With graphic scenes depicting self-harm and sexual assault being watched by such a young fanbase, it's only natural that the series received widespread backlash. Enough so that it was the most talked about show of the year with more than 11 million tweets on Twitter.
But despite the controversy, just two months after the first season was released, Netflix announced 13 Reasons Why would return for a second instalment, one that would include season one's star Hannah Baker, played by Australian actress Katherine Langford.
Below, everything to know about the second season.
Kate Walsh says it will be “hope-filled”
Speaking to E! News, Walsh, who played Hannah Baker’s mother in season one, says the second season will be far more “redemptive and hope-filled” than the first. “It’s a very exciting season for a lot of reasons,” she teased. “This season deals with sexual assault, it deals with truth, it deals with responsibility, it deals with the aftermath of Hannah’s death…. It’s very intense and very, I think, still totally addictive.”
It's being released this month!
Netflix finally announced that season 2 will be released on May 18th - that's right, in three weeks' time.
The cast will return
All of the original cast members are expected to return for season 2, yes, including Golden Globe nominee Katherine Langford, who plays Hannah Baker (the teen who committed suicide in season one and narrated the episodes).
Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette), Tony Padilla (Christian Navarro), Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe), Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn), Alex Standall (Miles Heizer), and Olivia Baker (Kate Walsh) are all tipped to be back, especially if Dylan's Instagram is anything to go by...
But don't expect Hannah to be the same...
Though she's kept her lips pretty sealed about her role in season 2, Langford did reveal: "You see a very different Hannah in season two."
"I would prepare fans not to expect the Hannah from season one for a multitude of reasons," she told Entertainment Weekly.
There will be seven new cast members
Netflix revealed Australian actor Ben Lawson will join the cast of season two, alongside Anne Winters, Bryce Cass, Chelsea Alden, Allison Miller, Samantha Logan and Kelli O’Hara.
There will be no more tapes
"The tapes are still obviously on people’s minds, but there is a different sort of analog technology that plays a hugely important role in season two," showrunner Brian Yorkey told Entertainment Weekly.
"So the cassette tapes aren’t at the centre of it - those two boxes of tapes are still hanging around and matter to people—but there will be a new piece of technology for 13-year-olds to Google and try to understand what it was."
The storyline will be different
Netflix has teased that in season 2 we will see other perspectives on Hannah's story. It also noted that the season will explore "the way we raise boys up into men and the way we treat girls and women in our culture - and what we could do better in both cases."
“It’s a different story than season 1 and I think that’s a good thing," Langford revealed. "This season we get to explore a lot more of the other characters and their journeys, which I’m excited about. As sad as it is, there is life after Hannah, and this season we get to see the effects it had on the people around her a lot more.”
There's definitely a time jump
Dylan Minnette, who plays Clay, revealed that the show will pick up a couple months after season one left off.
"I think people might be a little surprised where Clay is," he told US Magazine.
Selena Gomez is still involved
The singer took to Instagram in December to thank the cast and crew for being involved in the making of season 2. "Season 2 is coming. To every person on this project, thank you for coming back. Good or bad we are committed to having the tough conversations, to telling the story that can start change," she wrote.
