Fans are gearing up for the release of season 2 of 13 Reasons Why on Netflix this Friday, May 18, and one of the things that many (including showrunner Brian Yorkey) have been hoping for is consequences for rapist Bryce Walker. While we’ll have to wait a couple more days to see how it all goes down, we do know that this season takes a closer look at Bryce’s home life, including his relationship with his parents.
According to Seventeen, Jake Weber and Brenda Strong will play Barry and Nora Walker, respectively. Justin Prentice, who plays Bryce, said this family dynamic will illuminate some of Bryce’s actions and motivations. “Perhaps Bryce’s father is similar, if not worse,” he told Seventeen. “A lot of [the back story] was about the father—the father figure being very similar to Bryce, and that’s where he gets a lot of his pointers from.”
This makes sense seeing as it wouldn’t be realistic for Bryce’s character to exist in a vacuum and become the way he is without some influence.
There’s not much info about Bryce’s mother yet, but if she’s married to the man that shaped Bryce into who she is, she’s either complicit or a victim. It’ll be interesting to see her on-screen interactions with her son and husband. But if season 2 is anything like season 1, the show will probably keep us guessing until the end.
I only hope that this insight provides an explanation, rather than an excuse, for Bryce’s crimes. Even if much of his awfulness can be traced back to his parents, we shouldn’t start feeling sorry for a rapist.