Here’s what the 13 Reasons Why showrunner has to say about the [spoiler] in the season finale

There are spoilers ahead for Season 2 of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and also, here’s a trigger warning since it deals with a very heavy subject: Gun violence.

While the idea was first teased in the Season 1 finale of the show, Tyler’s (Devin Druid) actions don’t come to fruition until the Season 2 finale. The photographer-turned-outcast at the school makes the decision to carry out a school shooting. For a while things got better for Tyler — really! He made a new friend in Cyrus (brand new Season 2 cast member, Bryce Cass) but after it’s revealed that Tyler and Cyrus vandalized the baseball field, the former is sent away for rehabilitation. Once returning to school, things seem to actually be better for Tyler — until he is forcefully raped in the boy’s bathroom with a broom by Montgomery and his cronies.

That is the last straw for Tyler, who now decides to carry out the shooting hinted at in Season 1. He plans it for the night of the big school dance, and en route to the school texts Cyrus about it. Cyrus — doing the right thing — immediately informs others. Clay — not doing the right thing — decides against calling the police and decides to talk Tyler down himself. It actually works, as Tyler surrenders his gun to Clay and leaves with Tony in his car just as the cops show up. And that’s how Season 2 ends.

As Justin comments, “this is fucked up, right?” Yes, this is super fucked up. The timing of 13 Reasons Why Season 2 could also not have been worse, as Friday morning a gunman opened fire at a Santa Fe high school in Texas, killing two teachers and eight students. That night, a 13 Reasons Why premiere event was canceled, and the heartbroken cast took to Twitter:

Before the new season dropped on Netflix, creator and showrunner Brian Yorkey explained the storyline to The Hollywood Reporter — and since the new season dropped, and since the school shooting on Friday, neither Yorkey nor Netflix has provided an updated comment, so just keep that in mind.

"We had a character who was obviously severely bullied, suffering from social isolation and was thinking of making a very tragic choice in addressing those feelings for himself," Yorkey explained. "With Season 2 we're very interested in continuing to follow his journey and to try to understand his state of mind. [The episodes are about] 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."

As for how they decided to depict Tyler, an have him reach that conclusion, Yorkey contineues:

"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...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."

If you or someone you know is dealing with any of the troubling and difficult choices portrayed in 13 Reasons Why, more resources can be found here.

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