Summary
13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 9, “Always Waiting for the Next Bad News” shows how the spotlight on Clay also puts the focus on Justin as well.
This recap of 13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 9, “Always Waiting for the Next Bad News” contains significant spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
With the whole world now focusing in on Clay, Justin’s name is also in the spotlight. They are close friends, so it is only natural. Episode 9, “Always Waiting for the Next Bad News” shows the extent of Justin’s drug addiction, a condition we believe he overcame once before, but clearly not.
The cops also name Clay as the Person of Interest in the murder, with the Sheriff holding a press conference. His lawyer claims it’s tactical, to put on the pressure. Clay is adamant he should still go to school and realises the true scope of his situation when a journalist tracks him down while drinking coffee.
But the truth to Justin and his drug addiction reaches back to Bryce. We learn in Episode 9 that Bryce bailed out Justin with his drug dealer. Bryce gave the drug dealer Seth the debt owed, to keep him off his back. It does seem while Bryce was ousted, he was trying to solve everyone’s issues. On the other hand, Bryce did give Justin the Oxy, but it’s almost like he did it for Justin’s company.
Justin shares a text from Seth to Ani and Clay, where Seth was threatening to go after him. Justin theorises that he might be Bryce’s killer, so they try to seek evidence – they find Bryce’s watch, which may indicate that it was none of the main characters at all.
But in a gut-punching moment, Clay finds Justin taking drugs in his room. All those times he has defended Justin and believed him were shattered at this moment. This spurs a memory back at a football game, where drug tests would be performed after. Justin plays terribly, and he confesses to Zach during the game that he will not pass the test.
With Clay knowing the full truth, he reckons Bryce used Justin, but Justin thinks the opposite; he believes he used Bryce. Justin explains after Homecoming that he went to the docks to take drugs. The two friends share a bromance moment, telling each other of their love, and always having each other’s back.
13 Reasons Why Season 3, Episode 9, “Always Waiting for the Next Bad News” ends with Mrs Baker calling Clay. She wants to talk. Ani narrates that, “it’s about to get complicated. Oh S***, we don’t have another suspect, do we?
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Missing Tape Recordings
- Monty confronts Justin in the gym about the pills.
- Justin and Jessica agree to continue their relationship, kissing publically.
- In a flashback, Jessica tries to cut the funding down on the football, but Justin convinces her that football saved him.
- Due to the ongoing case, Clay’s parents cannot adopt Justin.
- Tyler gives Clay heartfelt advice regarding the whole world against him, relating it to his experiences.
- There’s an emotional flashback when Clay tells Ani that it is Hannah’s anniversary.
You can read the recap of the tenth episode by clicking these words.
