"13 Reasons Why" is not like other TV shows. There is no other TV show that deals with teenage suicide in such a convincing manner. Yet, fans have wondered if Hannah Baker should have given a second chance. They wonder if she deserved to live by any chance.
Jay Asher, whose original book the series is based on, has revealed on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the book that the original ending had Hannah survive. In the original version, Hannah was saved by her parents who got home just in time to take her to the hospital, after she had swallowed pills. Her stomach was pumped, and the teenage girl survived.
According to the author of "13 Reasons Why," the original ending gave her a second chance, even though things would have been different for her when she got back to school after the incident and faced her friends who got the tape. Instead of things becoming smoother, it would have been tenser for her at school. However, she would have got Clay by her side this time.
Nevertheless, Asher said he decided against the original ending "out of seriousness for the issue." "Once I realized that the message of the story would be stronger and that it would definitely be more of a cautionary tale," Entertainment Weekly quoted him as saying. "I felt that was definitely the way to go."
Many agree with the "13 Reasons Why" author here that Hannah's suicide keeps the seriousness of the issue. There is this scene when she slits her wrists in the bathtub. In the history television, such a disturbing scene is hardly picturized. Moreover, the reasons why she reached that point in her life that she decided to end her life are even more disturbing.
According to Refinery29, Hannah says in the tape about everything she possibly can. So, it would not have given the best message, if the author had allowed her to survive. The book, as well as the TV show, did justice to suicide as a serious issue.
