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Did Bryce Walker deserve what happened to him in season 3 of '13 Reasons Why'?

The season forced viewers to feel conflicted. - by Bianca Mastroianni
  • 17 Sep 2019

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE BELOW!

Some readers may find content in this article triggering.

13 Reasons Why has always had the main objective of bringing the shock factor. 

The show has tackled incredibly difficult topics such as rape, suicide, abortion and mass shootings, however, season three had a slightly different pace, with less of the shock factor and more scenes to challenge viewers thoughts.

For example, feeling sympathy for Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice). 

WATCH: Bryce Walker breaks down in his mother's arms in season 3 of '13 Reasons Why'. Did he deserve any form of redemption?

While the season followed his murder, the lead up to discovering who his killer was was peppered with scenes that made some viewers feel remorse for Bryce. But did he deserve this redemptive arc? 

A lot of fans weren't impressed with the show as a whole.

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The first two seasons depicted what can be some of the worst outcomes to come from bullying and assault.

It was more straight forward... There are consequences to people's actions, which can lead to something as horrendous as suicide.

However, the new season challenged peoples thoughts in a way that they might not have wanted to be challenged. 

When the first trailer for season three was released, people were VERY happy that Bryce had gotten what he deserved: death.

But the season went on to show that Bryce had accepted who he was, and was doing whatever he could to change. 

“He’s a f*cking person, okay? And now he’s dead,” an angry Justin said in the season, but Hannah Baker's mum said it best when she returned at the end of the season. Where was this energy from the police, who were doing SO much to find Bryce's killer, when her daughter committed suicide?

A new character to the scene was Ani (Grace Saif), who was the only one who seemed to be on Bryce's side, which angered a lot of fans.

So much so that the actress quit all social media after the season was released on Netflix.

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Ani and Bryce formed a relationship before he was murdered, which she was berated for from her classmates.

13 Reasons Why

But when it came down to it, Bryce's 'true' character came out right before he was murdered. No matter how much he tried to prove he was changing, he threatened Zach Dempsey (Ross Butler), which led to Alex essentially drowning, and murdering Bryce.

It was a confusing but thought-provoking season, and while a lot of people didn't think that Bryce deserved any form of empathy from viewers, others were satisfied with how it panned out.

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Bryce 'dying' seemed to be a worthy price for him to pay after the crimes he committed, but after watching the season, it's clear that things will never be that black and white.

Bryce was a rapist who did inexcusable things, but feeling empathetic for him was one of the goals that came from the clever editing.

Jessica Davis's character (Aleisha Boe) had to accept that her rapist would now be remembered now a teenager who got murdered, not the boy who raped and nearly destroyed her life.

Is that fair? It's not a question we can really answer.

Need help? Call Lifeline on 131 114, visit www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/get-help-home, or call beyondblue on 1300 224 636.

If you would like to talk to someone about mental health, you can call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Headspace on 1800 650 890. 

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call the 1800RESPECT hotline or visit www.1800respect.org.au/. You can also call the Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 656 463.

If you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder, call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or visit their website here.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

  • Entertainment
  • 13 Reasons Why
Bianca Mastroianni
Bianca Mastroianni
Deputy Digital Content Manager | Entertainment & Family

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