13 Reasons Why Season 4 - What We Know So Far

The Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why is an adaptation of Jay Asher's novel of the same name, which is a standalone work; as such, the fact that the show is going to stretch to four seasons is a creative feat in itself. With plenty of similarities to the book but arguably more controversial, 13 Reasons Why took viewers by storm. Unlike high school TV dramas such as Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (which we love), 13 Reasons Why is more grounded in the real world. You can feel the pain the characters go through, and they're slightly more relatable to the audience than characters inhabiting worlds with dark magic weird supernatural forces.

That's exactly why 13 Reasons Why season 4 should be a true gift once it hits Netflix. Not only would fans like to know how events will play out after the reveal of the truth behind Bryce Walker's death, but it was announced that the fourth season will be the final outing for the series. How do you stick the landing for a show that's been met with controversy and praise alike? Probably with the kind of twisty narrative that will inspire even more controversy and praise, featuring similar real-world-yet-next-level problems and some kind of shocking twist.

Here's everything we know so far about the fourth and final season of 13 Reasons Why — and be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll update it as news drops.

Unfortunately, a release date for 13 Reasons Why season 4 has yet to be announced, and current events make it difficult to predict when it might drop. The third season was released on Netflix on August 23, 2019; while star Dylan Minnette reported via Twitter that shooting had wrapped on the fourth season in December 2019, many TV and film productions were affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

If the new batch of episodes had made it far enough into the post-production process by the time the pandemic hit, it's possible that we could see a release earlier in the year, as streamers will be keen to push out their more highly-anticipated content whenever possible. It's just as likely, though, that post-production will end up being a lengthier process than it would have been if not for the onset of the pandemic, and that might mean that we won't see the final episodes of 13 Reasons Why until sometime in 2021.

Clearly, it's all guesswork at this time, but we're optimistic that we'll see the new episodes near the end of 2020. What is safe to assume is that season 4 will consist of 13 episodes, as all previous seasons have.

Although 13 Reasons Why has seen some unfortunate casualties in its storyline, the core cast is expected to be back, as the final season will be centered on their graduation. They include: Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen; Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley; Justin Prentice as Bryce Walker; Alisha Boe as Jessica Davis; Christian Navarro as Tony Padilla; Miles Heizer as Alex Standall; Devin Druid as Tyler Down; Ross Butler as Zach Dempsey; Timothy Granaderos as Montgomery de la Cruz; Anne Winters as Chlöe Rice; Steven Weber as Gary Bolan; Brenda Strong as Nora Walker; Amy Hargreaves as Lainie Jensen; and Grace Saif as Ani Achola.

It would be surprising if Katherine Langford's Hannah Baker character didn't, at the least, appear in flashbacks; Derek Luke appeared in the first three seasons as Kevin Porter, and could resurface as well. We may also see Deaken Bluman's Winston Williams return, and Deadline has reported on a pair of new additions to the cast. Jan Luis Castellanos (Runaways) will appear as Diego Torres, an emotionally volatile football team captain, and veteran actor Gary Sinise will join season 4 as Dr. Robert Ellman, a family therapist who treats Clay.

13 Reasons Why has come a long way since Hannah Baker dominated the narrative with a series of cassette tapes addressing the people who played a role in her decision to commit suicide. As for season 4, all signs point toward the final chapter focusing on the main cast graduating from high school — but beyond that, specifics of the plot are being kept under wraps.

As for twists and turns, it would only be fitting if the final edition of 13 Reasons Why dropped some type of bombshell on the audience. Sticking the landing for a season finale, let alone a series finale, is arguably one of the toughest feats to achieve in television, as fans will harshly judge a great show for a lazy or poor ending (we're looking at you, Game of Thrones) — but playing it safe isn't what 13 Reasons Why is about. The show's creative team has never shied away from controversy and extremely difficult topics, and we don't expect them to start now.

We won't know much about season 4 until it drops, but it's fair to assume that Winston could expose the true killer of Bryce, as Winston made it known that Monty was with him the night of Bryce's death (although the evidence was destroyed by Alex's father, Deputy Bill Standall). If so, will Jessica and Alex be punished for their crimes? Could Ani, Clay, and others go down with them? Also, one issue that absolutely needs to be dealt with: Tyler's stash of guns, as they were found by a fisherman in the season 3 finale.

Of course, there are countless theories bouncing around the internet. Although we don't want it to happen, one theory making the rounds is that Justin Foley will die in season 4. Justin has had a long battle with drugs and addiction, and routinely carries a lot of guilt. He seemed, at last, content near the end of season 3 — which would make his death a huge gut-punch.

Or, on a brighter note, maybe the show will end by flashing forward to Justin and Clay graduating from college — now, isn't that a lovely thought? The rumors are running wild, and it's important to take everything with a giant grain of salt.

13 Reasons Why garnered attention and backlash from Day 1; some argued that it glorified suicide, and others claimed that it raised important discussions about mental health and sexual assault. Through it all, the show has resolutely been its own thing, and we can't wait to see what it has in store for us in season 4.