Gary Sinise to join cast of "13 Reasons Why" *sigh*

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I have heard him on a catholic radio program and was glad to learn he is a Catholic. I guess he has bills to pay as well, but I don’t think he should be part of a show like this.
 
Will this show ever end? How much can they possibly milk a fictional character’s suicide?
 
redbetta said:
Will this show ever end? How much can they possibly milk a fictional character’s suicide?
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It sounds like the fourth season is intended to be the last, though I’m a bit shocked that it has managed to last this long. I remember the first season being at least really bingible, if not horribly handled in how it presented very serious topics, and from what I’ve seen from Season 2, everything just went downhill fast, even going beyond horribly handled to just downright stupid and dangerous.
 
Between this show, and the way they glorify abortion, we dropped Netflix. My husband is fire chief in our town and was part of a group of community leaders that came together to try to brainstorm how they could help in the wake of three teens committing suicide here during a matter of months. This show was a topic of discussion with that group. He’s going to be really disappointed to hear about Mr. Sinise joining the cast. I hope he will be a positive influence since he’s decided to be a part of it.
 
But, from what I know, only the first season is based on what happens in the book. How can they come up three extra seasons worth of material? What is there left to portray?
 
Maybe Chloe Rice, the female character who had the abortion, will end up regretting the abortion. In any case, I have no plans to really watch 13 Reasons Why.
 
redbetta said:
How can they come up three extra seasons worth of material? What is there left to portray?
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There were some plot threads open at the end of Season 1 from what I remember. The two major ones that had continuing potential were:
  1. Tyler was amassing weapons, clearly planning for a school shooting.
  2. Hannah’s parents learned the background behind her suicide. There may have also been a hint at a coming lawsuit.
But, yeah, not necessarily enough material to make a whole second season over, and they don’t even really do a good job carrying over Tyler’s story, even without
Clay stupidly confronting Tyler
and associated dangerous message the show sends. I don’t really know anything about what is in Season 3 beyond it centering around Bryce’s murder and maybe taking a sympathetic look at the series’ villain (which, admittedly, is kind of interesting, though also made less so by how bad the writers have been at handling mature themes and characterizations so far).
 
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I’ve seen the first & part of second season. It ain’t special compared to Stranger Things. I hate to break it to you but that topic is almost always going to be used in heavy drama series whether you like it or not… :man_shrugging:t2:

Meanwhile, I’m about to complete the first season of Friday Night Lights.
 
SadPotato said:
It’s of the most exploitative depictions of suicide I’ve seen in popular media.
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I think calling it “exploitative”, as many have, is going too far. The writers clearly wanted to explore the problematic ways women are treated in society and how we don’t have good systems in place to help those who may be suicidal. However, that doesn’t mean they did well, and they often falter in key ways, including:
  1. They try mixing in too many big shocks (e.g. Bryce raping Hannah), and it ultimately overshadows more subtle ways people let Hannah down (e.g. with Clay and Zach). I can barely remember some of the “Reasons” because so many get overshadowed by Bryce raping Hannah or Clay sharing a nude of Tyler around the school.
  2. Because they focused so much on ensuing drama and tried to make the event seem big and impactful, it gives the impression that suicide is empowering.
  3. They end up presenting suicide as the normal response to rape. Again, everything gets overshadowed by Bryce raping Hannah, and because Jessica, who could have served as a good juxtaposition, is in denial about Bryce raping her while her boyfriend let him, we never really get an alternative view.
  4. They present suicide merely as a response to actions, not as a much more complicated phenomena that often includes mental health issues.
And a lot of these had easy solutions:
  1. Stop escalating up to an eventual rape. Have the rape early on and explore Hannah’s slow mental degradation as a result, especially as she begins to feel more isolated.
  2. Make Clay the only one really following the tapes and explore the other characters in other ways. You still get the bingible format, but it is more centered around Clay growing as a person, not as some massive high school drama with someone’s suicide acting as a way to get revenge.
  3. Actually give a juxtaposition to Hannah, particularly one that can show Clay’s growth. I know Skye kind of fills in this role, but Jessica was in a much better position.
And yes, I get that it is based on a book, but the material is there to tell a really good story. It’s a real shame that they fumbled it so badly and only seemed to get worse once they no longer had the book as reference.
 
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ZMystiCat said:
  • They end up presenting suicide as the normal response to rape. Again, everything gets overshadowed by Bryce raping Hannah, and because Jessica, who could have served as a good juxtaposition, is in denial about Bryce raping her while her boyfriend let him, we never really get an alternative view.
  • They present suicide merely as a response to actions, not as a much more complicated phenomena that often includes mental health issues.
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Agree wholeheartedly. Yes, many if not most rape victims are going to be psychologically traumatized by their assault, and some go on to end their lives as a result. However, presenting suicide as the natural fruition of male-on-female sexual assault
  1. undermines the strength of women as a whole by presenting us as frail creatures who are incapable of coping with being “tainted” by sexual violence, and
  2. glosses over the fact that a huge number of suicides happen not because of a single traumatizing event, but just because the pain of depression got to be too much one day.
 
ZMystiCat said:
it gives the impression that suicide is empowering.
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I think that’s the biggest problem with the show (I haven’t seen it myself, but from what I have heard). It’s the same problem that there was with all the genie memes of “You’re free!” following Robin Williams suicide a few years back. I feel like it romanticizes suicide and makes it a more attractive option for those who are struggling. That’s not a good thing.
 
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