It’s official. 13 Reasons Why, an adaption of Jay Asher’s 2007 young adult novel with the same name, has been renewed for a second season on Netflix. According to TVLine, the streaming service has announced that Diana Son will exit as showrunner and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Yorkey will take over the role for Season 2.
Season 1 follows the story of Hannah Baker, played by newcomer Katherine Langford, as she details the string of events and actions of people that lead to her suicide. She distributes tapes to the 13 people that she deems involved or responsible for her death. Clay, played by Dylan Minnette (Scandal), receives the tapes and takes the audience through his journey of listening to Hannah’s story, as well as the stories of the 13 others involved. The season ends with Hannah’s death. While some believe that the show should keep a one season and done format, multiple cliffhangers have left fans wanting more.
Little is known about the upcoming season, though Netflix has announced that Season 2 will take place after Hannah’s suicide and will focus on the other characters’ journeys as they attempt to heal and recover from the traumatic events of Season 1.
While the series recently made history when it became the most tweeted about Netflix original series of all time, it received mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike. Some praise the show for its bravery to address such serious topics, as well as the flawless character development. Others believe that the graphic rape and suicide scenes are triggering and not helpful to anyone that may be battling depression.
Though Jay Asher’s novel ends when Hannah’s story and life comes to a close, he previously told EW that he would like a second season. “I’d just like a continuation of all those characters,” he said. “I’m curious as well. What happens to Clay? How do people react to what Alex did at the very end? What’s going to happen to Mr. Porter? I’d thought of a sequel at some point. I’d brainstormed it, but decided I wasn’t going to write it. So I’d love to see it.” Asher also addressed the seasons cliffhangers, stating, “Things weren’t left open in the hopes of a sequel… There is no end for the characters left behind.Every action we have is going to have repercussions in ways we could not anticipate. You realize that with not just what Hannah did, but also how other people treated Tyler throughout it. It’s the whole message of the book.”
13 Reasons Why also stars Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Brandon Flynn, Justin Prentice, Miles Heizer, Ross Butler, Devin Druid, Amy Hargreaves, Derek Luke, and Kate Walsh. Selena Gomez serves as an executive producer. Season 2 is set to premiere in 2018 with 13 episodes exclusively on Netflix. Watch the renewal announcement below.