Summary
Episode 4 is a quite possibly the most bonkers chapter the series has ever created and not for good reasons.
This recap of Netflix series 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” contains significant spoilers.
How does 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” open?
Episode 4 begins at the church again with Charlie giving a speech on “getting through this”. Meanwhile, Sheriff Diaz is looking at the footage of Clay falling for the prank, believing there’s a link to Monty. The school board vote on whether Clay and Diego can go to the senior camping trip. The vote goes in their favour but Jessica doesn’t think Clay should go on the trip. Clay feels ousted by everyone at school after a two-week suspension; Ani tells Clay that Alex is spending a lot of time with Winston. Therapist Ellman asks Clay how he responds to his anxiety and whether he’s tried to stop running from it. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” sees Clay trying to face his anxiety head-on.
The email
The group of friends get a suspicious email by an unknown sender saying that they need to confess or it will be revealed at the Senior Camping Trip. The email came from Clay’s account but he denies it was him and states he must have been hacked. Justin suggests not going on the trip. Things take a turn for the worse when Clay’s mother reveals she’s off to the camping trip as well.
Confrontation
Clay confronts Diego accusing him of hacking his email account. He then confronts Alex about dating Winston saying Winston had a sexual relationship with Monty. Clay tells Alex it isn’t safe for him to be around Winston. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” sees Clay trying to take control of the situation. Alex tells Winston they cannot see each other anymore. Meanwhile, Tony asks Tyler why he was with officer Standall at the dance. Tyler claims he needed to talk to someone so he rang him. This was not a believable story by Tyler.
Campfire
Clay’s mother asks the group who they trust the most and why. Diego answers first, saying he trusted Monty the most and that he knows his boys have his back — “I miss him”. It’s evident in this scene that the football players are trying to regain control of the narrative.
Camp activities
The group are sent on an adventure in pairs. Clay and Justin argue about the email and as Clay walks off, Justin suddenly disappears. Alex is paired with Jessica and she tells him she’s keeping tabs on Diego. Clay walks around the woods looking for Justin, shouting his name. Suddenly, Clay is captured by someone. Justin is looking for Clay and he keeps hearing screaming. The football players throw Clay down a hole.
Hospital
13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” continues this trippy thriller as Clay suddenly wakes up in the hospital, which suddenly turns into a school. He sees a conversation between himself and Monty where Monty talks about why he did what he did to Tyler; rage and anger overtaking him. Monty tells Clay who killed him in the jail. Clay asks for forgiveness. Clay is dreaming; the final season enjoys exploring these intense dreams for some reason.
The lake
While on the boat with Zach, Alex falls into the lake by accident and he sees Monty. Zach helps him out of the lake. Alex tells Zach that “sh*t is so f*cked up”. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” confirms Alex is also battling with demons as well.
Pretending to be my friend
Tyler tells Winston that he never told him he was friends with Monty and that he was using him. Winston admits he knew Monty “a little bit” and that he didn’t raise that he knew Monty because of what he did to Tyler. This was not an entirely convincing statement by Winston.
F*cking with the football team
As the football team start walking through the woods, a jacket drops from one of the trees that has blood on it. Diego tells Justin that they planned some pranks but something is happening in the woods that this isn’t the football team’s pranks. As Jessica walks through the woods, she sees Bryce. Bugs start crawling all over his face.
Night falls
The students are freaking out about the events in the woods. Justin, Jessica and Diego are stuck in a cabin with others and strange things keep happening. Zach finds them and wants to talk. Clay is at the bottom of the hole and sees strange markings on the wall. He sees a rope that will help him get out. Zach reveals to Tony, Jessica, Justin and Charlie that Winston is Monty’s alibi and Winston knows that Monty did not kill Bryce. Standall turns up and brings them back to camp.
How does 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 4, “Senior Camping Trip” end?
Clay returns to the camp and starts accusing everyone of throwing him down the hole. At the campfire, Clay’s mother asks everyone “how has this weekend changed them and what memories will they take”. She asks Clay to speak — Clay says that his friends will be friends for life, a bond that can never be broken. Alex then speaks up and says he hated camping and everyone laughs. And then the big moment; Winston asks Alex which one of his friends killed Bryce. Episode 4 is quite possibly the most bonkers chapter the series has ever created and not for good reasons. This whole trippy, haunted woods scenario was completely unnecessary.
Additional points
- Ani questions Jessica’s fling with Diego and warns her about Diego’s suspicion regarding Monty.
- Ani’s mother is hurt and in the hospital so she asks Jessica to look after Diego and Clay on the camping trip.
- Alex tells Zach that he thought he found happiness. Zach tells Alex that letting yourself free makes you happy.
- Charlie tells Alex that he’s a good person.
