As Zimbio noted in a recent interview with 13 Reasons Why star Justin Prentice, Netflix's newest teen show has catapulted to success in an incredibly short time. The fact that it's the most tweeted-about Netflix show in recent history (by millions) speaks to how much it has reverberated with viewers. Not only has it become a must-watch for Netflix subscribers, but many educators are now claiming it should be required watching for students.
As it happens, the show wouldn't have become a reality without singer Selena Gomez, who spent years advocating for it after falling in love with its source material, a novel by the same name written by author Jay Asher. During an interview with E! News, the 24-year-old admitted she had no idea just how popular the show would become.
"I'm a little overwhelmed and very surprised," she told E! during the WE Day charity event. "I mean I believed in the project for so long and I understood what the message was. I just wanted it to come across in a way that kids would be frightened, but confused — in a way that they would talk about it because it's something that's happening all the time. So I'm overwhelmed that's it's doing as well as it's doing."
While the show is beloved, it has also drawn critics who feel some scenes are too much for TV. In 13 Reasons, main character Hannah's (Katherine Langford) suicide is portrayed in a way some consider "triggering" or unnecessarily explicit. Others argue the scene is just strong enough, making a lasting impression on viewers and raising awareness for the issue.
Check out our interview with Justin Prentice here, and stream 13 Reasons Why on Netflix now.
