Netflix Orders Season 3 For ‘13 Reasons Why’
Netflix mega-hit 13 Reasons Why is officially coming back for a third season. The hot teen show has been renewed midway through season 2.
On Target For 13 Reasons Why
The streaming service announced on Wednesday, via its social media accounts, confirming the show would return for 13 more episodes once the second season wraps up. Season 3 is set to hit Netflix sometime next year.
The current season continues the story of the late high school student Hannah Baker, played by Aussie actress and Love, Simon star Katherine Langford, and the impact her death has on the school.
Although 13 Reasons Why is continuing for another season, neither Hannah nor Langford will be returning.
"The loss of Hannah will continue to be the inciting traumatic event for this group of kids and parents. It will always be part of the story. But I don't see a tremendous continued presence for Hannah ... There is lots more to know about a lot of these characters, [so] the spotlight focus on Hannah Baker is probably done," explained showrunner Brian Yorkey in an interview with EW.
A Controversial Return
The Selena Gomez-produced teen drama has courted a considerable amount of controversy since its inception, primarily for its depiction of teen suicide and mental illness.
There are ongoing concerns from parent advocacy groups about how the explicit sequences of self-harm and sexual violence might incite teens and younger kids to recreate what they see onscreen.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings discussed the renewal during the company's annual shareholder meeting. He shrugged off the concerns of advocacy groups.
"13 Reasons Why has been enormously popular and successful. It's engaging content. It is controversial. But nobody has to watch it," he reasoned, in relation to its third season return.
Blood On Their Hands
The first season of the hit show revolved around a young woman, Hannah, discussing her reasons for committing suicide posthumously.
The graphic depiction of how she took her own life sparked intense criticism from concerned advocacy groups worried it glamorized self-harm. Netflix subsequently added viewer warnings.
The second season also attracted controversy after Netflix was forced to cancel its premiere party in the wake of the Houston school shooting. Season 2 involves a student's doomed plans to shoot up a dance in revenge for a sexual assault.
Parents Television Council president Tim Winter claimed in a statement that the show is a ticking time bomb that wallows in sadness and depression.
"We would have liked to have 13 reasons for hope and redemption following the graphic suicide of the lead female teen character, but rather than providing a path forward, the season only provides cause for despondency," he argued.
The group is condemning Netflix for renewing the show for a third season, claiming the streaming giant has children's blood on its hands by leaving this adult content widely available for kids to watch.
