13 Reasons Why Season 3 Review: 7 Ups & 5 Downs

6. It Successfully Rebooted The Show

13 Reasons Why will never be what it was originally intended to be simply because the heart of its show is no longer part of it. We all found that out the hard way when it desperately tried to hold onto Hannah Baker in the second season by using her as nothing more than a ghostly plot device. Thus, if the show ever wanted to continue, it was clear that it needed a change. Season 3 was that change.

The death of Bryce Walker turned the show on its head, resetting the status quo and allowing the writers to explore previously uncharted territory with all of these characters. There was a mystery that needed to be solved and this presented them with an opportunity to channel Season 1 without trying to alter what was already there.

This was a new story, and an oddly compelling one. It didn't feel like the half-hearted remake that last season was and, instead, felt more like a genuine sequel. A sequel that wasn't necessarily needed, but one that, at the very least, made a case for its own existence.