Popular Culture Review 30.1
Porter is subsequently identified on Hannah ’ s 13 th tape as the final reason in her decision to commit suicide . Hannah explains that after recording the previous 12 tapes , “ I decided to give life one more chance . But this time , I was asking for help because I know I can ’ t do it alone .” However , Hannah resigns to kill herself after her failed talk with Porter . Because Porter is portrayed as inept by failing to recognize Hannah ’ s obvious suicidal ideation or aid her recovery from sexual trauma , school counselors , and psychologists argue that at-risk youth could interpret these scenes as representing the futility in seeking help from school faculty or other adults ( Balingit , “ Educators and School Psychologists Raise Alarms about ‘ 13 Reasons Why ’”).
In addition to the narrative framework and portrayal of school counselors , the depiction of Hannah ’ s suicide in “ Tape 7 , Side A ” also generated significant criticism . Hannah ’ s suicide is presented in graphic detail , with writers for the series detailing their goal to portray the act as painfully and realistically as possible to deter audiences from considering suicide as an option ( Sheff , “ 13 Reasons Why Writer : Why We Didn ’ t Shy Away from Hannah ’ s Suicide ”). However , this decision was criticized as misguided by mental health professionals for breaking promulgated guidance on depicting suicide in visual media , with the visceral nature of the scene backfiring by potentially serving as a trigger for suicidal youth ( Butler , “‘ 13 Reasons Why ’ Depicts a Graphic Suicide . Experts Say There ’ s a Problem with That ”).
Despite such prominent criticisms , 13 Reasons Why quickly became a popular success . Jumpshot , a marketing analytics firm , determined that 13 Reasons Why was Netflix ’ s second-most streamed television series in the 30 days following its premiere ( Spangler , “ Netflix ’ s ‘ Marvel ’ s the Defenders ’ Poised for Binge-Viewing Pop , Data Indicates ”) and the
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