'13 Reasons Why' will probably get a second season, and that's a terrible idea

Spoiler alert for all of 13 Reasons Why

A month ago, I reviewed 13 Reasons Why as an exceptional show about adolescence and pain. The Netflix show based on Jay Asher's novel of the same name tackles various harrowing themes as it explains the 13 reasons why Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) dies by suicide.

Within days of its release, 13 Reasons became a clear hit for Netflix, with record numbers of social media reactions and media coverage from reviews to think pieces to that thing with Google Maps. The idea of a second season is gaining momentum, and seems likely (Netflix nearly always greenlights a second installment) -- but we're here to rain on that parade. Yes, 13 Reasons Why is wonderful. No, there shouldn't be more of it.

Here are just a few reasons why this story should be left where it is.

The myth of closure

Jay Asher's novel doesn't have a resolution so much as an ending; Clay finishes the tapes and passes them on, then presumably moves forward with his life and his knowledge of Hannah's as best as he can. The tapes themselves are a perverse fantasy; more often than not, death isn't neat, and the deceased don't leave behind a map for the bereaved to figure out why this happened. Ending 13 Reasons Why with the tapes gives plenty of answers while raising plenty of questions -- mirroring life in all its imperfect messiness.

Those cliffhangers

Season 1 ends with Alex Standall in critical condition after an apparent suicide attempt (which might be a murder, since those are so easy to get away with), and Mr. Porter and Hannah's parents in possession of the tapes, all of whom are about to experience newly unfathomable pain. The tapes will affect the lawsuit and probably ruin a few careers, not to mention expose the crimes of Tyler, Justin, and Bryce, and any outcome for Alex will affect not only the students on the tapes, but everyone at Liberty High.

All these developments from the finale -- especially Alex -- feel like afterthoughts; additions to an otherwise richly detailed narrative that the showrunners didn't know how to move forward. It's all a painfully obvious setup for Season 2, but the story's future shouldn't be based on a few last-minute plot twists that feel like add-ons.

Prolonging Hannah's suffering

The most controversial point of Netflix's adaptation was the decision to change how Hannah dies by suicide and then depict it explicitly on screen. The episodes provide content warnings, but no immediate hotlines or resources within the source material. We learn more about Hannah by piecing together her story through the tapes, but the reality of the situation is that she's gone.

As one of the show's breakout performers in her first television role, Langford's inclusion in a second season would seem mandatory -- but completely wrong. Don't invent more story for Hannah -- let's finally leave her be.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Even at a saturation point, television, film, and new media are on a constant quest for content. The fact that 13 Reasons Why is based on a book whose story is complete doesn't even matter -- just look at Big Little Lies, another literary phenomenon that might draw out its story after critical acclaim for the show. Though Asher has ideas for Season 2, the story, like its source material, would be so much more powerful in its current form.

At best, a second season of 13 Reasons Why would clearly denote that life goes on after losing someone important, and that simple closure is wishful thinking. But at worst, it could exaggerate and exacerbate a heartbreaking story and turn it into its worst nightmare -- a drawn-out soap delivering more shock than substance.

13 Reasons Why was a powerful show. The most powerful choice it could make now is to let it stand on its own.

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources.