Yahoo News Why 13 Reasons Why finale almost cut #MeToo scene
Note: This article discusses topics including sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.
There are also spoilers for 13 Reasons Why season 2.
The finale of 13 Reasons Why has received controversy due to a male rape scene in the final episode that has been called 'harmful and unnecessary', which leads to the victim, Tyler, attempting a school shooting.
But one scene from the final episode that's being praised is the scene prior to Bryce Walker being barely punished for raping Jessica Davis. Jessica makes a powerful #MeToo-esque statement to the judge in court documenting the traumatic experience she's been through. The scene then skips to other female characters from the series on the stand; recounting being sexually assaulted.
Despite what a monumental scene this is, it turns out it nearly didn't make it into the final episode.
The show's creator, Brian Yorkey, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he was initially worried that it would be perceived as a parody of the #MeToo movement.
"We broke the whole season's story over a year ago, long before the surge in the #MeToo movement, long before all the revelations of last summer and last fall.
"So when we finally got to the producers' cut of [episode] 2:13, I actually took that sequence out because I felt like it would seem like we were parodying the #MeToo movement.
Brian added: "What happened in real life was so much more powerful than anything we could do dramatically that I felt like I didn't want to seem to be piling on. But there was an outcry from our executive producers and our executives, many of whom are women. They were right, and I'm really glad it's in there because it's such a cool moment."
Speaking about the other female characters taking to the stand, Brian said: "In some way, they're the ones who give Jessica the strength to go on. It's not that she literally imagines each of those women testifying, but that on some emotional level she understood that she was speaking for many women who hadn't had a chance or hadn't been able to speak for themselves."
13 Reasons Why season two is available to watch now on Netflix. If you've been affected by any of the topics and themes raised in the series, a dedicated website with resources, information and support lines has been set up at 13reasonswhy.info.
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