was his gun.

Our rating: 

But because I gave this episode four stars doesn't hateful I loved it. Our ratings are nigh the show'southward portrayal of mental health problems and inability, and less most our personal feelings. That said, I thought the prove did a good job of showing the pain that sexual assault survivors go through as well every bit how one's life changes after a disability.

You tin can follow along with the residual of our "thirteen Reasons Why" reviews here.

What would you lot charge per unit this episode? Y'all tin vote in our Twitter poll below or in the comments section at the end of this article.

We're reviewing "thirteen Reasons Why" season two and what each episode means for the mental health community. On a scale of one to 4 stars, how would you rate episode four? #WatchWithTheMighty

— The Mighty (@TheMightySite) May 19, 2018

Desire to sentinel "13 Reasons Why" with united states? Utilize the hashtag#WatchWithTheMighty when you postal service your thoughts on social media or let us know what you think in the comments below.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is the show's comparison of trauma and disability fair or unsafe?
2. What tin can we larn from the different ways the characters experience and express guilt?

Header image via Netflix.

craigshold1957.blogspot.com

Source: https://themighty.com/2018/05/13-reasons-why-season-2-episode-4-review-the-second-polaroid/

Share this post