Beware: Spoilers for the series finale of 13 Reasons Why are discussed below.
Leave it to Netflix’s controversial hit, 13 Reasons Why, to go out with yet another stinging storyline. After delving into a lot of intense topics and issues throughout its run, the series’ fourth and final season had to wrap-up its central characters’ journeys. So, how does Brandon Flynn feel about the way Justin’s story ended?
In 13 Reasons Why’s series finale, Justin succumbed to complications from AIDS and died. This, after a battle with heroin addiction which had left fans to wonder if he would survive. Justin’s death was a development that Brandon Flynn’s co-star, Dylan Minnette, previously praised. Minnette added that he and Flynn were hoping for Justin to have that ending in Season 4.
Brandon Flynn is now shedding light on how he felt about Justin dying in the abbreviated final season, a choice that left many 13 Reasons Why fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. For instance, a poll on CinemaBlend currently shows 68% of those who have answered do not think the show should have killed off Justin. Talking about the impact of Justin’s passing, Floyd told EW:
It does have much more of this strong, visceral impact when it is this character. I get that Justin's beloved but also, his storyline is so full of ups and downs that you're really rooting for him. So when you get to the finale and you find out that he's the one who's passed away, it really feels like a loss. I applaud the writers in the way they handled the storyline because I think even seeing some of the responses being outrage, it's the actual process of grief. I've had circumstances in my life where I've lost someone and it's inspired anger at first. I think once we move past that first stage of anger in grief, we get to the understanding of life and it sometimes not being fair.
Life is not fair, and, in the end, neither is television. Or at least some shows. Ask Game of Thrones fans how they felt about certain deaths that occurred in the finale, and you would probably find some discontent. Hence, 13 Reasons Why fans are in some expansive company. From his quote, Brandon Flynn seems to approve of the tragic twist, considering the impact of it.
It certainly was a no-holds-barred turn of events, albeit one that brought 13 Reasons Why full circle. Justin, the person that started the chain reaction leading to Hannah’s death, died in the final episode, while she perished in the first. The move also meant the Netflix favorite giving fans another tragedy, which seared into their minds on the way out.
Of course, Brandon Flynn has more thoughts. The 13 Reasons Why star also shared that his time on the series was a learning experience, and was, apparently, a cathartic one as well. It has been four seasons filled with some rough times for Flynn's Justin and his fellow characters. Asked about what the show taught him, Flynn responded, saying:
Justin was a mirror for me in a lot of ways, in a lot of things that I needed to heal and recover from personally. It never seemed to fail that I would get to set, dealing with something personal, and it would be the scene that I needed to do to get out or process something within myself. Maybe that's not what I want to keep doing acting-wise, I don't really want every character to feel like therapy, but in some ways, I think Justin was this massive gift.
Brandon Flynn is not alone in always remembering Justin Foley. Many 13 Reasons Why fans arguably feel his sentiment, even if they wish Justin’s story had ended a different way in Season 4. As always, the Netflix series has left fans with a lot to think about, and sadly no follow-up season to sort out those feelings.
All four seasons (including that tragic final chapter for Justin) of 13 Reasons Why are streaming on Netflix. Season 4 is one of the streaming giant’s many 2020 premieres. If you need something to lift your spirits after watching how Justin’s story ended, check out this summer’s schedule.
