Justin Prentice Was Really “Pissed Off” With Bryce’s Ending In '13 Reasons Why'

30 May 2018, 14:36

By Katie Louise Smith

"I know fans are going to be super pissed off, but you should be pissed off because that's the reality right now."

It's safe to say that 13 Reasons Why season two has given the internet a LOT to talk and rant about over the past few weeks, hasn't it? From Hannah and Zach's heartbreaking relationship to Monty's despicable assault on Tyler, Twitter has been full of hot takes and important discussions.

The second season of Netflix's controversial teen drama brought us all up to speed on the trial surrounding Hannah Baker's suicide and how her friends and family are coping after her death. At the end of the season, we finally got to see Bryce Walker on trial for the rape of both Jessica Davis and Hannah Baker. When Jessica found the courage to report the rape and retell her story in court - directly to her rapist - many viewers thought Bryce would finally get what was coming to him.

But no. Of course not. Bryce was sentenced to 3 months probation and that was the end of that. And it wasn't only the fans who were left furious at decision either; Justin Prentice, who plays Bryce on the show, was too.

"In terms of Bryce's ending, it pisses me off," he told Entertainment Tonight. But, it turns out there was a important but harsh reason as to why he got such a pathetic sentencing: this kind of sh*t happens every single day in real life in favour of the rich, white, male students with promise and power.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Prentice said: "Our show is fictional and there are dramatized events. But one thing that it tries to do is sort of mirror reality in a sense and kind of put up a mirror and spotlight the issues that our country is specifically dealing with, but really all over the world."

"Bryce is privileged [and] comes from a powerful family. He's a straight, white male, and so it's easier for him to get off, and we see that happening all the time and it sucks. I know fans are going to be super pissed off, but you should be pissed off because that's the reality right now."

Prentice previously revealed that he paid close attention to various sexual assault cases that have recently made the headlines so if Bryce's storyline feels familiar to you, that's because it's actually a thing that happened in real life. Prentice said that he turned to the Brock Turner trial for guidance - one of the more recent cases where a privileged, white, male student managed to escape a heavy rape charge despite statements and evidence. While Bryce's sentencing was much lighter than Turner's, much of the trial mirrored what we saw on screen, really driving home the fact that this is a very real and unjust situation for so many survivors in the US and around the world.

Basically, if Bryce's ending pisses you off as much as it did Justin, good. It should do. It should infuriate you and it should make you want to fight for better justice.

If Netflix go ahead with season three, Prentice thinks there's plenty more to explore within Bryce's storyline but will he ever get the punishment he deserves?