13 Reasons Why

[switchlittleloves]

I was just wondering how many of our peoples have watched it and your thoughts/opinions are about it! If anyone wants to message me or anything then that's cool. I personally loved the first season, even if it made me feel a lot of things that I would have rather not felt. I still think it's a good thing and that it'll start a lot of needed conversations, and that it's a good representation of the fact that we need to do what we can for others. It costs nothing to give someone kind words when they need them, or to just pop in and ask if they're okay. That's something I do quite a bit. It's lead to very meaningful conversations that have actually helped other people and myself. I really do believe that the way we treat each other will get better, and representation of all the people who are struggling will help that.

[littlesuzy]

i watched and i hate the show but the book is way better to honest

[Guest ☽ ᴍᴏɴᴏᴄᴇʀᴏs ☾]

I saw the whole series, and I really did not like it at all. Not because of the fact that Hanna committed suicide, or because of the subject she was dealing with. If not rather the narrative was rather poor, the characters were no more than stereotypes and were no more than unidimentional characters. Nor did I like the fact that he put Clay as the one who could have saved her if he declared his feelings. When it is clear that Hanna had a deep depression, and to enter into a sentimental relationship in that state would only make her depend on Clay and could end up much worse in a toxic and codependent relationship.

[Literate Little]

Too mentally unstable lol. I watched part of the suicide scene and had to call daddy

[Lil' Miss Dolly]

I haven't watched it, Probably won't anytime soon. Its just not something I would see myself actually enjoying. 

[PartyAnimal]

I found myself binge watching it in its entirety.   I only had it on netflix so to my knowledge it was only one season.  Overall I liked it for the simple reason that it did evoke the viewer to self-examine their actions and attitudes toward others.  Did I feel that at times things were underdeveloped? Yes, but not to any real detriment to the show and it's overall message.  It was difficult to watch at times, but it was intentionally made to be that way.  As is almost always the case, the book is better than the show.  For me the bottom line is, if it helps any number of us be better people and treat others with greater concern and respect, then it was well worth out time to watch it.

[DeathMetalPrincess]

I can't say anything good about it. I have not seen it, but from trailers and everything I've heard and read about it, it just doesn't seem like it would be good for anyone with ptsd, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc. to watch. From what I understand it is nothing like the book, which apparently took place in a single day (the show made the timeline like several days or a week or so). I've read that the directors, writers, and producers of the show got experts to tell them how they should portray Hannah's suicide, and apparently did everything they were told not to do. This being the case, I don't think they would have portrayed any form of mental health in a positive or appropriate manner. I don't know how reliable my opinion of the show is (which is really a lot worse than I'm letting on, simply because I don't want to be rude), but I think you could find something a lot better to watch on Netflix, especially if you don't want to be triggered in any way.

[Ami29]

I could not get over the first episode..too depressing I had to watch 4 hours of cartoons just to wash that feeling..and I think it may be triggering to some ppl.which may be really dangerous..even if they meant well as to point how we could hurt others without even thinking about consequences,still too deep..I think it's for a really specific audience.

Hugs

[LittlePupRune]

I've done a bunch of reading about it and I have mixed feelings, but I do know that I could never watch it myself. That kind of material is detrimental to me so I'm just going by my research and not personal experience. There are both good and bad parts, it brings up issues and encourages discussion, but it does have some problematic parts, namely the aspect of romanticization of suicide. I'm conflicted about it, but I don't want to just dissmiss it as entirely without worth.

[switchlittleloves]

Well, I certainly wish that more people could enjoy it in the ways I did. Everything is about perception, though. If you believe that it isn't good, okay. If you think it romanticized suicide, okay. There's reasons why all of you think the way you do. I, myself, didn't really think any of those things. Books and movies/series are seperate things, regardless of if they're meant to be similar. Instead of feeling like it wasn't a good representation of the book, I felt like it was able to tell a more full story and give more perspectives. The series wasn't just Clay listening to the tapes. It was more than just an introspective journey. Books that are more introspective can't keep that same character-to-reader relationship, because nobody goes into a movie or series expecting to only hear one character talk. That's just how it is. That's why Paper Towns wasn't much like the book. A lot of the book was just thoughts, not actions. Instead of romamticizing suicide, I thought that it did a good job of capturing how much of a mess it makes of everything. It made sure to express that suicide isn't an easier alternative. That is, if you were able to dive into it deep enough. I do believe that if you think a show that deeply involves suicide isn't fit for you, you shouldn't have really tried watching it in the first place. Plenty parts of the the show made me have flashback-like feelings, but I knew and believed that I could handle it. I knew it wasn't going to make me do anything I would regret. I think the show was, and will continue to be, good. I think that there being a popular show with these themes will make them less stigmatized, not romanticize them. The whole concept of romanticizing negative things is complicated to me, because you can say that about any show that has a negative behavior in it. I don't know, I'm rambling. I suppose I just want to defend something I like. It was just a bit disappointing to only see one positive thing said about it. Them's the breaks, though.

 

Also, I don't really think it was intended to express that it was Clay's responsibility to save her. The entire point was to say that a multitude of people and events lead to Hannah's decision. It's apparent that she was struggling, and that she should have seeked help. The show literally says that a couple of times to get the point across. Tony, more or less, said that Clay killed her. That was a weird moment. I honestly thought it was one of Clay's hallucinations at first. Tony said plenty of times that everyone who hurt her had a hand in what happened. That it wasn't Clay's fault specifically. That's how it is in real life. There will always be that feeling of responsibility when a loved one goes through something like that. The, "I could have done more."

Edited June 8, 2017 by switchlittleloves

[Guest Panda.Princess]

When I made the decision to watch this, I felt really foolish.  I cried for pretty much the first three episodes.  (I had been struggling with suicide guilt of a very, very close friend for the last 8 months).  I felt like watching it could somehow help (when absolutely nothing else was helping).  I kept with it and finished the show. 

 

While I think showing her suicide on film was probably the single worst decision of the series, there were a lot of lessons to be learned about how someone's actions can affect other people.

 

The only episode that helped was Clay's tape.  Hearing Hannah talk to Clay on tape is the first thing since my friend died that actually helped.  It was a very similar situation (albeit genders reversed).  I've been racked with guilt for months because I knew something was wrong and I had zero way of helping.  Something in what she said just clicked.  And it felt like my friend saying it, rather than Hannah.  IDK, weird I guess but since I finished that show (as someone with survivors guilt) I felt free.  Like I could somehow understand his decision better. 

[switchlittleloves]

I'm very glad that the show was able to help you that way. Especially when we don't just stumble across the appropriate words in our own lives, books, movies, music, shows, so many things can help us. I do think that it can be a dangerous thing as well, when someone starts to depend on it. I once was way too dependant on music, and there's no doubt in my mind that it contributed to my problems.

 

Oh well, I want the point here to remain a positive one. I'm happy for you, and I hope that you can find things in the future that will make you feel even better.

Edited June 8, 2017 by switchlittleloves

[ronja]

i never watched it and hate it ever since it became popular. probably because it's so triggering and made a friend of mine hurt herself really bad.

there are triggerwarnings, but only for a few things, and there isn't considered that it might be a really bad idea to show someone very detailed commiting suicide.

 

i myself deal with mental illnesses and think from what i've seen/read/heard that it's not shown how it really is.

i myself wanted to point out the guy who makes me feel this way, but i don't think it was smart.

What hannah did, was wayyyyyy overtop and unnessecary, leaving people hurting and hating themselves.

Edited June 23, 2017 by ronja

[Jay94]

I really really liked the show! It brought up a lot of controversial subjects, things many people just refuse to acknowledge and talk about. I don't feel like it romanticized suicide, in fact I think it did the opposite, it showed how it hurt and affected so many more people. Also, Clay was the only one who though he could save her, that was his thinking, but the show was about showing how it wasn't that simple- there were many things that lead to Hannah's decision.

 

I feel like the target audience isn't people who have depression/are suicidal/etc, but rather to those who aren't. To the people who don't understand that people feel this way, and the smallest things can have devastating effects. To the bully's but also to those who say and do things in ignorance. In the end the message was "it has to get better, the way we treat each other and look out for each other, it has to get better".

 

Also, one person's experience with mental illness doesn't mean that it's the same for everyone else. Everyone reacts differently. 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Jay94

[*Firefly*]

 honestly??

i hated it because it barely followed the book at all and the people kept saying hannah couldve done more when honestly she did so mch to try to get help  but no one was willing to admit to seeing the signs. i also thought that some of the scenes were way too graphic. i understand they wanted to make it uncomfortable and get the point accross but it was incredibly triggering and it caused me to have two panic attacks (one during the rape scene and one during the suicide scene). i had a lot of trouble with it because of that, but i think it is good that they are addressing the issue, i just think they couldve done a better job

[switchlittleloves]

*Firefly* I'm very sorry that you had that extreme of a negative response to the show.

 

Like Jay94 said, I don't really think the target audience was people with mental illness. I also don't really feel like it's the job of a television show to manage people's feelings to that extent. Before watching a show about suicide you basically make a guess as to if you'll be able to handle it. Blaming the show for panic attacks or depressive episodes would be like blaming a very bright video for an epileptic person's seiziure after said person was warned of it. I just don't really feel like it's a filmmaker's responsibility to manage whether or not a single negative thing will come of it. If enough people watch something, someone will eventually claim that it was their motivation in doing a horrible thing. That person should have stopped watching a the point that it started to be too much. I had to pause the show a few times just to get myself together and calm down. I had to cry it out, but I knew that I was under control of my own actions. If that had started to slip away at any point, I would have watched something extremely lighthearted to calm myself.

 

Also, I explained why I believe the show isn't like the book. First of all, the show is under no obligation at all to follow the book exactly. It would be counter-productive if they did, in a lot of cases. Like with 13 Reasons Why. Really the most effective way to tell the story that the book follows is WITH A FREAKING BOOK. It wouldn't have had nearly the same effect with a movie. That show/movie basically would have just been a guy walking around and narrating it. I made the comparison to Paper Towns earlier. It isn't as introspective, but it comes close. Nobody expects to come into a movie and have it be mostly inner dialogue. It could be done well, but that isn't what a movie is supposed to be. A movie or show is a display of action. That's what makes a book better to read for introverts. Thought can be emphasized more. You get more deep into the inner workings of the characters. That's what films have to do less of

 

Also, to Ronja. I've very deeply sorry about your friend.