College Interview is the seventh episode of the fourth season of 13 Reasons Why and the forty-sixth episode of the series overal. It premiered on June 5, 2020.
Synopsis[]
Clay's mental health continues to decline as the friends wrestle with difficult emotions during their college admissions interviews.
Plot[]
Clay wakes up in hospital and says he has a college interview after possibly confessing to covering up a murder in his admission essay. However, he has to remain in the hospital under observation. Meanwhile, the rest of the students meet up with college recruits for their interviews.
In Tyler's interview, he admits to having a lot of struggles but his hope would be to start over. He wants to study photography in an arts school. When asked about his latest project about guns, Tyler explains that guns are beautiful but deadly. The fact that he put that into pictures, doesn't mean it's a good thing. He wants to get people to see and think why people feel attracted to guns but also fear them simultaneously.
Back at the hospital, Justin apologizes to Clay for not being there to help him. Clay says he's not crazy, he's just scared. Justin offers to stay with him, but Clay refuses saying he feels embarrassed.
Ani's back, and she walks in on Jessica and Diego as she ushers him out of the window. Meanwhile, Winston and Estela are on to something. From the playbook, Winston manages to deduce that Justin is involved in Bryce's murder and Jessica is in on the cover-up. Estela is skeptical about this because she thought Jessica was her friend.
Alex overhears Sheriff Diaz asking his dad about why he there isn't a recording of Ani's statement about Bryce's murder. Jessica confronts Principal Bolan about the security measures. Tony asks Tyler about why he tried to buy guns, but Tyler confronts Tony about him and Clay not trusting him after all the progress he made. Justin asks Jessica about why she's still seeing Diego; Jessica tells him it's to keep him away from the truth.
Clay has an accident at the hospital and as he goes to the bathroom to clean up, he takes his chance to escape. He meets up with Ani, who just returned from Oakland. Ani reveals that she rewrote and submitted Clay's college essay, which Clay had originally written about covering up a murder. Clay isn't appreciative; he accuses her of intruding on his life.
Charlie follows Alex around all day. Despite kissing the previous after the lockdown, Alex now rejects Charlie and tells him to stay away. He questions why Charlie even likes him. Meanwhile, Justin confronts Zach about telling Winston about his involvement in Bryce's murder.
At the Davis house, Ani apologizes to Jessica for sleeping with Bryce. She says that she was lonely and didn't think about the consequences. She also reveals that she's moving out and live with Tony and Caleb instead.
Clay is pacing at the park and eventually goes to Dr. Ellman's home, who agrees to talk with him at his office. He asks Clay to think of a time he felt safe and to remember that feeling. Clay tells about a time he was sick and his dad was there. Later, a relieved Mr. and Mrs. Jensen pick Clay up.
Jessica has a college interview and is asked about her experience with change. She tells about two friends who made decisions that they can't take back, referring to Hannah and Alex. During Alex' interview, he thinks he doesn't deserve to go to college. He thinks it because he killed Bryce, but the recruiter thinks he says that because of disabilities. Ani also has her college interview, where she talks about their friends only seeing what she wants them to see, and doesn't know who she really is.
At school, Deputy Standall informs Justin that his mother passed away, likely from an overdose. Justin says he's fine staying at school, but is later seen crying in the restrooms. During his college interview, he admits that he was addicted to heroin and did sex work and talks about how no one gave his mother a chance.
Tony is at the sheriff's station to meet with Officer Ted, and overhears some officers talking about a gun deal involving Tyler. He tells Clay about it and asks him for help, but Clay isn't doing well and doesn't think he can help right now.
During Clay's college interview, he says that his friends are the most important in his life and will always try to help them. He also says that he's really trying to do the right thing.
At the Jensen residence, Mr. and Mrs. Jensen talk to Justin about holding a funeral for his mom. Justin doesn't want to have one and screams at the Jensens when they continue making suggestions. He walks off to his bedroom, takes the sheets off the bed and sits down crying.
Ani meets up with Mrs. Walker, the two of them have been keeping in touch. Ani breaks down crying as she says she feels like she's failing. Mrs. Walker offers her Bryce's college fund, which Ani tries to reject. Meanwhile, Alex is seen secretly taking a picture of them.
Zach calls out Diego with other football players and Winston to the pier to tell them the truth. He instead taunts and infuriates Diego causing him to beat him but doesn't fight back. While he gets punched he visions himself punching the night he killed Bryce.
Clay suddenly shows up and gets in Tony's car while he is waiting for Tyler's arrival in order for the mistaken gun dealing to happen. At first Tony thinks Tyler and the police dropped out of the plan, but then Tyler comes into view. Tony and Clay chase after Tyler just as he meets the gun dealer, frantically ask him to come with them and leave the scene. The police sirens come up, they get panic and the gun dealer points his gun at Tyler's head. The episode ends with the gun goes off in Clay's direction as he keeps shouting not to shoot Tyler.
Cast[]
Quotes[]
| “ | I'm not crazy. I'm just scared. | ” |
| — Clay to Justin |
| “ | I had two friends. Two very different friends. Two people I love... who each had a moment... in their lives when they looked in their world and saw that nothing was ever gonna change. Ever. And they each made a decision in that one moment. One terrible, painful decision that they could never take back. And that's what brought the change. Painful... awful... change. | ” |
| — Jessica talking about change in her college interview |
- Ani: "The truth is, I don't think my friends would have any idea how to describe me. When they... when they look at me, they only see what I want them to see. Just like you're only seeing what I want you to see, which, frankly, isn't the real me at all."
- Interviewer: "Then who are you?"
- Ani: "I don't know."
- ― Ani how her friends see her in her college interview
- Interviewer: "Your mother has also struggled with addiction?"
- Justin: "She, um... Yeah, she has."
- Interviewer: "You have shown such fortitude. That will serve you well in college."
- Justin: "Or did I just get really lucky? That I got out? She never did. No one ever gave her a fucking chance. Maybe "fortitude..." has fuck-all to do with it, and it really is all about circumstances."
- ― Justin about his mother in his college interview
| “ | I've made a lot of mistakes, some bad choices, and I don't always... I don't always think things through. But I know that if a friend needs me, or is in danger, or anything, if there is anything I can do to help them, I will. I'm really... really trying to do the right thing. I am. Even when it's not clear what that is. 'Cause I don't want to live my life based on someone else's idea of... what's right, or what's moral, or what's good. I want to figure it out for myself. Even if I make mistakes along the way. And the one thing I know... is it is never wrong to care about your friends. It's never wrong to be a human being and love someone as well as you can. | ” |
| — Clay in his college interview about what's most important to him |
- Justin: "He left? You mean he escaped?"
- Diaz: "Yes"
- Justin: "How?"
- Diaz: "Still unclear, Justin I know that Clay and I have history, but I am still here for him. And I’m worried. He’s in a fragile mental state."
- Justin: "Yeah, you can thank Bolan for that."
- Diaz: "It’s not safe for him to be alone right now. He could act out violently."
- Justin: "He wouldn’t hurt anyone."
- Hansen: "Not even himself?"
- Diaz: "Do you know where Clay is?"
- Justin: "I have no idea, but anywhere’s safe than this school."
- ― Justin, Sherrif Diaz and Hansen Foundry
Trivia[]
- This episode reveals that Amber Foley passed away.
- Jessica talks about two of her friends in her interview but doesn't mention their names. She is actually talking about Hannah Baker and Alex Standall. The life-changing decisions of her friends she's talking about that 'they could never take back' can be Hannah and Alex's suicide/suicide attempts, but it's more likely that it's Alex's decision to kill Bryce in Alex's case, as Alex actually survived his suicide attempt and that can be considered as 'taking it back', while Bryce's death cannot be taken back.
Multimedia[]
Soundtrack[]
| Song | Artist | Album | Scene |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme Song: "Oh In This World Of Dread, Carry On" by Eskmo | |||
| "TBA" | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| "TBA" | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| "TBA" | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| "TBA" | TBA | TBA | TBA |
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