8 Years Later, I Still Can’t Believe This Controversial Netflix Show Was Renewed 3 Times

July 31, 2025

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This article contains mentions of self-harm, assault, and abuse.

Netflix has produced many teen drama TV shows, but few have garnered as much controversy as 13 Reasons Why. Based on the book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, the series brought the intense story of the novel to life onscreen, but didn’t always handle the narrative with delicacy. Despite this, Netflix continued to renew the show until 2020, when it ended with season 4.

Many classic teen drama TV shows don’t hold up today, but even though 13 Reasons Why premiered in 2017, it still feels dated in the way it approached its sensitive subject matter. It can be groundbreaking when a show that focuses on teen life takes the ups and downs of coming-of-age seriously, but 13 Reasons Why often opted for melodrama over sincerity, and this stirred up a lot of conflicting conversations.

13 Reasons Why Was So Controversial, I Can’t Believe Netflix Renewed It 3 Times

This Shocking Teen Drama Ran For Four Seasons On Netflix

The issues and realities of adolescent depression and bullying should be examined in TV shows, as they’re a reflection of real life. However, 13 Reasons Why toed the line between honest depictions of the events that can lead to self-harm and nearly glamorizing this. The show revolves around Hannah Baker’s (Katherine Langford) suicide, but the way it handles this is far from perfect.

13 Reasons Why‘s biggest controversies are difficult to narrow down, as the show sparked outrage and wide discussion about Netflix’s responsibility to its audience from the beginning. The scene when Hannah takes her own life is excruciatingly graphic, and it sparked questions about whether this extended, emotionally devastating moment was necessary, especially since Netflix eventually removed it (via BBC).

However, after the backlash following the graphic nature of season 1, most audiences and critics were surprised to learn that 13 Reasons Why would be returning for season 2. The fact that Netflix would ultimately keep the show on the air for three seasons following the explosive first installment is a bit of a mystery, especially when reflecting on the series’ reception.

The Controversial Netflix Show’s Reviews Consistently Went Down After Season 1

After A Shocking First Season, 13 Reasons Why Got Even More Unbelievable

13 Reasons Why season 1 was put under a microscope not only for the way Hannah’s story unfolded, but also because it mishandled the way sexual assault was portrayed onscreen. The fact that assault is a very real issue, and pretending that it doesn’t happen can be just as harmful, can’t be denied, but 13 Reasons Why went so far as to humanize the abuser.

Imagery from The OA and Everything Sucks!

While Netflix is famed for its variety of incredible TV shows and movies, it’s also notorious for canceling beloved TV shows before their time.

Despite these contentious elements, there were viewers who appreciated the frank nature of season 1 and the performances, even if the show wasn’t perfect. However, the slight redeeming qualities of the premiere installment faded with season 2, which took the character arcs in unexpected and disappointing directions, drawing out the fallout of Hannah sending out the tapes that detailed her reasons for committing suicide.

Things only got worse for 13 Reasons Why from here. It’s obvious, based on the audience and critical reception of seasons 2 through 4, that almost no one who was watching felt the show was going in a productive or entertaining direction. Season 1 could be criticized for romanticizing self-harm, but the remaining seasons completely went off the rails, as it no longer had a book to draw from.

Season	Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
1	77%	80%
2	28%	52%
3	11%	42%
4	25%	51%

Running Out Of Source Material Made 13 Reasons Why’s 4 Seasons Even Worse

The Book Gave 13 Reasons Why Season 1 A Cohesive Story

Asher only wrote one book, and while this instantly lent itself to being adapted to the screen, it’s notoriously difficult to extend a book’s story after the source material has run out. This was especially true for 13 Reasons Why, as Hannah’s death was a natural end of the narrative. The way the series expanded the stories of the additional characters ended up making the story worse.

There wasn’t an obvious reason for Netflix to renew 13 Reasons Why after season 1.

There wasn’t an obvious reason for Netflix to renew 13 Reasons Why after season 1, and it’s likely that the streamer green-lit the project because sometimes controversy can be good for viewership. However, wanting to capitalize on the success of season 1 wasn’t a narrative reason to keep making additional seasons of the series, and the unfocused nature of the last three installments demonstrates this.

13 Reasons Why‘s character deaths in the other seasons don’t have the emotional weight of Hannah’s passing, and only serve to make it easy to take the show less seriously. If 13 Reasons Why had been a miniseries, the legacy of the series would be very different. There would still be controversy, but the series might enjoy better longevity and a more nuanced conversation about its topics.

Instead, most audiences and readers of the original book have tried to forget the last three years of 13 Reasons Why. Season 3 is considered the low point of the show, but Netflix still brought the project back one more time to try and fix things. In its attempt to up the drama, 13 Reasons Why took advantage of trauma rather than reflecting on it.