How "13 Reasons Why" Failed its Best Character, Justin, In Season 4

Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide and sexual assault.

"It comes down to one question: Will you survive high school," we hear Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) ask in the opening episode of 13 Reasons Why’s fourth season. It’s a fair query, considering how many of the show’s core characters haven’t made it to graduation.

The first season of the controversial series centered on Hannah Baker, portrayed by Katherine Langford, who committed suicide and left behind a box of cassette tapes detailing why she chose to end her life. Season 3 saw her rapist, Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice), killed, while Montgomery de la Cruz (Timothy Granaderos) died in a jail cell after being arrested for assaulting Tyler Down (Devin McKenzie Druid).

While the series has certainly gained a reputation for its clumsy portrayal of complex topics like sexual assault, suicide and mental illness, we hoped that this final season would at least leave the characters in a healthier place. Or at the very least, surviving until they got their diploma.

*Major spoilers for 13 Reasons Why Season 4 below.*

However, those who have finished watching S4 would know that yet another student of Liberty High School, Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn), did not make it out of S4 alive.

Despite Justin’s death being teased throughout the season via flash-forwards to a funeral, fans hardly expected the writers to wave goodbye to the show’s most redeemable character.

After all, Justin had gone to rehab, attended regular meetings about addiction, and he was also accepted into college. He was proof that no matter your background, you are in control of your future.

Justin was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after collapsing while dancing with Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe) at prom in Episode 9. Clay’s family is told that Justin tested positive for HIV, and that it had developed into AIDS because he hadn’t been treated early enough. The doctors believe his sex work and drug use increased his risk factor for the disease. Justin is put on a ventilator, but his condition deteriorates quickly, and he passes away before graduation.

It is utterly devastating, particularly considering Justin had experienced such immense character development this season. Perhaps the most crushing part is that his death is used as a plot device. At his funeral, the pastor attempts to turn his passing into a moral lesson, saying, "Remember his death with sorrow and determination that spur us into action." Essentially, it feels like the show thought killing Justin was the only way for Clay and his friends to fully appreciate their own lives.

Except, why did the characters need another person to die to discern that life is worth living? Zach Dempsey (Ross Butler) says in his eulogy, "The pain that we are feeling today is to remind us every day to do better, to be better," but didn’t they also vow to do that in Season 1 after Hannah’s suicide?

Rather than having yet another character die for the sake of the plot, the writers could have used Justin’s remarkable transformation to inspire his peers to seek help and improve their lives.

I’m sorry but I just can’t stop thinking about it, they really didn’t have to do Justin Foley like that. He really deserved better ...

— yunnoome 🥥 (@Jaylinaaa1) June 29, 2020

Additionally, the cause of Justin’s death also deserved far more attention. In 2018, around 770,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide, and while that number is declining, it’s an issue that should be approached sensitively and thoroughly. There is still stigma surrounding HIV, and 13 Reasons Why could have used Justin’s story arc to help explain some of the misconceptions that exist in society. While the finale did show Jessica and her former partner Diego (Jan Luis Castellanos) getting a HIV test, it never delved deep enough into the various treatments that are available for those who test positive.

Over the past four seasons, 13 Reasons Why has undoubtedly brought conversations about suicide, mental health and sexual assault to the forefront. It got people talking. However, Justin’s passing is yet another example of how the series turned heavy issues and character’s deaths into plot points.

Plus, up until the final twenty minutes of the last episode, it offers very little hope that things can actually get better. For viewers who resonate with the issues this show tackles, it’s too little too late. As Clay said in his graduation speech, "Life is a pretty spectacular thing." If only they had realised that sooner.

13 Reasons Why is now streaming on Netflix.

Header Image: Netflix