13 Reasons Why showrunner attempts to justify controversial school shooting storyline: 'We did as much research as we could'

'We’re much more interested in understanding that character’s journey than seeing it end in the worst way possible'

(Beth Dubber/Netflix)

Netflix’s adaptation of 13 Reasons Why continues to spark controversy, the second season dealing with the contentious issues of rape, suicide, and school shootings.

The most controversial story arch has concerned Tyler (Devin Druid). Season one finished with Tyler amassing an arsenal of weapons and being alienated by peers, season two seeing the character channel his anger into target practice.

During one later scene, a school bully, Monty (Timothy Granaderos), follows Tyler into a bathroom and sexually assaults him. The violent scene lasts two minutes and sees Tyler’s head get struck against a sink and Monty assault him with a mop - which is later shown to be covered in blood. Following the incident, Tyler

While some people praising the show for tackling the issue of sexual assault, many more have condemned the graphic depiction of rape on screen, one TV censorship watchdog group calling on the streaming service to cancel the show.

Two weeks before the second series debuted, creator and showrunner Brian Yorkey spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the storyline, explaining how they are much more concerned with the character’s journey rather than the outcome.

“We’re very interested in continuing to follow his journey and to try to understand his state of mind and the state of his soul,” Yorkey told the publication. ”I think you’ll see in the balance of the episodes that it’s very much about trying to understand Tyler’s character and how a troubled young man might be driven to consider this very difficult choice.

“We’re much more interested in understanding that character’s journey than we are in seeing it end in the worst way possible. The thing that’s interesting for us is the journey and trying to understand what goes into the experience of a young man who goes that route.”

Discussing how 13 Reasons Why balances showing gun violence without glorifying it, Yorkey said that whether they are successful will be down to the audience.

“I think each viewer will have their own opinion about whether we found that balance, so I will leave that evaluation up to each individual viewer. For our part, we did as much research as we could.

“Unfortunately, there’s a great deal of literature about a great number of troubled young men who resorted to or almost resorted to violence to act through their feelings. So we were able to study a great deal of the history there, and we tried to be authentic and honest and also accurate in our portrayal of the character. As with all things with the show, our hope was that we could honestly represent the experience; that our viewers might, through the experience, learn more and start more conversations about those issues in their own world.”

Yorkey also said that Netflix were expecting a much faster response to the second season, as the first flew slightly under the radar. The conversation, they hope, will see people express “strong and divergent opinions and that people will talk about these issues in the context of the show, and more importantly in the context of the real world.”

Following the furore surrounding the show’s depiction of suicide upon its debut last year, the new batch of episodes arrived fit with a PSA and mature content disclaimer which saw the show’s lead stars tell the audience the season ahead will tackle “tough, real-world issues,” even going so far as to encourage younger viewers to watch with an adult.

If you’re affected by these issues, visit rapecrisis.org.uk. You can call 0808 802 9999 between 12 noon – 2.30pm and 7 – 9.30pm every day of the year for confidential support and/or information about your nearest services.