13 Reasons Why TV Review | Common Sense Media

Skip to main content

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Language: English English Español

• Movies
  • Movie Reviews and Lists
    • Movie Reviews
    • Best Movie Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for Movies
  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

  • The Common Sense Seal
    • 

      Common Sense Selections for Movies

• TV
  • TV Reviews and Lists
    • TV Reviews
    • Best TV Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for TV
    • Video Reviews of TV Shows
  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

  • Marketing Campaign
    • 

      Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Books
  • Book Reviews and Lists
    • Book Reviews
    • Best Book Lists
    • Common Sense Selections for Books
  • Article About Books
    • 

      8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

  • Marketing Campaign for Books
    • 

      50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Gaming
  • App Reviews and Lists
    • Fortnite
    • Minecraft
    • Roblox
    • All Game Reviews
• Social Media
  • Podcast Reviews and Lists
    • Social Media
    • Snapchat
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
• Parents' Guides
  • By Age & Stage
    • Preschoolers (2-4)
    • Little Kids (5-7)
    • Big Kids (7-9)
    • Tweens (10-12)
    • Teens (13-15)
  • By Topic
    • Digital Parenting Anxiety
    • First Phones
    • Social Media
    • Parental Controls
    • AI Companions
    • Generative AI
  • What's New
    • 

      Parents' Ultimate Guide: How to Set Parent Controls on Roblox

    • All Parents' Ultimate Guides
• Tips & FAQs
  • Column 1
    • Family Tech Planners
    • Digital Skills
    • All Articles
  • Column 2
    • 

      Carpool Conversations

  • Column 3
    • 

      Two Truths & AI

• Celebrating Community
  • Menu for Latino Content
    • Latino Culture
    • Black Voices
    • Asian Stories
    • Native Narratives
    • LGBTQ+ Pride
    • Jewish Experiences
    • Best of Diverse Representation List
  • FACE English Column 2
    • 

      Multicultural Books

  • FACE English Column 3
    • 

      YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

  • FACE English Column 4
    • 

      Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Donate

Parents' Guide to

13 Reasons Why TV Netflix Drama 2017

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 171 Reviews
• Kids Say 446 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Emily Ashby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Disturbing book adaptation sheds light on teen suicide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 13 Reasons Why is an intense, dark drama based on Jay Asher's popular young adult novel. The first season explores the motivations that led Hannah Baker (Katherine…

Why Age 16+? Violence & Scariness

Revolves around a main character's suicide, which is shown in detail as she slit

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some moments of teen sexuality, including masturbation and some make-out scenes.

Language

Very frequent cursing including "f--k," "s--t," "damn," "a--holes," and "sucks."

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Teens drink at parties with no noticeable consequences. A character is a heroin

Products & Purchases Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

A mixed bag. On one hand, brings to light the complexities of teen relationships

Positive Role Models

Clay's sensitivity and concern for Hannah is evident in how he's racked with gui

• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that 13 Reasons Why is an intense, dark drama based on Jay Asher's popular young adult novel. The first season explores the motivations that led Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), a troubled teen, to die by suicide. Viewers hear about the bullying, sexual assault, and other traumatic events in her life. Messages about compassion, empathy, and not taking others for granted are clear, but the fact that Hannah blames others for her suicide may send the wrong idea to sensitive teens. Hannah's suicide is shown in great detail in the original series (but was edited out by Netflix in 2019 on advice of suicide prevention experts and doctors). There's also more than one graphic rape scene, including one that's extremely brutal and involves a mop. Teens drink and swear ("f--k," "s--t," and "a--holes") frequently. In the second season, the students of Liberty High continue to process Hannah's death while dealing with their own issues, including self-harm, more bullying, gun violence, and the pressure of testifying in a court case about Hannah. The third season is framed as a murder mystery with some main characters implicated and also has an abortion storyline, steroid use, and immigration issues. The fourth and final season sees a main character die of AIDS after being unhoused and a sex worker, while another character deals with serious mental health issues like PTSD. While this challenging story can help families start useful conversations about issues like bullying, sexual assault, and depression, the way these issues are addressed go against the advice of many mental health experts and may be confusing for some viewers, especially younger ones. To this end, Netflix has added trigger warnings to episodes that contain especially graphic or disturbing content, as well as brief videos with cast members stating that kids already at risk for depression and other mental health issues may not want to watch the show.

• Violence & Scariness

  a lot

  Revolves around a main character's suicide, which is shown in detail as she slits her wrists in a bathtub and her parents discover the body. (Note: this scene was edited out by Netflix in 2019 on advice of suicide prevention experts and doctors). It also contains graphic rape scenes involving high school students; no nudity, but panties are shown being forcibly removed, etc. A teen thrown over a toilet is brutally raped from behind with a mop; we see his face in agony. A number of students are seen with guns in the second season; one is stockpiling for a potential school shooting.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  a lot

  Some moments of teen sexuality, including masturbation and some make-out scenes. One explicit scene of two teens having sex; lots of thrusting but no nudity. A teen shares a photo he took up a girl's skirt showing her underwear. A character keeps trying to have sex but has difficulties due to his emotional state. A character becomes pregnant and has an abortion. A character does sex work while homeless and contracts HIV, eventually dying of AIDS.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Language

  a lot

  Very frequent cursing including "f--k," "s--t," "damn," "a--holes," and "sucks." Name-calling such as "idiot."

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

  a lot

  Teens drink at parties with no noticeable consequences. A character is a heroin addict; we see him with paraphernalia and obviously high. Later he detoxes with the help of his friends. Clay's friend group does Molly together. Another character does cocaine and steroids are a major plot device in the third season.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Positive Messages

  a little

  A mixed bag. On one hand, brings to light the complexities of teen relationships and pressure and the extreme consequences of feeling isolated. On the other, it does so through the rather vindictive behavior of a teen who's tormenting her peers with guilt after her death and the supposition that teen life is rife with oppression. Ultimately message is one of warning -- for teens to deal with their problems in constructive ways and for adults to stay in touch with their kids' activities and emotional health. The strong bond between Clay's friend group after Hannah's death only gets stronger, and there are many moments of bravery and compassion.

• Positive Role Models

  very little

  Clay's sensitivity and concern for Hannah is evident in how he's racked with guilt over the possibility of having contributed to her psychological struggles. Parents are involved in their teens' activities and monitor their whereabouts, but even so, teens often push boundaries and break family rules. Some of Hannah's peers behave in ways that are cruel and bullying, others learn compassion over time, and yet others are angry or abusive. Everyone is struggling.

Where to Watch

Videos and Photos

• 13 Reasons Why (Season 1)TV Review 1:05
• 13 Reasons Why
• 
• 
• 
• 

13 Reasons Why

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all

• Parents Say (171)
• Kids Say (446)

age 15+

Based on 171 parent reviews

Parents say the show tackles heavy topics like mental health, bullying, and suicide, making it potentially beneficial for mature teens but also controversial due to its graphic portrayals. Many believe it serves as an important conversation starter about real-life issues, while others caution that it could be triggering for vulnerable viewers and emphasize the need for parental guidance when watching.

• real-life issues
• conversation starter
• graphic portrayals
• parental guidance
• potential triggers

Summarized with AI

See all 171 parent reviews age 15+

Based on 446 kid reviews

Kids say the show tackles heavy and sensitive subjects such as suicide and sexual assault, but opinions are divided on its educational value versus its potential for harm. While some viewers praise its realistic portrayal of mental health struggles and its capacity to spark important conversations, many caution against watching it due to its graphic content and the risk it poses to those who may be vulnerable.

• sensitive topics
• maturity matters
• graphic content
• mixed opinions
• potential harm
• educational value

Summarized with AI

See all 446 kid reviews

What's the Story?

13 REASONS WHY follows Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he wrestles with his feelings after the recent suicide of his classmate and crush, Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford). Haunted by their brief friendship and her shocking death, Clay is surprised when a package arrives containing audio tapes on which Hannah chronicled the 13 matters -- and 13 people who caused them -- that led her to end her life. As Clay listens to each side and follows clues Hannah left on the recordings, he retraces events that reveal secrets and her peers' roles in them, connecting the dots that inspired her death. The second season follows Clay and his friends as they continue to process Hannah's death five months later. The court case against Liberty High continues, and most of the characters are called to testify. There's a focus on justice for victims in this season, and issues like self-harm (in the form of cutting), gun violence, loneliness, heroin addiction, slut-shaming, and more are addressed.

Show more

Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (171 ): Kids say (446 ):

This series isn't a pleasant watch by any means, but it does raise vital issues that can inspire valuable discussions between parents and teens. There are two disturbing forces at play throughout the story, the first being Hannah's downward spiral and the circumstances that instigated it. Serious matters like cyberbullying, body image, sexual assault, drug abuse, and gun violence are addressed unflinchingly; these scenes can be extremely graphic and difficult to watch for adults, let alone the targeted teen audience.

Hannah's choices are also complicated; it's clear that she blames others for her suicide. One wonders what, if anything, she hoped to gain by inflicting posthumous guilt on parties either actively engaged in tormenting her or innocently involved. As 13 Reasons Why is told from Clay's point of view, there's sympathy for him and others left behind, giving viewers a thought-provoking glimpse of what it's like to pick up the pieces after a suicide. In the second season, Clay's journey continues, and watching him and his friend group work through even more brutal challenges is nearly too much to bear, but there's also beauty in Clay's processing of grief and Jessica's courage to speak up about her sexual assault. A side plot about a potential school shooting is a bit sensationalized but also highlights the pain of loneliness. At-risk teens should take great care in choosing to watch this very graphic and frank series, but families with mature teens may find that it opens up doors to talk about some difficult subjects.

Show more

Talk to Your Kids About ...

• Families can talk about the issues raised in 13 Reasons Why. Have your teens witnessed or experienced cyberbullying or more traditional bullying? What different forms can this behavior take these days? What defenses can you use against it?

• Teens: Do you find your peer pool to be mostly inclusive or exclusive? Can social media be a curse as well as a blessing? How does our constant connection to other people via cell phones cause stress? On the other hand, what are the benefits of this culture?

• Families can talk about gun violence and safety. In Season 2, guns play a major role in the plot for a few different characters. Are they used responsibly? What do you think about the availability of guns in this show? Is it realistic?

• Families can also talk about suicide and the way it's addressed in this series. When is it important to talk about mental health, especially if you're worried about a friend or family member? Netflix has a website to visit after viewing the series, 13ReasonsWhy.info. What other resources are available to help both kids and adults?

• Sexual assault, specifically the rape of main characters, plays a large role in this series. Families can talk about resources available to teens; the Crisis Text Line is an excellent way for phone-shy teens to reach out in times of need.

Show more

TV Details

• Premiere date : March 31, 2017
• Cast : Dylan Minnette , Katherine Langford , Brandon Flynn
• Network : Netflix
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Book Characters , School ( High School )
• TV rating : NR
• Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
• Last updated : December 11, 2025

Show more

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

13 Reasons Why

Suggest an Update

Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy .

What to Watch Next

See all

Drama TV for Teens

See all

Stop Cyberbullying Online

See all recommended tv lists

Related Topics

• Book Characters
• High School
• School

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate