While we don't know much about what's going to happen on season 2 of 13 Reasons Why, we do know what won't. Showrunner Brian Yorkey told Entertainment Weekly that the show was originally going to be an anthology, with each season following entirely different characters. Instead, they've decided to dive deeper into the original story for the next season — the only thing changing is the technology. But had they stuck with their first plan, we'd be saying goodbye to Liberty High.
"When we sold the show, there were two ways we thought the show could continue," Yorkey explained to EW. "One way was continuing to follow these characters who really have been through tremendous trauma, all of them in some part coping with the trauma of Hannah’s death and the aftermath. [But] when we originally pitched it, there was another version, which was an anthology version where, in sort of True Detective mode, every year you start with a new 13 reasons."
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This would mean that season 2 would introduce brand new characters who, presumably, would have a different mystery to unravel.
“I thought that was really interesting as well because I think there are all sorts of issues that could be discovered,” Yorkey continued.
I think we can agree, however, that we aren't ready to leave the first story behind.
"It became very apparent to me, somewhere in the middle of the season, that I wasn’t going to be done with these characters after the first season, that I would want to know more and I would want to follow them," he said.
That's why season 2, coming to Netflix in 2018, is reportedly sticking with Hannah's story but incorporating other perspectives. We'll also pick up on storylines that haven't yet been resolved, particularly Jessica's, who ended the first season in a time of emotional turmoil. While the idea new characters doesn't sound horrible (am I the only one who would be down to see the concept of "13 reasons" play out in other scenarios?), it would be far too soon to leave Clay and Jessica and our other favourite characters behind.