This Detail About Monty Will Be A Huge Part Of '13 Reasons Why' Season 4

Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why may have centered on Bryce Walker, but the finale seemed to suggest that Bryce's ever-loyal lackey Montgomery de la Cruz will actually be the pivotal character leading into the teen drama's fourth and final season. Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers from throughout Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why. After shocking everyone with his despicable acts in the Season 2 finale, the new season explored Monty's personal life much more, and Monty and Winston's storyline on 13 Reasons Why led to what is potentially the most game-changing twist for Season 4.

In Season 2, everyone was shocked to find out just how depraved Monty really was, as he secretly terrorized everyone at Liberty High to keep them from testifying against Bryce, and then used a mop handle to rape Tyler after viciously beating him in the school bathroom. He remained as cruel as ever in Season 3, but the new season also explored his internal life for the first time, shedding light on some of the root causes of his unforgivable aggro behaviors. As hinted at a bit throughout last season, in this new season viewers explicitly saw that Monty greatly struggled to come to terms with his sexuality. And that was not helped by the extreme homophobia his father frequently expressed.

Monty's conflicted feelings about his sexual orientation became evident in a flashback scene in which Bryce brought Monty with him to a party. While trying to find a bathroom, Monty wandered into a bedroom and met Winston, who shut the door and started hooking up with Monty. But afterward, when Winston tried to talk to Monty in front of other partygoers, Monty lashed out for fear of being outed and started beating up Winston.

At the end of the season, Monty was thrown in jail after Tyler worked up the bravery to report his sexual assault to the police. The last viewers saw of Monty was a visitation from his father, where Monty finally came out, only for his father to spit in his face. After that, news got out that Monty was killed in prison, and Ani used his death as an opportunity to pin Bryce's murder on him and bring the investigation to an end, saving prime suspect Clay and actual murderer Alex from any more danger.

As Season 3 came to an end, it seemed like Ani's quick thinking and skill at lying had totally saved the day, but there was still one major snag in her plan: Winston. It turned out, Monty actually did have an alibi for Bryce's murder because he went to Winston's house after homecoming and spent the night there. In the final moments of the season, Winston confronted Ani, telling her he knew she lied about Monty and Monty did not deserve to take the fall for Bryce's murder. Heading into Season 4, it is clear Winston really holds all the cards as he could clear Monty's name and reopen the investigation if he decides to go to the police. And that means that Clay, Alex, Jess, and now Ani, who knowingly filed a false report, could be in big trouble yet again.

Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why is on Netflix now.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.