Teen drama 13 Reasons Why broke onto the scene in 2017, causing controversy thanks to its graphic depictions of rape and suicide. But the series has continued to go strong with fresh, new storylines each season, including in its latest third which was just released on Netflix on August 23, 2019.
While some characters have come and gone, one who remains central to the story is Clay Jensen, played by Dylan Minnette. In season 1, Clay was a close friend to Hannah, the central character to the story who sent tapes to those she blamed for driving her to commit suicide. In season 2, he fought dutifully for Hannah’s honor, trying to do right by her in the wake of her death, then put himself on the line to stop Tyler from conducting a school shooting. And in season 3, he found himself central to the drama once again as Bryce, the young man who raped Hannah, is found dead.
There are some things to truly love about Clay, such as his steadfast dedication to his friends, his determination and will to fight for what he believes in, and his clever and smart personality. But there are also lots of things we really don’t like about him.
*Spoilers for season 3 of 13 Reasons Why below*
He Becomes Easily Obsessed With Girls
Clay is your typical shy teenage boy, although he seems quite comfortable in his own skin as the book smart nerdy type who doesn’t really fit into any clique and is accepting of that. Yet he seems to have a hard time expressing his feelings to girls he likes, then gets obsessed with them.
We saw it with Hannah when Clay clearly pined for her yet wouldn’t make a move, then jealously watched her flirt with and get involved with other boys. And the same happened with Ani in season 3 as he focused on their friendship even though he clearly had romantic feelings for her, then became enraged with jealously when he found out about her and Bryce, or when she and Zach shared friendly and flirty conversations.
He Never Makes The First Move
As noted above, Clay pines in silence for girls he is interested in, like Hannah and Ani, yet does nothing. He constantly backtracks when he feels any potential for rejection, which is completely contrary to the way he behaves in any other scenario.
Even when the girls drop subtle hints like Ani’s mention of never having been asked to a dance before, he chickens out or doesn't pick up on them. We get it if Clay is naturally a shy person. But he clearly has no issues speaking up in any other circumstance, and is very perceptive otherwise. So why not with girls?
He Thinks He Can Save the World
Clay has a sort of God complex in that he thinks he can, and should, save everyone. He tried to do it with Hannah when she was alive, and even more so after she was dead. Then when Tyler was in trouble, he took him on as a project, convinced he could save the troubled and bullied boy who clearly needed, and still needs, some professional help.
When it comes to crimes, Clay fancies himself some type of sleuth detective, riding around on his bike (in season 3, finally a car) chasing down what he believes to be truths, and stopping at nothing to find them. We appreciate the determination, but sometimes he takes it too far.
He Takes Dangerous Risks
For someone who’s afraid to ask a girl out on a date, Clay sure has no fear when it comes to standing up to a guy holding a gun to his face, or charging at a burly football player who could probably take him down with one hand.
Clay is a smart guy, yet he makes really dumb moves sometimes that, outside of the fantasy world of television, would have almost definitely landed him in serious trouble, and injury. Yet Clay somehow always appears to emerge unscathed.
He Does Stupid Things Sometimes
Clay tends to react quickly without thinking, doing things that he might later regret because he believes them to be right at the moment. His death threat texts to Bryce are a perfect example, along with his visit to Bryce’s home, gun in hand.
Then, in season 3, faced with accusations of killing Bryce, he decides to run away but changes his mind when Tyler tells him he needs him, again believing that he needs to save the world and things could go horribly wrong if he's not there. Clay might be book smart, but he really needs to work on his street smarts and realizing that the world doesn't revolve around him.
He Has Little Confidence In Himself
Clay seems like a young man who is self-assured, yet he also conversely appears to have little confidence in himself. It’s apparent with his views about girls, but he also talks down about his body or his abilities as a friend or romantic partner.
He’s headstrong, yet deep down, there are insecurities there that might cause him to act out in anger. Maybe this is why he consistently tries to save everyone else, as he sees it as a way to justify his own existence.
He Has a Jealous Streak
Ironically, while Clay has issues declaring his feelings for girls, that doesn’t stop him from getting jealous when they look elsewhere for love. We can understand his anger when he found out about Ani and Bryce, as that went deeper than just jealousy. Bryce is the man who caused all of the anger and pain for Hannah, so it’s understandable that he’s the last person Clay would want to see Ani romantically involved with.
But he seemed upset whenever Hannah hung out with people other than him as well, or when Ani didn’t want him to drop her off close to the house. Sometimes, Clay can be far too uptight and needs to loosen up a bit.
He’s Rarely Nice To His Parents
Clay’s interactions with his parents are usually fleeting as he is rushing off to school or to do something he’s lying to them about, like spy on someone or investigate something. His parents seem like genuinely nice and caring people, yet Clay treats them as if they are in the way most of the time.
Not only did his parents build Clay his own space in the guest house, but they opened their home to his fellow classmate, a drug addict Justin who’s druggie mother abandoned him. Then they hired a lawyer to help defend Clay when he was accused of murdering Bryce without once second-guessing their son's innocence. It seems Clay should give them a bit more credit and attention. Then again, he is just a teenage boy, and that’s kind of what they do.
He Likes To Get In Everyone’s Business
No matter what’s going on, rest assured Clay will show up in some capacity, whether the situation has anything to do with him or not. He’s constantly following people, checking up on them, and sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong in a desperate attempt to find out a truth.
A fight breaks out in the school hallway, Clay is there. A secret kiss, Clay is lurking at the sidelines. A drug hand-off? Rest assured Clay will find out or will somehow see what’s going on. Doesn’t this kid have anything else to do?
He Refused To Call Justin a Friend or Brother (At First)
While Clay later warmed up to Justin, in one episode, he basically told someone that Justin was simply living at his parents’ house and sharing a room with him. He refused to call Justin a brother, or even just a friend.
Later, the two did share some “I love you, bros” but mostly prompted by Justin who wasn’t afraid to express his gratitude. Clay often hides his emotions, and Justin, who wears his heart on his sleeve, could have really used hearing those brotherly words earlier on.