13 Reasons Why: 10 Overlooked Positives To The Show
5. The Villains Are Brilliant
Say what you will about how the program depicts their actions, but Bryce Walker and Montgomery de la Cruz are two utterly superb antagonists.
Bryce, the serial rapist and head jock at Liberty High, is a terrifying villain. Monstrous yet chillingly calm, Bryce is a hauntingly realistic and believable depiction of a sexual predator who is made even more harrowing to watch by the fact that there are many, many people like him out there.
Monty is equally nightmarish. An enormously violent psychopath who was responsible for 13 Reasons Why's most disturbing scene, Monty makes every scene that he's in uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, like most good villains they aren't just straightforwardly evil and have been given more depth and ambiguity as the series has progressed. During season three one actually started to feel sorry for them.
While Bryce Walker's character change in season three was perhaps too much of a U-turn they just about pulled it off, largely thanks to Justin Prentice's strong performance. Reviews that have accused the program of redeeming Bryce have ignored two important things: firstly, showing different sides to characters is always important and secondly, he Wasn't redeemed. Season three merely showed he was remorseful for his crimes.