13 Reasons Why: Season 2

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Sometimes movie or TV studios in this case, have a successful clever well written original concept, and then just make a hastily written sequel that is nothing like the quality of the original. The second season of 13 Reasons Why revolves around the parents suing the school for their daughter’s death (something I don’t think many viewers would agree with or hope was successful), and they, well mother especially take no responsibility for their part in Hannah’s death, and we see the spin off affects that trial has on everyone in the school, some of which has been subpoenaed to testify about their interactions with Hannah Baker. There’s a lot of flashbacks with shorter hair, and it’s not always clear straight away if we’re in the present or a flashback, and some characters with shorter hair in the future look like other characters in the past, since they are similar looking actors.

It’s a lengthy time wise season that could easily have been done over two or three episodes. Not much happens over the first two discs (7 hours or so) and you’ve (spoiler) also got the perhaps jumped the shark element of Hannah returning as a ghost. I mean the first series was supposed to show the devastation left in the wake of a suicide, the sequel season implies it’s not the end for the person taking their life as they can come and hang out as a ghost with their former bestie. You’ve also got elements like parents don’t notice a teen talking and sometimes loudly arguing with others in their room. I don’t know about you, but I can hear any conversation happening in any house I’ve ever lived in.

The show gets slightly better in the final couple of episodes (although the final one is a predictable snorfest for most of it). But really, if they were going to do a sequel, they should have done a copycat in a different town with different characters who also made 13 or perhaps 14 tapes this time, and it covered different issues, as there’s so many issues that result in young people taking their own lives. A season that ultimately dilutes the quality of the original season and overall show.

– James N Simpson

Just as some (many?) lawyers are ambulance chasers (i.e. every misfortune is an opportunity for money) so Netflix is doing the same w/the current pop media craze of teen sucides & school shootings. Rather than make these, and similar, topics thoughtful insights we get:
a.) Prolonged trivialized talking heads just to create episodes (more means more money); 13 hours.
b.) Cookie cutter stereotypes, e.g. school administrators, parents, teens (especially athletes). And, of course, racial mixed roles that seem more contrived than reality.
c.) Cookie cutter cleanliness. If you watch closely you will see no dirt; no real world raggedness; no unshaven faces. Each person looks as if they came out of a salon an hour before filming. Clothing for all is spotless new or new like.
d.) Dialogue, and sex (basically light kissing) are mostly middle school, general rating, public acceptable.
e.) Emotion? Well I would say 75% of all the tears came from just one actress who was really good at it. Must have passed auditions specifically for that role. Dead Hannah shows up frequently to lecture us on why suicide is a bad idea.
f.) Cheap production filming sets, mostly hallways & lockers & bedrooms w/lots of posters.
g.) Set up for next season w/of course school shooting. It’s like topic “du jour”.
h.) Selena Gomez as producer. Crisis message at the end of each episode.
Neutral:
Interesting that our clergy at the end says, “… that his God will not send an immortal soul to hell for suicide”. A cut at those religions that script that punishment.

– G. Teslovich

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Dylan Minnette, Miles Heizer
Format: Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR – Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: May 21, 2019
ASIN: 6317771081