13 Reasons Why Season 4 Review: Did 13 Reasons Why have to drag for its fourth season that is nearly ignores the girl, whose suicide that started it all? Let me rephrase, did the show have to extend itself for two more seasons after being done with Hannah Baker's story? Sorry, but let me rephrase it again - did 13 Reasons Why need to extend itself for three more seasons, none of which has anything even to do with that title anymore? Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) is long. But the painful memories of her extreme step continue to be a cash cow for Netflix, even though the series does all it can to alienate the dwindling fanbase of Liberty High and its f-ked up students. 13 Reasons Why Final Season Trailer Is Here and It Is Bound To Keep You On The Edge of the Seat (Watch Video).

For all its controversies, the first season, based on Jay Asher's novel, was engrossing and had a captivating mystery with a message that deserves to be voiced. Season 2 nearly ruined everything we liked about the first season, especially Hannah's character, by building up stuff that makes no sense in the context of its previous season. Yet, it had its moments - I liked Zach and Hannah's hidden love story, even though it made not much sense.

Season 3 went beyond Hannah, and focussed on her rapist, the now-dead Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice). The decision to do so divided fans even more. I didn't mind the show giving its villain a chance to redeem himself, before the ghosts of his sins murderously catch up with him. But yeah, like some of the show's fans, I wasn't an admirer of including the new character Ani (Grace Saif), right in the middle of the chaos.

Now we have the new season, which, I am really hoping it, is the final one. For no matter how wonderful the actors are, especially Dylan Minnette, Alisha Boe, Brandon Flynn and Ross Butler, and how the show still looks so cool - 13 Reasons Why has become a en extremely pale shadow of what it was in the first season.

Season 4 begins with a memorial scene that repeats itself occasionally through. Certain characters are seen talking about someone, whose identity is kept hidden till the last episode. It is definitely an intriguing point, though we won't blame you if you forget about the scene soon after.

Anyway, Clay and gang are back for their final year in school, and like always, it is a screwed-up year again. This time, it is no bullies or rapists, but the teens' own insecurities acting against them. Even though the last season ended on with everyone seemingly okay, that isn't the case. anymore The news that the police has discovered Tyler's (Devin Druid) guns from the river might have been the trigger. Or maybe it is the presence of Winston (Deaken Bluman), the boyfriend of the slain Monty (Timothy Granaderos) from the last season, who smells something rotten about his death and transfers to Liberty High to investigate the death.

Clay, who is now dating Ani, is having panic attacks and hallucinations at weird times of the day. He is also meeting up with a counsellor (Gary Sinise) on a weekly basis. Jessica is making a singular strong point being the student president, while sorting out her cluttered love life. And it looks like Clay has infected Jessica with the ability to see ghosts. 13 Reasons Why Season 3 Review: We Miss Hannah Baker but the Netflix Teen Series Returns Stronger and Improved Than Season 2.

Clay, who used to be hung on to Hannah's spirit, is now seeing the taunting apparitions of Bryce and Monty. Jessica only has Bryce's ghost to contend with. Hannah, meanwhile, decides to skip this season again, because she did enough haunting in season 2 (and that Langford has gotten her own Netflix show coming soon). Though (SPOILERS) she does a little fan service near the end.

Justin (Brandon Flynn) is back from rehab and behaves all prim and proper, but we know it won't last long. Zach (Buttler) has resorted to alcoholism, not able to face the guilt of his part in Bryce's death. The real killer, Alex (Miles Heizer) has discovered something about himself (that many of us already doubted) and is confused about where to go with his discovery.

Watch the Trailer of 13 Reasons Why Season 4:

Tyler is recovered and all, but the gang feels he is still hiding something from them. Tony (Christian Navarro) continues to figure out how to bring his family back from Mexico. Monty's younger sister Estela (Inde Navarrette) joins the High School and she looks upto Jessica as a mentor.

In the meantime, Clay thinks someone knows their secret and is hounding him to reveal the truth. Yup, just another crazy year in Liberty High!

The first half of the final season is like a bad acid trip. You can't help but think how directionless it feels, and therefore awfully slow-paced it moves. To make things worse, the season takes some needless inspiration from another Netflix offering - Riverdale - in including some occult mystery stuff. There is an overlong camping trip in the woods where the students are hounded by something that is totally into the CW show's craziness.

I was also particularly annoyed with the whole jock angle, where Monty's former team-mates try to bring him justice. The friction feels forced thanks to some pretty lame writing there and unlikeable characters. Especially Diego (Jan Luis Castellanos), the new main jock, who hooks up with Jessica, and is pretty pointless by the end of it all.

With the new season shying away from what was its main theme - sexual assault - 13 Reasons Why struggles in figuring out how to make the show feel relevant. So the writers decided to make the characters, whom we have grown to likes despite ourselves, be errr... lot less likeable. Especially Clay Jensen, who for all his faults, was at least the rallying point for others and sees the good in people who are lost. Remember how he supported Tyler throughout his trauma, and rescued Justin from his homelessness and drug addiction? Not the same guy, anymore!

Well, Clay, in most of the final season, is so lost in his demons and secrets that he is barely recognisable. This goes for most of the characters, some of whose arcs had been amazingly built over three seasons, find them being pulled apart and then thrust back coarsely.

Couples fall in and fall out, people seem to be coming out of the closet every third episode and Zach's self-destructive tendencies become tiresome after some time. Ani, who was the most  divisive character in the last season, is absent for half of the season.

The series also goes on to reflect the present socio-political state in the country, with the school authorities ramping up security measures and Clay feeling that their parents are secretly monitoring them. Weird coincidence or not, there is even a scene where students clash with the school authorities, and you can't help but think of what's happening the States right now. And yet, the above scene lacks the same kind of punch that we experienced in the locker room fight in season 2.

What bothered me the most about the new season was that it had so much to say - PTSD, depression, sexuality awareness, bullying and even HIV. Yet, there is shallowness in how these issues are dealt with, that you really don't get to empathise with the characters.

But just when you are about to completely write off the last season, it happens.

The final two episodes.

Here's where 13 Reasons Why reminds you why you have stuck with this extremely flawed show over four seasons. Th e writing and the direction get better. Suddenly, we get the connect with the characters back. Suddenly, we realise that the last season was finally about Clay addressing his own problems. Suddenly, we have a romance worth rooting for. Suddenly we have lovely character interactions that we wish would have happened earlier in the season. And then suddenly a fan-favourite character dies.

The final episode, that is actually more than an hour and a half long, is the survivors dealing with this tragic demise, giving painful farewells, exorcising their ghosts and letting go of a very happening High school year. Despite the length, there are plenty of moments that can turn your eyes moist. Plotlines are neatly tied up and the scenes indulge in (often, soap opera-like) emotions that get to you. Even the musical cues that were pretty bland early on, brings a more effective feel in the finale.

Not every character gets a happy ending, but you won't get a disappointing conclusion either. It made me realise one thing about the show. Even though I am hoping that there is no 'reason' for 13 Reasons Why to return, I will definitely miss its characters.

So adios, Clay, Jessica, Tyler, Alex, Justin, Zach and co! It has been nice knowing you and I hope your new lives don't suck as much as your High School. Oh, wait, you are in Trump's land, na? Ah, tough luck!

Yay!

- The Final Two Episodes

- The Solid Performances

Nay!

- The Rest of the Overblown Season with Mostly Ineffective Storylines

Final Thoughts

The controversial show 13 Reasons Why finally bids adieu to its fans with its fourth season (unless Netflix comes up with a spinoff or something). The last season is perhaps the messiest of the lot and clunky too. But the show continues to draws its strength in its characters, the talented roster of actors and getting a solid finale in the last couple of episodes. Say what you want, 13 Reasons Why does prom scenes better than the rest!

Rating:2.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2020 02:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).