For those unfamiliar, 13 Reasons Why focuses on Clay (Dylan Minnette), a teenager trying to figure out why his friend Hannah (Katherine Langford) ended her own life. She leaves tapes behind providing thirteen reasons for her choice.
The scene in question took place during the season one finale. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the scene was nearly three minutes long and portrayed Hannah's last moments after cutting her wrist in graphic detail.
Psychologists were concerned about young viewers watching the show without guidance or supervision, and about the potential for the scene to romanticize or sensationalize suicide. Ron Avi Astor told NPR that normalizing the behavior could make it "contagious" among vulnerable teens.
Credit: Netflix
Now the edited scene depicts Hannah looking into her bathroom mirror, and her parents subsequently discovering her body.
Last night, Netflix and the show creator Brian Yorkey released statements about the edit via the 13 Reasons Why Twitter account. Yorkey wrote:
"It was our hope, in making 13 Reasons Why into a television show, to tell a story that would help young viewers feel seen and heard and encourage empathy in all who viewed it, much as the best-selling book did before us. Our creative intent in portraying the ugly, painful reality of suicide in such graphic detail in season one was to tell the truth about the horror of such an act and make sure no one would ever wish to emulate it. But as we ready to launch season three, we have heard concerns about the scene from Dr. Christine Moutier at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and others, and have agreed with Netflix to re-edit it. No one scene is more important than the life of the show and its message that we must take better care of each other. We believe this edit will help the show do the most good for the most people while mitigating any risk for especially vulnerable young viewers."
Back in 2017, one of the show's writers, Nic Sheff, claimed the depiction was necessary because it was so graphic and disturbing. He wrote in his Vanity Fair column:
"When it comes to suicide, I believe the message should be exactly the same. Facing these issues head-on—talking about them, being open about them—will always be our best defense against losing another life."
Credit: Netflix
Also, as we can see from this situation, you may need to be willing to make concessions to your project even years later.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or chat with a counselor online at their website.
