This Intense '13 Reasons Why' Theory Hints At An Even Darker Path For Clay

If I could predict anything about Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why, it would be that essentially everyone is going to face some seriously dark situations in the aftermath of Hannah's death. The season's trailer promises that no one will have a carefree semester of high school any time soon, but Clay might have the roughest experience of them all. This 13 Reasons Why Season 2 theory about Clay suggests that he has an intense path ahead of him that only emphasizes how the loss of Hannah has forever changed him.

In Season 1, viewers watched as Clay fell deeper down a rabbit hole of obsession about the terms of Hannah's suicide. Clay had an unrequited crush on Hannah during her life, making his commitment to listening to her audio tapes even sadder and more intense. Thanks to the Season 2 teaser footage, we know that Clay's devotion to the case is even stronger now, seemingly resulting in his hallucinations of Hannah throughout the season. Additionally, the new trailer hints that Clay learns how to shoot a gun, and one Reddit user's theory makes me wonder if Clay has a dangerous motive in mind when familiarizing himself with a weapon.

User FoGlrony points to the trailer's intense moment between Clay and Justin for evidence on his Season 2 inkling, writing:

There's a scene where Clay says 'I can't count on anyone anymore. I have to do this myself.' Justin responds with 'you don't' which Clay responds back with 'No one is going to get justice for her.' Clay is then shown to have a gun and see an hallucination of Hannah. My theory is that the Bakers lose the trial against Bryce and Clay's going to go shoot him to get revenge for Hannah.

Um, what?!

Given the current social and political climate circulating around guns, as well as the season's trailer hinting about a school shooting, Clay having a gun is definitely concerning. While the biggest pre-premiere mystery of Season 2 is definitely the meaning of those polaroids, Bryce's fate is also an underlying theme of the trailer.

The footage kicks off with Clay and Bryce locking eyes in the school hallway, and Bryce later sees "rapist" written across his locker, although Clay isn't the only kid who could have done this. After raping both Hannah and Jessica in Season 1, Bryce now faces a court case in the upcoming season, but fans have long suspected that one of Season 2's big twists will involve Bryce winning the case against the Bakers. Reddit commentator XavierSavior writes about the original theory:

The more clips and pics I see the more [I'm] convinced [Bryce] pulls a fast one on the court. Especially since his poster says 'The truth can be twisted' or something like that. Sounds like he manipulates the situation somehow.

If that outcome does occur, it would definitely make sense for Clay to lash out and want to avenge Hannah's death in a violent way. After all, he's been through so much emotional trauma and stress since losing her, and everyone has a breaking point. He could feel that nothing will be right again unless he takes immediate action against Bryce. While I bet that he learns how to shoot prior to Bryce's court case as a means of self-defense, Bryce's victory could persuade Clay to take matters into his own hands.

However, the trailer does suggest that Clay can't go through with shooting anyone, showing him with a gun in his hand and a teary-eyed Hannah watching him. Leave it to a vision of your long-lost crush to talk you out of fatally harming someone. Clay seeing Hannah just in the nick of time could always prevent this strong theory from coming true, but I could see the validity of each scenario happening.

Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why debuts on Netflix on Friday, May 18.