This week will be a bit more serious. While it will have been three weeks since the Thirteen Reasons Why premiered on Netflix, as I write this it has only been days since I binged the series opening weekend. Unfortunately, this was just after several difficult weeks of depression. That said, despite the wonderful representation of Jay Asher’s book as a television miniseries, the story’s strong discussion of suicide, bullying, and rape did not allow for a positive week following. 

In Thirteen Reasons Why, Clay Jensen (Dylan Minette), disheartened and trying to deal with his friend Hannah’s (Katherine Langford) recent suicide, received a shoebox containing 7 cassette tapes. The tapes contain Hannah’s suicide note, each side talking to one of the people whose actions led to her final decision. By using cassettes, each recipient is forced to manually change each side, spending more time considering Hannah’s words.

Unlike Asher’s book however, the show’s primary setting is not in one night. After receiving the tapes, Clay gradually works his way into each tape, trying to force his way through as he listens to horrible deeds his friends and peers committed without being charged. By expanding his listening time however, the show explores how loved ones cope after a suicide, including people we see in our daily lives but never consider how we affect.

As I watched the series, I couldn’t help wondering how the story would have been told differently were it a podcast drama. In the original book, the story is predominately told through the tapes and Clay’s midnight walk. With this organization, a majority of the book is told through exposition. While this does not translate well to this medium, I wonder what kind of story could be told using only a dramatized version of Hannah’s tapes. And if so, what kind of impact would it produce?

The major difference between the book and the show is how the content is viewed. Reading the book, audiences can imagine the events of Hannah’s life only as dark as they wish. With the show, we see everything, which can be a bit too much for many people. There are warnings before the final episodes which feature strong images of rape and suicide. For this reason, while it is based on a YA book, the show is not meant for the same audience. While this may not be for everybody, if you are interested in a serious drama with many pop culture references throughout, check out Thirteen Reasons Why on Netflix.