After much controversy, Netflix has removed a graphic suicide scene from the first season of “13 Reasons Why.”
“As we ready to launch Season 3, we have heard concerns about the scene … and have agreed with Netflix to re-edit it,” show creator Brian Yorkey said in a statement on Twitter. “We believe this edit will help the show do the most good for the most people while mitigating any risk for especially vulnerable young viewers.”
The scene in which main character Hannah Baker takes her own life has been removed from the end of season 1 and is now replaced instead with a scene of Hannah looking at herself in the mirror. The scene then jumps to her parents' reaction to her death.
The nearly 3-minute-long scene initially showed Hannah cutting her arms with a razor blade in the bathtub.
“Our creative intent in portraying the ugly, painful reality of suicide in such graphic detail in Season 1 was to tell the truth about the horror of such an act, and make sure no one would ever wish to emulate it,” Yorkey explained. “"No one scene is more important than the life of the show, and its message that we must take better care of each other.”
This comes after repeated outcry from suicide prevention groups and teen viewers in the show’s two-year run, with critics repeatedly saying it could lead to further harm for vulnerable viewers.
Netflix originally responded by placing a warning card at the beginning of the episode, alerting viewers of the graphic scenes.
The show also has a website with resources for suicide prevention and videos of cast members discussing topics like consent and depression.
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