13 Reasons Why Review: 10 Ups & 9 Downs From ALL 4 Seasons

5. So Much Forced Conflict

Conflict is the lifeblood of drama because it often drives the plot forward and makes for some great character moments in the process. But when that conflict must be forced, then you have a significant problem.

13 Reasons Why struggled in that department because not every argument, fight or hallway showdown felt warranted. Yes, a lot of them were but some of them weren't. They didn't feel natural and, by extension, the subsequent actions didn't come off as natural either.

A recent example would, of course, be from Season 4 when the gang began to doubt each other's motives for no reason other than the fact that the plot required them to. A plot device simply crafted for standalone episodes like the camping trip or the lockdown installment, it was incredibly frustrating to see these friends act out of character just so that they could turn on each other again (when they had all already established their determination to keep the secret).

The 'we can't trust anyone... not even you' trope should have worked, but at this stage, all the in-fighting had been played out to an exhausting extent.