Since 13 Reasons Why premiered in March 2017, we've grown quite fond of Dylan Minnette, but we still have mixed feelings about his character, Clay Jensen. Even though his unwavering affection for Hannah is endearing, the amount of time he takes to listen to the tapes she leaves behind in season one is incredibly infuriating. Seriously, in the book he gets through them in one night. Of course, when he finally comes around to listening to fated tape number 11, it's packed with emotion — just not in the way we originally expected. As you get ready to binge watch season two, here's a little refresher for why Clay is on the tapes to begin with.
Unlike the rest of his classmates, Clay actually isn't a cause of Hannah's death, but he is a catalyst for a series of traumatic events. His tape picks up right where number 10 leaves off: Jessica's party. Even though Hannah is originally going to skip it, she decides to go after a little nudging from Clay. The two act like awkward lovestruck teenagers the whole night, until at last, they finally hold hands and head upstairs to escape the crowded group of people. They share a kiss, and for a moment, you think Hannah might actually get the fresh start she's been so desperately craving — and that's when Hannah's memories of past relationships come flooding back.
Soon, Clay's hand becomes Marcus's gliding up her skirt at the diner and his lips become Justin's kissing her on the slide. It's all too much for Hannah to take, and she quickly pushes Clay away, ordering him to stop. Confused, Clay tries to comfort her, asking if he did something wrong, but she only gets angrier. She orders him to leave again, only this time, he listens. A few moments later, Jessica and Justin walk in, and you already know what happens after that. On the tapes, Hannah admits that she doesn't blame Clay for her death. She simply needs him to hear her side of the story. And there you have it. Clay didn't kill Hannah Baker, after all.
