Summary
13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 2, “If You’re Breathing, You’re a Liar” explores Chloe’s secret, and provides salient messages about the horrors of getting an abortion.
This recap of 13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 2, “If You’re Breathing, You’re a Liar” contains significant spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
Episode 2 kicks off in present-day; Clay is only worried about himself, and he’s not attending Tyler’s issues. The flashbacks reveal he was more caring, even building a schedule for Tyler between the group to look after him. Clay is a man of mystery in Season 3 early on, and angrier than ever.
“If You’re Breathing, You’re a Liar” explores the intense hatred between Zach and Bryce; Zach did not tell anyone that Bryce intentionally caused the knee injuries. The flashbacks reveal that Zach was made the captain of the football team, with protests coming from Monty.
The most important message of Episode 2 was Chloe’s story; once Ani and Clay find out Chloe was pregnant with Bryce’s baby, they visit her. Flashbacks reveal how she still loved Bryce, but she leaned on Zach for support when she opted for an abortion. Bryce’s mother seemed to have guessed, but she still goes to the clinic, escorted by Zach. There’s a dreadful scene where protestors outside of the clinic try to stop her.
What’s incredible about the abortion storyline is the irony; a month after 13 Reasons Why decide to cut the suicide scene from the first season, the third season creates a scene where you witness Chloe experiencing the abortion; the anguish on her face, the sound of the machinery. The Netflix series does not do moments in halves. The question is; did Bryce take it out on Zach’s knee due to Chloe? The story suggests Bryce did not know about the pregnancy.
The story then moves to Tyler, who is affected by Bryce going missing and keeps continuously repeating a voicemail from her, while taking photos of himself with his top off. We don’t know what this symbolises yet.
Ani tells Clay where she lives in a flashback, and we learn how Ani saw Bryce; she saw someone in pain, experiencing a hard time of Hillcrest, where he is known as a rapist.
I was not sure how I felt with the series angling towards sympathising with a jock who raped multiple girls, but as 13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 2, “If You’re Breathing, You’re a Liar” ends, Bryce’s dead body is found in the water. Ani implies Jessica got to him first.
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Missing Tape Recordings
- Clay keeps having nightmares about Tyler and Bryce.
- Nora believes Clay is lying to the police
- Flashback; Zach is Chloe’s “Hero”, but still Bryce’s girlfriend. Clay confronts Zach about it.
- Monty continues to threaten Alex.
- Present-day; a man watches the footballers train and seems to know Justin.
- Jessica reveals a jock raped her in her presidential speech. She’s no longer staying quiet publically.
You can read the recap of the third episode by clicking these words.
