Entertainment

Clay Barely Made It Through '13 Reasons Why' Season 3

by Nicole Pomarico
David Moir/Netflix

Spoilers ahead for 13 Reasons Why Season 3. Ever since the first trailer for 13 Reasons Why was released earlier this summer, it's been clear that the focus of the show's third season would be on one big mystery: Who killed Bryce Walker? The answer to that question isn't revealed until the finale, but for a while, it seems like Liberty High's resident good guy could be the one who goes down for it. So what happens to Clay on 13 Reasons Why? Does he end up proving his innocence? Is he even as innocent as he claims?

From the very beginning of the season, there seems to be at least some level of suspicion that Clay is responsible for Bryce's death, especially in the eyes of the police. He's detained and questioned in the beginning, but so are many of the other students at Liberty, and although he's released, that's just the beginning of the ordeal for him — somehow, things just keep getting worse, and he and his friends continue to question if someone among them is the killer.

Even though Clay maintains his innocence, the evidence against him just keeps stacking up, and that leads to him becoming a person of interest in Bryce's case.

After Bryce's body is found in the water by Navy Pier, Clay starts looking more and more guilty. His fingerprints are found on Bryce's car, which was left at the crime scene, and police uncover security footage of the time Clay confronted Bryce at gunpoint, as well as the incriminating texts he sent to Bryce saying he wanted to kill him. With the evidence mounting, Clay's family hires the same lawyer who represented the Bakers in their lawsuit against the school district.

Unfortunately, he's not able to stop police from obtaining a warrant to search Clay's house, and they discover through phone records that he was driving near the area where Bryce was found dead on the night that he died. Clay is then arrested at the assembly where Jessica was supposed to apologize to the Hillcrest players for everything that happened at the game, and for a while, it seems like Clay will, indeed, end up going to trial for Bryce's murder.

David Moir/Netflix

Fortunately, Ani ends up proving Clay's innocence by telling police he was with her and instead framing Monty, who dies in jail, for the murder. So, Clay is released, and everything turns out OK — well, as "OK" as it can be for someone who was accused of murder on top of coping with everything else that's happened to him. Although multiple people in Clay's group of friends ended up being directly involved in Bryce's death, he wasn't one of them.

And now that his name has been cleared and the mystery has been solved, his story will be continued in Season 4... which Netflix will hopefully release ASAP.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.