13 Reasons Why is set to return to Netflix next month, meaning fans have a matter of weeks to wait for the final season.
After they discovered the truth about Bryce Walker’s (Justin Prentice) murder at the end of the last season, which dropped on the streaming platform in August 2019, what’s in store for the Liberty High seniors this time around?
The teen drama isn’t without its controversy, having initially sparked a backlash when the first season featured a graphic suicide scene.
The scene in question has since been removed from the show, but it has still faced widespread criticism for its portrayal of suicide, bullying, sexual assault and self-harm.
Show bosses have always insisted the programme plays an important part in tackling such serious issues among teens, but that hasn’t stopped sceptics continuing to criticise the handling of certain elements.
As 13 Reasons Why prepares to enter its final chapter, here’s everything we know about season four so far…
When is 13 Reasons Why season 4 released on Netflix?
Netflix has confirmed that 13 Reasons Why will return for season four on Friday 5th June.
The final season of the show will be shorter than usual, consisting of only 10 episodes instead of the customary 13. Showrunner Brian Yorkey told Entertainment Weekly that the reason for this is purely narrative-focused.
“It served the story better, and 10 episodes ended up being the sweet spot for us,” he said.”I think 10 episodes is a nice length for a season. I was adamant going into season 2 that it had to be 13 because the show’s called 13 Reasons Why…
“But at this point, heading into season four it was like, ‘We’ve given them 39 reasons why at least, so I feel like we can say, yes the show is still called 13 Reasons Why, this season is 10 episodes.’ It’s the right number, you’ll see that when we get to the end.”
However, fans can expect to see a lengthier season finale. “I’m incredibly proud of our finale episode. I think it’s very special and it’s also supersized,” he said.
“It’s a supersized finale, so even if people aren’t super happy with the ending, at least they can’t say we were stingy.”
What will happen in 13 Reasons Why season 4?
In the aftermath of season three’s finale, the new episodes will pick up with Winston (Deaken Bluman) seeking justice for Monty (Timothy Granaderos), who was killed in prison after being framed for Bryce’s murder.
All the while, the students of Liberty High School have the pressure of graduation to cope with and the challenge of stepping into the next chapter in their lives.
This season we’ll see all main characters pushed down unexpected roads, according to showrunner Brian Yorkey, who teased the storyline for Zach Dempsey, Hannah Baker’s ex-boyfriend played by Ross Butler.
“I will say that in season four we take Zach places that I had not expected until we really got into the room and delved into his story,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“We took Zach some really interesting places and I’ve always loved that character and I love Ross Butler, so that was a lot of fun and a challenge and also a wonderful collaboration and I think it’s going to be cool to watch.”
Is there a 13 Reasons Why season 4 trailer?
Yes – the official trailer for 13 Reasons Why season 4 dropped on 20th May 2020, hinting at what’s to come next after Monty was framed for the murder of Bryce and then killed in prison at the end of the third season, with the real killer Alex still out there…
Netflix had previously teased the final season with a video of the final table read of the series, featuring the show’s emotional cast and crew.
It contains hugs and tearful smiles all round as the cast conclude their last ever table read.
The video also shows clips from the upcoming series and footage of the cast filming the show’s very last episode.
At the beginning of the teaser, we see a few of the students at a school dance – so we should expect to see the group attend prom during at least one of the episodes.
The teaser says, “On June 5th, we say our final goodbye,” and officially dubs the upcoming episodes: “The final season.”
Who is in the 13 Reasons Why season 4 cast?
From the short teaser trailer, we know that the following cast members will be returning for season four:
- Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen
- Christian Navarro as Tony Padilla
- Alisha Boe as Jessica Davis
- Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley
- Justin Prentice as Bryce Walker
- Ross Butler as Zach Dempsey
- Devin Druid as Tyler Down
- Grace Saif as Ani Achola
- Josh Hamilton as Mr Jensen
- Amy Hargreaves as Lainie Jensen
- Miles Heizer as Alex Standall
Although Bryce Walker was murdered in season three, the upcoming series presumably features flashbacks as Justin Prentice, the actor who plays the character, was present at the table read.
Runaways’ Jan Luis Castellanos is set to join the cast as Diego Torres, a grieving football team leader who has difficulties managing his emotions, according to Deadline.
Although Katherine Langford appeared in season two, she did not appear in the third season and was not present at the table read in the trailer so it is unlikely that she returns this series.
Derek Luke was a regular as Liberty High School’s counsellor in the show’s first two seasons. His character was fired in season two, but made a guest appearance in season three – could he resurface again next season?
Although his character is dead, Timothy Granaderos looks set to reprise the role of Montgomery in some capacity, as he was one of the actors spotted at the final table read of the series. Monty’s shocking death in season three, after being framed for Bryce’s murder, will have huge repercussions in season four.
Deaken Bluman is also confirmed to return Winston, who will be a major player in the new episodes, after telling Ani that he’s Monty’s alibi at the end of season three…
A new cast addition for the final season will be Oscar nominee Gary Sinise, playing Dr. Robert Ellman, a family therapist who treats Clay (via Deadline).
Will 13 Reasons Why be back for season five?
Netflix has announced that the upcoming fourth season of the show will be the last.
In a statement, Netflix insisted that it was purely a creative decision to end the series now, explaining that season four “will feature the core cast’s graduation from High School which will be a natural conclusion to the show.”
This sentiment was echoed by showrunner Brian Yorkey, who told Entertainment Weekly why he felt season four was the right time to end 13 Reasons Why.
“Somewhere in the midst of making season two, when it became clear that we might have the chance to make more seasons of this, I pretty quickly got to a place where it felt like a four-season story,” he said. “I’m always a little bit suspicious of high school shows that go beyond four seasons because high school is four years long.
Yorkey added: “It felt like bringing these characters to their graduation and to scattering to their next things felt like the logical ending point. So for a long time, the idea has been, should we be so lucky to have the opportunity, we would do four seasons of this. So certainly going into breaking story for season four, we knew it was the end.”
Series 4 of 13 Reasons Why lands on Netflix on Friday 5th June. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide or our best Netflix series guide.
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