Here's Why Fans Of '13 Reasons Why' Were Furious Over Show's Ending

Netflix dropped the fourth and final season of the controversial "13 Reasons Why" on Friday (June 5), and many fans were left furious because of the mysterious death in the last episode.

After a relatively long wait, the highly talked about show came back with 10 episodes, and while fans were delighted to binge-watch the series, the last run of "13 Reasons Why" left a bad taste in most people's mouths. A lot of people didn't like how Brandon Flynn's character, Justin Foley, was treated toward the end.

The last season began with a flash-forward to a funeral, which had viewers speculating about who died. In later episodes, it was revealed that Justin contracted HIV that later developed into AIDS. This was linked to the time he was homeless and was forced to be a sex worker and to his use of needles.

Many viewers did not find Justin's story arc impressive, with some describing the events as “potentially traumatic.” Netizen @purplelights67 found it bothersome that Flynn’s character died of AIDS when the user believes he is “the only gay actor in the series.”

Others, meanwhile, were furious over the show’s decision to kill the character even when his HIV/AIDS diagnosis could have been an opportunity to address society’s pressing matter.

“Your HIV/AIDS storyline with Justin, the ONE character with a truly redeemable arc on this show, would have been a great opportunity to show HIV/AIDS isn’t a death sentence in the 21st century,” @mbross44 exclaimed.

Others were plain upset that “13 Reasons Why” axed the character toward the end when he had won against homelessness and drug addiction.

This is not the first time that “13 Reasons Why,” which is based on Jay Asher’s young adult novel of the same name, came under fire. In Season 3, the show detailed how Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) took her own life, which happened in the first season, as reported by The New York Times.

This solicited mixed reactions from fans, with some expressing worry that teenagers may copy what they watched. As such, Netflix decided to edit the part out of the series after consulting with experts.