Shuvrajit Das Biswas
’13 Reasons Why’ Season 3 Episode 13 brings to a conclusion the mystery surrounding Bryce Walker’s murder. After several suspects are pointed at and thoroughly vetted, we finally get to see the killer among the many people who wanted Bryce dead. Perhaps, knowingly, the episode shows Bryce at his most human. He even goes to the extent of making a tape to apologize, reminding us of Hannah’s tapes where she blamed Bryce for raping her.
Things come full circle in the finale of the Netflix series, from actions to the narration itself. We see Ani in the interrogation room, repeating much of what we have heard over the episodes by way of narration. Finally, by the time we get to the end, we see that the people involved have woven an extraordinary tale for the law enforcement agents. Perhaps all they are trying to do is to carve out a moment of respite and happiness for themselves. Ultimately, the episode is titled “Let the Dead Bury the Dead” and it conclusively puts this season to rest.
13 Reasons Why Season 3 Episode 13 Recap:
Episode 13 of ’13 Reasons Why’ begins with Monty being perp-walked to meet his father. The meeting goes badly because when Monty comes out as a homosexual, his father spits on his face. Normally, someone suppressing their sexuality and finally coming out would be good news, but it is really difficult to feel happy for Monty since we know him to be capable of immense cruelty. In the meanwhile, we see Clay has an ankle monitor to track his movements. Although he is not too pleased with the arrangement, it is better than a prison cell. Justin tries to help Clay’s alibi for the night of Bryce’s murder by fudging the truth, but Clay’s mother finds out and reprimands him for it. More importantly, Justin seems to have some heavy secret of Jessica’s that he needs to share with Clay.
We are not made privy to the secret, but the scene changes to the police station where Deputy Standall, Alex’s father, is seen reexamining the evidence. It seems to point to two people with limps, one in the left leg and the other in the right. His mind immediately goes to his own son, Alex, who has a limp. Back at school, we see Clay meet his guidance counselor who manages to convince him that he is a contributing factor in the well being of others and he should keep showing up. Finally, Ani gets to the police station to give her account of events and we are treated to the familiar voiceover we have been hearing in the past episodes. Meanwhile, Jessica gives Justin something wrapped in a cloth. It seems to be something important as Jessica is visibly scared.
Ani walks deputy Standall through the process of who could have committed the crime. While the young lady is incredibly detailed in her account, there is the slightest hint that she is biding for time. The reason becomes clear a little later when she asks Standall for some water and discreetly checks her phone which seems to have a coded text message. Hereon, Ani firmly directs our attention towards Monty being the possible perpetrator. She makes a strong case against him, giving him motive and opportunity. However, we see this is untrue as Monty is shown to be with Winston, the photographer from Hillcrest that he hooked up with last summer. Alex might have gotten an idea about confessing since he asks Tyler for a gun and wants to know if talking to the police made him feel lighter. Luckily, Clay is there to ensure that Alex does not do something he will regret.
We are finally shown what happened on the night of Bryce’s murder. We see where everyone was at the time of his death. Finally, it is revealed that Alex and Jessica showed up after Zach left an injured Bryce. Bryce handed Jessica the tape of his confession and Alex tried to help him up but Bryce shot off his mouth, promising to ruin Zach’s career and accusing Jessica of setting him up. Alex realized that Bryce would always have a monster within him and pushed him into the river where he drowned. However, Ani narrates it differently, as the entire group comes together to cover up the crime, pinning it on Monty. They even put Bryce’s tape in Monty’s locker. Unfortunately, with Monty dying in prison, there is no one to refute this tale. The season ends with Thanksgiving being enjoyed by the survivors, as they listen to Bryce’s last words from a copy of the tape that Jessica made. It would appear that Bryce’s case has finally come to a close, and Liberty High is ready to move on.
13 Reasons Why Season 3 Episode 13 Review:
The finale of ’13 Reasons Why’ ties up all the major loose ends. We get to know who Bryce’s killer actually is, though Monty takes the fall. The cruel jock also meets his end in prison. A smaller but equally intriguing mystery of Tyler’s bare-bodied photographs is also resolved. We get to know that he took them to track his bruising and later to document his change over time.
Alex’s father ultimately helps him cover up Bryce’s murder by burning the clothes Alex wore that night along with the tape. It remains to be seen if this sours relationships in the upcoming season. More importantly, Tyler’s weapons are found in the river by some fishermen, while Winston shows up to accuse Ani of letting Monty take the fall. These are some major loose ends that will likely be addressed in the upcoming season of ’13 Reasons Why’.
We will most likely see Tyler surrounded by friends, and Clay and Ani dating in the upcoming season. We do not know what will happen in Season 4, which will likely be the final season of ’13 Reasons Why’, but we hope that the characters find some semblance of happiness, as Jessica so strongly puts it.
Rating: 4.5/5
