Summary
13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 7, “There Are a Number of Problems with Clay Jensen” delves into Clay and his fight to prove his innocence.
This recap of 13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 7, “There Are a Number of Problems with Clay Jensen” contains significant spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
Since the birth of this character, Clay has always been complicated. Since we learned that Hannah loved him, I always wondered if that would break Clay. He’s now a suspect, and the verdict is out on whether he could be capable of murder.
Episode 7 opens with the police interrogating Justin and Clay about the night Clay pulled a gun on Bryce. Ani is shocked about the footage of Clay. It turns out she knew very little about him, after forming a good friendship. Clay never told Ani about Hannah and the tapes, and she learns how invasive Clay became when he was investigating Hannah’s death.
I did feel that “There Are a Number of Problems with Clay Jensen” was a random attack on the character. Clay does seem the unlikeliest character to carry out the murder, but if the “glove fits” in the plot, then it does not look entirely out of place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFZLxuBDBdc
But Clay’s personality is tested even further in Episode 7 when he realises Ani and Bryce’s bond ran deeper than what he saw. The police reveal knickers found in Bryce’s room — Ani’s knickers — and semen was identified in the DNA test. The cops think Clay loves Ani, and during the interview, Ani reveals that Clay got jealous very quickly using the narration.
It does turn out, despite Season 3 keeping it somewhat hidden, that Clay does have feelings for Ani, and one time they did kiss. The only issue is, Ani did not hate Bryce; in fact, she really liked him. She lies to the police about her relationship with Bryce in the first interrogation.
The groundbreaking moment arrived when Clay confronts Ani about Bryce. She wickedly claims that “only Clay Jensen gets to decide who needs saving and who doesn’t” when discussing the differences between Bryce and Tyler. Ani presses Clay about what happened after Homecoming.
We are then served a flashback to when Ani and Bryce were out having fun; that night they had sex, which spawned many nights of sleeping together. Ani lied about Bryce initially, to everyone, even the police, but in the second interrogation, she tells the truth and believes it may have been a motive for Clay.
13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 7, “There Are a Number of Problems with Clay Jensen” ends with Clay’s mother believing he may have done it. When Clay returns home, dramatically dripping wet from the rain, he catches Ani in his room, and she steps back. Clay asks if she’s afraid of him.
I’m not sure — I don’t think Clay did it.
If you are in crisis or affected by the show, reach out for help — go to 13reasonswhy.info and talk to someone.
Missing Tape Recordings
- Ani tells Nora Walker that he doesn’t know Clay very well.
- Tyler defends Clay because he was there for him.
- Jessica condemns the protest at the activist group — they know she is back with Justin.
- Justin accuses Ani of having sex with Bryce when she confronts him about Clay. It seems everyone suspected it.
You can read the recap of the eighth episode by clicking these words.
