13 Reasons Why To End With Fourth & Final Season

The news that 13 Reasons Why is returning to Netflix for a third season on August 23 comes paired with a heads up that the show's fourth season will be its last. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter write that season 4 will be based around the cast's high school graduation, capping off the beloved but controversial series.

That controversy is possibly a reason that both outlets report there will be no storyline centred on self-harm in the third season of the show. Season 1 faced an enormous amount of backlash for what some called a glorified portrayal of suicide, prompting Netflix to remove the contentious scene starring Katherine Langford altogether.

"We’ve heard from many young people that 13 Reasons Why encouraged them to start conversations about difficult issues like depression and suicide and get help — often for the first time," Netflix said in a statement on their Twitter account last month. "As we prepare to launch season 3 later this summer, we’ve been mindful about the ongoing debate around the show. So on the advice of medical experts, including Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we’ve decided with creator Brian Yorkey and the producers of 13 Reasons Why to edit the scene in which Hannah takes her own life from season 1."

As for season 3, the upcoming installment will take place eight months after season 2, and focus on Clay (Dylan Minnette), Tony (Christian Navarro), Jessica (Alisha Boe), Alex (Miles Heizer), Justin (Justin Foley), and Zach (Ross Butler) and the aftermath of their coverup, which is threatened after the disappearance of a football player at their school. While it sounds like season 3 will be just as tense and heart-wrenching as seasons past, the news of an upcoming season 4 can comfort you after you inevitably binge all the new episodes at once.

Watch the new season 3 trailer here.