Summary
13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” is an opportunity for the characters to learn who they truly are.
This recap of Netflix series 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” contains significant spoilers.
How do 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” open?
Episode 7 begins with Clay strapped to a hospital bed and he tells the nurse that he’s got a college interview “today”.
In Tyler’s college interview he shows his “elegant” photos of guns; he said his photos are to get people thinking — why do people feel attracted to guns but also fear them at the same time? 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” gives a salient message.
Keeping Cray in hospital and Winston’s investigation
Cray is not allowed to leave the hospital and has to stay under observation. Justin apologizes that everything has gone wrong; Cray says he is feeling embarrassed. Winston continues to investigate Bryce’s death with Estella and that he thinks Jessica knows. Diaz is also looking into the case and asks Alex’s father for some information.
Jessica tries arguing Cray’s case and says he isn’t safer now — Boland justifies the lockdown and thinks more is happening than just the lockdown in Cray’s head. Meanwhile, Tyler is fuming at Tony regarding his sharing of the evidence of the guns — “You could have ruined my life”.
Diego investigates
Episode 7 sees Diego becoming the investigator now. He confronts Zach about the “real story” surrounding Bryce. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” sees Winston’s influence and the real story squeezing out slowly.
Escape
Clay clearly doesn’t like the hospital and finds a way to escape. The nurse naively unstrapped his bed. Ani meets up with Clay and she asks how he’s doing. Ani tells Clay that she rewrote his college application essay before he submitted it. Clay is frustrated and asks Ani when is she going to stop running people’s lives. Ani walks off and says “now” and is disappointed Clay didn’t ask about her mother.
Fix this
With news leaking around the group, Justin tells Zach that he must fix things with Diego so he stops looking into their secret.
Visiting the therapist
With Clay still missing, he visits his therapist and asks him to make the buzzing in his head stop. Ellman agrees to sit with him to talk; Clay relives the time when he had a crazy fever and his father was stroking the hair on his head and looked worried — “I was glad he was there”. Ellman reminds Clay that there are people out there that want him to do well and are there for him. Clay’s parents pick him up and he’s agreed to see his therapist twice a week. Clay returns home and goes to bed. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” sees some light for Clay as he’s reminded that in the darkness, people care.
Moving out
Ani tells Jessica she’s moving out; she admits that what she did with Bryce was unforgivable and that she’s sorry — she admits she was lonely and didn’t think about the consequences.
Justin learns some sad news
Justin learns that his real mother has passed away from officer Standall. He seems quite composed about the news but he doesn’t seem surprised — there’s evidence that his mother overdosed.
Greatest strength
In Ani’s college interview, she’s asked what her greatest strength is, and initially, she says loyalty but then backtracks. The interviewer asks, “Then who are you?” Ani sobs and says, “I don’t know”. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” evidently shows Ani has lost her own identity amongst the chaos.
The trap
Tony asks Clay for help regarding Tyler as he’s walking in a trap. Clay says he’s grounded forever. Tony says if Tyler goes down it’s over for all of them and is surprised that Clay has given up. Clay says it’s already over.
Personal challenges
In Justin’s college interview he admits to being addicted to heroin and having sex with men for money. The interviewer also asks about his mother. Justin explains that no-one gave his mother a chance and that it’s down to circumstances.
Why would you like someone like me?
For most of episode 7, Alex keeps questioning why Charlie likes him. Alex says he is not a good person with a brain injury and that he’s not confident — he asks Charlie not to follow him. In 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” insecurities are rife, realizing that someone genuinely likes him.
My friends
In Clay’s college interview, the interviewer asks what is most important to him and he immediately responds, “My friends”. Clay admits he’s made a lot of mistakes but he’d do anything for his friends — “I’m really trying to do the right thing”. Clay firmly says it’s never wrong to care about your friends and love another human being.
How does 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” end?
Clay’s parents ask Justin what he wants to do for his mother’s funeral. Justin has an angry outburst saying he doesn’t want anything and walks to his room to sob. Bryce’s mother tells Ani that she wants to put Bryce’s money to good use and wants to help fund Ani’s studies –“You deserve to build the kind of future you want for yourself”. Alex is outside taking photos of Ani and Bryce’s mother.
Zach meets up with the football players near the harbor. He says to Diego very slowly, “f*ck you”. He tells all of Diego’s friends to “suck his giant d*ck”. Diego starts beating him. Zach tells Diego that he killed Bryce but in a joking way — as Diego beats him, Zach asks him to hit harder. As episode 7 ends, Clay changes his mind to help Tony. They watch as Tyler is about to enter a trap with the weapons dealer and they chase after him to encourage him to leave. The police arrive and the gun dealer fires his gun. 13 Reasons Why season 4, episode 7, “College Interview” is an opportunity for the characters to learn who they truly are.
Additional points
- In Jessica’s college interview, she admits that change is never easy and is usually brought on by pain.
- Alex feels like he messed up his college interview and takes it out on Charlie.
