13 Reasons Why season 4 ending explained

From satisfying character conclusions to tragic deaths – here's everything that happened at the end of season four...

13 Reasons Why season 4 ending explained – what happened in the final episode?

After a dramatic season, which saw Clay enter dissociative states whilst vandalising the school, a traumatic school shooting drill, a school walkout which turned violent and multiple college admission essays, the Liberty High seniors finally graduated and moved on from Bryce's death.

After prom was cancelled due to the school walkout, the group agrees to finally open up a little bit to their parents in order to get them off their backs. Clay confesses to his parents that he was the one vandalising the school, Justin admits that he relapsed, Charlie tells his dad that he is bisexual and Alex tells his family that Charlie is his boyfriend. As a result, the group get to go to prom, where Alex and Charlie are crowned prom kings. However, tragedy strikes when Justin, who is finally reunited with Jessica, collapses on the dance floor.

Justin is taken to hospital, where doctors diagnose him with AIDS, citing his drug use and prostitution whilst homeless as the cause. As a result, Justin contracts pneumonia and meningitis, but gets to say goodbye to his friends before passing away, with Jessica confessing her love to him once more.

Clay suffers another mental breakdown upon hearing of Justin's terminal state, running to the police station and falsely telling officers that he has a gun before being talked down by Sheriff Diaz and taken back to see his therapist, Dr. Ellman. He reveals to Dr. Ellman that he just wanted someone to know how much he was hurting. Upon returning home, Clay finds that Olivia Baker, Hannah Baker's mother, has sent him the seven cassette tapes from season one, as she feels that him and Tony should keep them.

Meanwhile, Alex asks to meet with his former flame Winston, who thinks it was Jessica who killed Bryce and is prepared to go to the police. However, Alex confesses to Bryce's murder, shocking Winston with an explanation of why he did it and how much he regrets his actions. Winston chooses not to reveal the truth, as he is still in love with Alex.

At the police station, Sheriff Diaz informs Deputy Standall that he is officially closing Bryce's murder case, with a relieved Standall thanking him.

The Liberty High seniors then attend their graduation, with Jessica, the school body president, and Clay, who was chosen to be a speaker by the other students, delivering speeches. At graduation, Clay sees Hannah Baker for the last time. After graduation, the subjects of Hannah Baker's tapes, including Ryan Shaver and Courtney Crimsen, bury Hannah's tapes together and promise to always be there for one another. Jessica sees Bryce a final time, who says that it was his actions that brought them all together.

Back at home, Clay finds Justin's college admissions essay, in which he writes that Clay was the main positive influence in his life and that he considered him a brother. Clay, who decides to continue therapy, then packs up his things for college and leaves town to help Tony prepare for university.

What are the group's future plans?

It is revealed in the last episode that Clay was accepted into Brown University, while Jessica is set to head off to Berkeley University after writing about "causing riots, stripping naked, getting suspended" in her admissions essay.

Tony is reunited with his sister at his graduation and decides to take up a boxing scholarship at a college in Nevada, while Tyler is going to photography school but plans to return to Crestmont every weekend to see Estela de la Cruz, his girlfriend.

Although Zach was initially set to return to Liberty High as a football coach, he reveals at graduation that he was accepted into music school, to study guitar and voice, while Alex is heading to Berkeley University and Ani is set to go to Stanford.

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13 Reasons Why seasons 1-4 are now available on Netflix – check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide