13 Reasons Why: Why Alex Shot Himself In Season 1

The season 1 finale of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why featured the shocking reveal that Alex Standall had shot himself – here are his reasons for that decision. Based on Jay Asher’s novel of the same name, the teen drama initially centered on the aftermath of Hannah Baker’s suicide. Played by Katherine Langford, Hannah’s story was told via a series of cassette tapes she’d recorded and sent out prior to her tragic death. Received by Clay Jensen in the first episode, each of the 13 tapes corresponded to a specific person and/or event that fueled her fateful decision.

Despite telling a seemingly self-contained story, immense popularity and initial critical acclaim led to 13 Reasons Why being renewed for three follow-up seasons. Along the way, it continued to explore serious subject matter – including mental health issues, drug addiction, and sexual violence. Played by Miles Heizer, Alex Standall was a fan-favorite central character from the very first episode until the 13 Reasons Why series finale. For a brief time, however, the character’s fate was very much in question after 13 Reasons Why season 1. After the penultimate episode showed a mysterious medical emergency taking place, it was revealed in the season 1 finale that Alex had shot himself in the head.

The reasons for Alex’s own fateful decision mostly revolved around Hannah’s death. Alex was, after all, one of those listed on his tapes as having done her wrong. In 13 Reasons Why season 1, episode 3, “Tape 2, Side A”, Hannah posthumously stated that Alex had put her on a sexually objectifying list going around the school. Equating it to putting a target on her back, her inclusion played into the rumors already circulating about her. It also led to unwelcome physical attention from the sexual predator, Bryce Walker. Furthermore, it effectively destroyed her friendship with Jessica Davis, who had been dating Alex at the time. Unlike other characters who would spend the episodes trying to bury the truth or live in outright denial, Alex wore his culpability on his sleeve. So much so, his guilt weighed on him more and more as 13 Reasons Why season 1 went on. In his eyes, he was the reason Hannah had no friends that she could turn to at the end.

13 Reasons Why season 2 revealed that Alex’s guilt went even deeper than previously known. Initially struggling with his memories due to the traumatic brain injury he had suffered, he eventually remembered he’d been in the vicinity when Hannah Baker was raped by Bryce Walker. As such, he blamed himself for not having stepped in and stopped it. Though those details came later, the signs that he was carrying that guilt were visible in 13 Reasons Why season 1 – especially when he had lashed out at Monty de la Cruz, who had also been present. Equally, signs that Alex was succumbing to his own depression were apparent throughout the first season. The most prominent of them was when he fell into Bryce’s pool and momentarily seemed content to drown.

In essence, Alex served as a parallel to the very real-world issues that face those who lose somebody to suicide. His already profound sense of guilt was only compounded by the fact he was still alive while Hannah was not. Such feelings, as seen, can often lead to a grieving party also taking their own lives. Fortunately, Alex was able to come back from his attempt. While he would go on to channel his still present guilt into some questionable actions, he would ultimately come to terms with his internal struggles in 13 Reasons Why season 4. As well as laying the past to rest alongside (most of) his friends, he decided that he truly did want to live and be happy. In that regard, though 13 Reasons Why was steeped in tragedy, through Alex they also established that some can positively cope with their issues and depression and achieve a happy ending.

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