"13 Reasons" Got Me Like...

Credit: Tumblr. The Importance Of Netflix's Adaptation Of 13 Reasons Why

I’ve been watching “13 Reasons Why” recently. I started reading the novel way back then but stopped along the middle. I read to feel good, and suicide isn’t exactly a theme that you read about to achieve that. Yet because of all the buzz, I started to watch the TV adaptation expecting to stop again along the way like I did with the book. But Dylan Minnette, (yes, him) is so charming for his own good that I was hooked. He made his character interesting enough for me to go on watching. Now after everything, I caught myself actually reflecting over it. Here’s what I’ve got.

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Sometimes the things that consume us, the bad and earthly kinds of things, well, we just can’t beat them. We can try all we want, with all our might, and almost consciously will them to stop to the point of frustration. Despite everything, we just can’t. For there are messed up things going on in our heads, on our entire psyche even, like an uncontrollable car speeding up with a dysfunctional pedal for its brake. So we resort to hitting and bumping off things on our paths in an attempt to stop it, consequently inflicting damages on ourselves and our surroundings. It would cease to go on for a while, and yet the car, so durable as it is manufactured by a factory founded and forged by the strongest of elements, would stubbornly still start when triggered by the ignition, as if it has its mind of its own. Then the destructive cycle would be on its course again, piling up damages until there’s nothing orderly to disrupt anymore – until we are no more. No one can argue that this is not a weakness, for clearly it’s a manifestation of a lack, not the absence, of strength. And this is the kind of weakness that one cannot conquer alone by himself. This is the no-man-is-an-island type of problem. We all need help. I need help. The hope though is, for help to be always available and accessible, and for everyone to not just go ask, but to actively demand it when they need one. 

This reflection is also a bit influenced by my thoughts over watching the film, “Manchester by the Sea.” But just a little bit. Striking scene on the film though is the character of Casey Affleck telling the character of Lucas Hedges the line “I can’t beat it.” The memories of the tragedy, well, he can’t just tie them up and set them aside. So he has to stay away from Manchester. The memories are too powerful, he just can’t beat them. And I think it didn’t make him look weak. It made him human. Similar thoughts ring true over “13 Reasons Why.” Hannah Baker also can’t beat them. The thirteen reasons, I mean. So she did what she did, however morally wrong it was.