13 Reasons Why: 10 Theories That Will Keep You Pumped Until Season 3

Reddit user PumpkinSpice210 believes the third season will use police interviews surrounding Tyler Down's attempted shooting as the narrative structure that pulls the audience between the past and present. Her theory hinges on Montgomery de la Cruz stepping into the role of the Big Bad now that Bryce Walker has transferred. The questioned students would grapple with the morality of telling the truth or protecting Tyler, whose fragile state is a product of Monty's bullying.

We like this theory because it has the potential to include all of our key players and allows the story to pick up where we left off. Moreover, her theory dovetails nicely with Twitter user DanLynch94, who suggests the third season will move forward with another old school method of communication, VHS tapes. While we think the distribution of actual videotapes is a little gimmicky, the idea that the police interviews may occur on video is a nice addition to the theory that we'll gladly adopt.

Another possibility for the season three structure is the creators could reboot the series with a whole new set of characters and challenges to overcome. While this is highly unlikely due to the popularity of the cast, we can't rule the idea out since the same approach was taken for the third season of MTV's Scream . . . and no one in the 13 Reasons Why cast is getting any closer to high school-aged.

While 13 Reasons Why began as a show about bullying, depression, and suicide, the larger issues of consent and sexual assault revealed itself as the show's focus. In the second season, we're introduced to the Clubhouse, a storage shed behind the football field where student athletes get drunk and assault women.

Even though Zach Dempsey chose to expose the practice, none of the athletes (except for Bryce Walker) paid a price for their misdeeds and the hubristic "boys will be boys" attitude still prevails at the school (as further evidenced by Tyler's assault). Therefore, we can't help but wonder if the third season will push to dismantle the protective system behind the Clubhouse and the predatory jock culture that rules over Liberty High.

At the end of the second season, we discover Nina burning the Polaroids of the Clubhouse, which she stole from Clay Jensen's car. Each photo depicted a girl assaulted by Bryce Walker and his teammates. We're given a glimpse into her story through her friendship with Jessica Davis, but we're guessing there's more to come in season three.

The second season finale left us with a ton of questions regarding Clay's fate in the aftermath of the thwarted school shooting. Where does Tony Padilla take Tyler Down when they drive away in his Mustang? Will Tyler let Clay accept the blame for everything? Where the heck is Clay going to hide that gun?

Even though we don't have definitive answers to those questions, we think it is pretty safe to say that Clay won't be arrested for Tyler's mistake. In fact, Devin Druid and Ross Butler, who play Tyler Down and Zach Dempsey on the show, agree in this darling video interview from Seventeen Magazine.

Chloe's decision to defend Bryce Walker in the wake of her assault shows that every story of survival has layers and that those experiences affect each person in a different manner. Therefore, her pregnancy adds a unique wrinkle to an already difficult issue. We suspect that this revelation will open up storylines about rape survivors coping with unwanted pregnancy, as well as abortion issues. Definitely heavy subjects, but very much in line with the tough topics this show has previously tackled.

Zach Dempsey is an interesting figure to us, not because of his secret romance with Hannah, but because he's always putting himself down. At the Spring Fling in the season two finale, he tells Justin Foley he's a f*ck-up, yet Zach helped expose Bryce and ultimately chose the right side. The guy definitely has a lot going for him! But his statement makes us wonder — does the comment foreshadow Zach's future downfall, or does it set him up as season three's hero? We're putting our money on the latter and here's why:

In the tenth episode of the second season, Zach and Bryce Walker have an argument about Hannah Baker during a baseball game. Later, their feud comes to a head when Bryce makes the menacing remark, "I guess I'll see you on the football field."

We have no doubt the statement is a veiled threat, because Bryce is definitely the type of guy to seek revenge against his enemies. Amplifying this confrontation could place Zach at the center of the story as an avenging angel. Something we may need if Clay's mental issues become enough of a factor to sideline him for a portion of season three. Here's hoping our self-deprecating hero is up for the challenge.

We smell a dangerous love triangle brewing, and we don't like it one bit. Yes, we understand that love isn't something Jessica Davis can turn on and off like a faucet. And yes, we are proud of Jessica for reclaiming her sexuality and redeveloping a positive body image in the face of everything that's happened. BUT, her having sex with Justin Foley while on a date with Alex Standall is bound to cause a huge blowout for season three.

On one hand, we have Alex, who is recovering from a guilt-riddled depression that led to a suicide attempt. He believes his new relationship with Jessica is a fresh start — one he's dreamed of since the first season. Learning that Jessica has betrayed him may undo all of the progress we've seen from him this season.

On the other hand, we have Justin, who may have repented and paid for his sins against Jessica, but it doesn't diminish the fact Justin once let her down in the worst way possible. We wonder about Justin's reliability, especially since he's recovering from a heroin addiction. Is a potential relationship between the two as doomed as their Halloween characters Sid and Nancy? Only time will tell.

Bottom line: this love triangle doesn't look like a winning situation for anyone, but the problem is one that provides plenty of fodder for the third season.

At the end of the season, we learn that Justin will live with the Jensen family in order to stay out of the foster system while he's on probation. Adjusting to life with the Jensens has huge story potential because Clay's parents don't know about his heroin addiction. The fallout from such a reveal could wreak havoc on the tentative alliance he formed with Clay Jensen to take down Bryce Walker.

Or perhaps, since Clay has always been such an angelic character, a role reversal may occur where Clay falls prey to drugs or some other deviant behavior while Justin and the Jensens work to pull him out of his downward spiral. Either way, the Justin-Jensen connection is bound to play a vital role in the storytelling next season.

Near the end of the season, we see Meth Seth sitting outside of Monet's watching Justin. While it is entirely possible that Seth is following Justin in hopes of locating the whereabouts of Justin's mother, we don't buy that idea for second. We know Seth has a huge temper and has choked Justin on at least one occasion.

Plus, when Clay first brings Justin back to Evergreen County, Justin makes a big statement reminding the audience of the money he stole from home and saying that Seth would kill him if he returned. In our opinion, all of this means a violent clash between Justin and Seth lurks on the horizon — one that will probably involve bloodshed, legal action, and the Jensens.

In the final episode of season two, Clay tells Hannah Baker he loves her and bids her farewell. The physical manifestation of Hannah's spirit that's haunted him throughout the season then walks out the door and into the light.

Some have taken this as a sign that Clay has gotten past his anxiety. However, in a world where one out of five adult Americans suffer from a mental illness in a given year, issues such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder are all topics that may feed an important discussion in season three.