Given the variety of shows on Netflix, the intriguing series 13 Reasons Why is a superior choice to binge watch in your free time.  Although some viewers may portray it as an unsettling site to watch, there is a valuable lesson to be learned from all four seasons. 

In season one of 13 Reasons Why, Hannah Baker moves to a new school hoping for a fresh start to her sophomore year.  During this time, her peers tend to bully and treat her inadequately.  Things start to escalate as she tries her best to seek help from the school and some individuals around her.  Eventually, she comes to her breaking point and takes her own life.  Baker leaves a box of 13 tapes behind, each tape giving the reason/person she decided to end her life.  She leaves the box with her friend, Tony, who was not on the tapes.  She tells him on a note to listen to each tape and pass the box on to the first person on the tape, and the cycle begins.  Hannah’s best friend, Clay, receives the tapes and confusingly takes the longest out of everyone to listen to them.  He drives himself crazy trying to figure out why Hannah left these tapes, and what they are for.  Tony continuously tells him he has to listen to each of them to fully understand.  While everyone else on the tapes are keeping each other’s secrets, Clay tries to be the hero and make everyone confess to what they did.  This causes tension between them all, and eventually everyone is driven to madness. 

Season two leads to the trial between Liberty High School and The Bakers.  Each person on the tapes chooses either to testify against Hannah, or justify for her.  Most of them end up doing the right thing and confessing the truth in court, but some things get turned around.  Everyone experiences pain and deals with it in harsh ways as the trial goes on.  Liberty High School ends up winning the trial leaving Hannah’s family and friends in despair.  This season was the most traumatic one for me to watch. 

Season three is full of surprises and changes.  More secrets come out and everyone is trying to do the right thing and become better people at this point.  They carry around guilt and shame deep down, but try to deal with it in healthier ways.  Murderers and sexual predators are proven guilty and people start to stand up for themselves and what is right for their school. 

Season four tends to be the saddest for me.  Everyone graduates and goes off to college.  They move on with their lives and try to forget about the horrific things that went on while they were in high school.  It ends with another tragic death of one of the main characters, personally one of my favorites. 

As you can see, though 13 Reasons Why may be an intense show to watch, it also establishes real world scenarios teens go through on a daily basis.  After watching it, it made me realize how blessed we are to have such a loving and safe school system, and opened my eyes up more to mental health issues of people around me.  This series touched me in a way I never thought it would.