13 Reasons Why, a new television show on Netflix, came out on March 31st and has swept the nation. Ever since the show came out, millions of people have been affected and moved. Why was this show such a success? Some say it was the drama, or the cast, but the main reason the show swayed so many people into watching was the message.

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Something the creators of 13 Reasons Why pulled off successfully was giving the show good conflict, plenty of suspense, and a perfect conclusion that gives the viewer closure. When the show starts, the viewer is already aware that the show is going to be “quite the pill to swallow”, since it revolves around teen suicide. The show has a twist: the main character -Hannah Baker- leaves tape recordings for each person who has “caused her to end her life”. The people on her list are suppose to pass on the tapes to the next person on the list.

Throughout the show, secrets are revealed, which leaves the audience baffled. However, something such as teen suicide and rape can be rather dicey when they are put into shows. An article by Relevant Magazine writes, “13 Reasons Why is bad because it tells an important truth, but only part of it. It takes us [the viewers]  to a terrible place, and leaves us [the viewers] there…The show is a glorification of teen suicide.”Other reviews added that, in the show, Clay (the lead male) had nothing to do with Hannah’s death, so it was unfair for her to put all of the secrets on him, eventually causing him to view his own life differently.

While many opinions of the show differed, some thought that the conclusion of the series was inspiring. According to Shmoop, a website that writes summaries on different films and other pieces of literature, states, “The conclusion of this book is really moving…Clay has been deeply affected by Hannah’s tapes…he takes some action. He puts aside fears about his reputation and reaches out to Skye Miller [someone Clay knows from middle school], potentially saving another young girl from Hannah’s fate [suicide]. “

Nevertheless, the creators of 13 Reasons Why were smart when creating the series. They released all thirteen episodes at once, so some viewers could binge watch the whole series or they could watch each episode one at a time. Regardless of how others viewed the series, there is no doubt the show got its message across: you should be careful how you treat others, because you never truly know how you have impacted them.