’13 Reasons Why’ Has Plenty Of Story Left For Season 3

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for 13 Reasons Why Season 2.

Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why veered away from its source material for its second season, but now that the teen drama has been renewed for Season 3, there is still plenty of story still left to tell. A 13-episode third season of 13 Reasons Why will premiere in 2019, according to Deadline. But Katherine Langford, who played main character Hannah Baker in the show’s first two seasons, won’t be a part of the cast when the new season starts filming later this year.

While Hannah’s story is done, there are plenty more loose ends that need to be tied up now that 13 Reasons Why is moving past the events in Jay Asher’s YA novel of the same name. Brian Yorkey, the show runner of 13 Reasons Why, recently told reporters that “what happened to Hannah will always be the first clause of the story.” But for season 3, the stories of the other characters will now be the focus.

“We’re following the stories of these characters,” the 13 Reasons Why showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter. “I always think there’s more story to tell, but…if there is a future for the show, to me, it’s about these characters, and not necessarily a new set of reasons or a new set of tapes.”

In Season 2, there was no justice for the late Hannah Baker when her rapist, Bryce (Justin Prentice), received a punishment of a mere three months of probation and a football-free future. The season also ended with the revelation that Bryce’ girlfriend Chloe (Anne Winters) is pregnant, which makes her loyalty to him a little more understandable.

In addition, there’s a love triangle (Alex-Jessica-Justin) that needs to get fleshed out. But the biggest story that must be told is the fallout from Monty’s (Timothy Granaderos) grotesque sexual assault against Tyler (Devin Druid) in the school bathroom. The graphic scene been heavily criticized, but even the most upset fans will likely tune in to see if Monty gets his due.

In an interview with Popsugar conducted just before 13 Reasons Why producers got the green light for a third season renewal, Granaderos said he hopes to see a little more of Monty’s home life and dive deeper into why he acts the way he does.

“I know that he’s the aggressor and the bully, but bullies need help too,” the 13 Reasons Why star said. “You know, they’re victims of a different type of mental health issue.”

For Season 3, a pivotal piece of the aftermath of the horrific rape scene — Tyler’s school shooting attempt that was thwarted by Clay (Dylan Minnette) — will also have to be carefully crafted in today’s climate that sees real-life school shootings far too often.

Even with all of that dark subject matter, 13 Reasons Why star Dylan Minnette has hope for the characters of the controversial teen drama.

“Clay was pretty cruel to Tyler in season 1, and Tyler to Clay,” Minnette said, according to Elle. “But then you see where they end up at the end of this season. Even though these horrible times they’ve had, and these mixed emotions about each other, they can come together and find a sense of community when they need it the most. This is such a dark show, and an honest show, that it’s nice to also have those moments of hope. There is still hope for these characters.”

The first two seasons of 13 Reasons Why are currently streaming on Netflix.