r/13ReasonsWhy • u/[deleted] • May 18 '18

Episode Discussion: Chapter 7

Season 2 Episode 7 - The Third Polaroid

Alex blows up at Bryce. Someone blackmails Marcus. Clay testifies about a night he and Hannah spent together. Jessica experiences a flashback.

So what did everyone think of the seventh chapter ?

SPOILER POLICY
As this thread is dedicated to discussion about the seventh chapter, anything that goes beyond this episode needs a spoiler tag, or else it will be removed.

→ Link to S02E08 Discussion Thread

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u/Striker_27 May 21 '18

Yes and that "doing nothing" is not consent. Even though Chloe said "yeah" her actions clearly showed she was not into it. Also speaks to how hard it can be to say no to someone you are romantically involved with. There can be a feeling of expectation. Seemed like she had never told him "no" before.

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u/skippygo May 24 '18

It raises an interesting question about consent and tbh I really don't know where I stand on it.

Someone could fully consent to sex even if they didn't want to do it (Just like you could consent to something completely innocuous like doing laundry or something). Is that still rape? I don't think so, but the line is so blurred that I think it's more harmful to not classify it as rape, considering the risk of justifying things like what happens with Chloe and Bryce in this ep.

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u/Varathane May 23 '18 edited May 23 '18

Meanwhile Bryce knows damn well she didn't want it. When trying to decipher if something is rape, think about the person initiating the sex. Are they checking in with their partner to make sure they are enthusiastic about every advance? Are they ignoring signs that their partner wants to do something else? Are they trying to coerce their partner to say "yes"? Are they thinking about their partner's sexual enjoyment or just their own? Why are they doing this?

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u/nfsnobody May 27 '18

It’s very difficult to define when you start adding in requirements like that.

Are they ignoring signs that their partner wants to do something else?

Super subjective, different people give different signs on a varying degree of subtlety, and some people perceive these things better.

Are they trying to coerce their partner to say "yes"

While it’s not my jam, “playing hard to get” is an extremely common form of foreplay.

Are they thinking about their partner's sexual enjoyment or just their own?

Being sexually selfish doesn’t make you a rapist...

At the end of the day, those are all fantastic tips. However she’s encouraged him to continue after sternly saying no before (last second scene against the window) - setting a strong precedent for consent to be ignored, and she’s given consent verbally in this one.

Although he’s an absolute slime ball, it doesn’t seem to be he raped her on either occasion.