This seems to be one of those love it or hate it shows (at least as reflected in the reviews), and I felt it deserved an objective (subjective) review. I personally feel all the 'bad' things about this series are intentional and that while I myself got annoyed many times whilst watching it, it didn't detract from its quality.
The bottom line is, this does what it does really well. There is a valid argument that none of the characters are particularly likable. Well, have you ever been to high school? A lot of the negative reviews seem to stem from not being able to sympathise with Hannah as a character because of her flaws. I think these people may have been expecting a series glorifying and victimising the girl who took her life, but I don't think that's what this was about. I think the whole narrative illustrated a balanced account that acknowledged that Hannah herself was not perfect.
I'll try to be brief. Let's assume the acting, pacing, music, plot, etc etc were great. Let's also be aware that there are significant plot holes, and that in real life, this would play out way differently. But it's a story. A work of fiction. A character study and several important questions. It seems to take the clichés of all high school 'characters' and throw them in an uncompromising situation forcing them to look at their actions. It's basically taking all the caricatures from high school fictions over the years and saying "okay but what if your actions had real consequences?"
I think you should watch this show. I don't think you should try and take any real message from it other than don't be a d*ck, talk to people, and recognise that there is a world outside your high school years. It portrays a really good explanation that truly makes you understand why she did what she did, but it also lets you agree with the opinion that most people go through a version of this stuff, and the hope is that you realise it's temporary and that life goes on.
I think the fact that this show divided its viewers is a demonstration of its success - that's how the people of the school reacted to the character's suicide. Watch it and make your own mind up. Just watch it. And look out for each other. And know that it's okay to not be okay, and it's good to talk about it.
The bottom line is, this does what it does really well. There is a valid argument that none of the characters are particularly likable. Well, have you ever been to high school? A lot of the negative reviews seem to stem from not being able to sympathise with Hannah as a character because of her flaws. I think these people may have been expecting a series glorifying and victimising the girl who took her life, but I don't think that's what this was about. I think the whole narrative illustrated a balanced account that acknowledged that Hannah herself was not perfect.
I'll try to be brief. Let's assume the acting, pacing, music, plot, etc etc were great. Let's also be aware that there are significant plot holes, and that in real life, this would play out way differently. But it's a story. A work of fiction. A character study and several important questions. It seems to take the clichés of all high school 'characters' and throw them in an uncompromising situation forcing them to look at their actions. It's basically taking all the caricatures from high school fictions over the years and saying "okay but what if your actions had real consequences?"
I think you should watch this show. I don't think you should try and take any real message from it other than don't be a d*ck, talk to people, and recognise that there is a world outside your high school years. It portrays a really good explanation that truly makes you understand why she did what she did, but it also lets you agree with the opinion that most people go through a version of this stuff, and the hope is that you realise it's temporary and that life goes on.
I think the fact that this show divided its viewers is a demonstration of its success - that's how the people of the school reacted to the character's suicide. Watch it and make your own mind up. Just watch it. And look out for each other. And know that it's okay to not be okay, and it's good to talk about it.
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