Warning: Spoilers for seasons one and two plus references to suicide.

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Netflix's controversial hit drama 13 Reasons Why is coming back for a third season.

Following last season's dramatic cliffhanger ending, fans have been clamouring to find out what will happen to Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) and his classmates at Liberty High School following a failed school shooting.

With the release of a new trailer we also know the season will focus on a murder mystery as [Spoiler] is killed. The show has also been renewed for a fourth - and final - season. Here's everything you need to know about 13 Reasons Why season three.

Warning spoilers ahead.

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Is there a trailer for 13 Reasons Why season 3?

Yes, you can watch it below. Netflix also released a season one recap on its YouTube channel for those who need to get back up to speed. The new trailer, released in August, reveals season three will focus on a murder mystery after the death of Bryce, and that Clay Jensen is the prime suspect...

When is 13 Reasons Why season 3 released on Netflix?

Netflix has confirmed 13 Reasons Why season three's release date is 23rd August, meaning we get new episodes sooner than anticipated.

It was previously thought season 3 would be released later in the year after actor Zach Prusack, who is set to play a minor role, announced on Twitter it would drop in October 2019. Season one and two both launched around springtime (in March 2017 and May 2018 respectively).

We also now know that 13 Reasons Why will get a season 4, but that will be its final season. Netflix said the show would come to its "natural conclusion".

Who is in the cast for 13 Reasons Why season 3?

The main cast is returning including regular members Minnette (Clay), Justin Prentice (Bryce Walker), Christian Navarro (Tony Padilla), Alisha Boe (Jessica Davis) and Brandon Flynn (Justin Foley).

The show also stars Christian Navarro, Miles Heizer, Devin Druid, Ross Butler, Anne Winters, Steven Weber, Amy Hargreaves and Grace Saif.

Katherine Langford, who played Hannah Baker in the first two series, confirmed during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that her character is "wrapped". The star also shared a post on Instagram which read: "'Hannah ...I love you...and I let you go' Those are the words I was able to say six months ago, and now can finally share with you."

“I mean, the show’s alway’s going to be such a special part of my life, so if they want to bring me back as a zombie or something," she joked when Kimmel pressed her on whether Hannah would ever return.

Brenda Strong (Bryce's mother, Nora Walker) has been promoted to a series regular. Joining her is Timothy Granaderos, also promoted to a series regular, who plays school bully Montgomery de la Cruz.

It's not yet known whether season three will see any new characters introduced — the previous season saw the arrival of seven new faces.

What has happened so far in 13 Reasons Why?

The controversial series was originally based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, but from the second season onwards has been an original story.

Season three will be a whodunnit as the trailer revealed Bryce has been killed. Fans will remember him as the jock who raped Hannah and Jessica in season one and was on trial in season two.

Clay actor Dylan Minnette teased what's to come on Twitter.

Season one revealed the titular 13 reasons — or rather, 13 people — that led to school girl Hannah's death by suicide. Each reason is documented in a series of cassette tapes, and we follow Clay, Hannah's former love interest, as he listens to the tapes and learns about the darker underbelly of Liberty High School.

Season two saw Clay persistently haunted by Hanna's spirit, while elsewhere her mother took Liberty High to trial over Hannah's suicide, and Bryce was tried for Jessica's rape and eventually sentenced to three months probation.

How did 13 Reasons Why season 2 end?

In the season finale, troubled student Tyler Down (Devin Druid) was sexually assaulted by Montgomery in one of the series' most brutal and controversial moments, and it proved the final straw for Tyler, who had been amassing a cache of assault weapons in preparation for a school shooting.

In the final, tense scenes outside of the school, we saw Clay manage to talk Tyler down from carrying out his deadly plan: “If you really think this’ll change a goddamn thing and not just be another f****** tragedy adults cry about for a week and then forget... If you really think this is going to be different, then do what you gotta do."

Tony then sped Tyler away in his car, leaving Clay outside the school, holding Tyler's gun as the police sirens drew closer.

The finale also revealed that Bryce only got three months probation following his rape trial. While fans thought he got off easily we now know, thanks to the trailer, that Bryce has been murdered. "Who killed Bryce Walker?" is now the key question.

What is 13 Reasons Why season 3 about?

Netflix has released an official synopsis: "Eight months after preventing Tyler from committing an unthinkable act at Spring Fling, Clay, Tony, Jessica, Alex, Justin and Zach find ways to shoulder the burden of the coverup together while helping Tyler move toward recovery. But when the aftermath of a tumultuous homecoming game culminates in the disappearance of a football player, and Clay finds himself under police scrutiny, it’s up to a shrewd outsider to steer the group through an investigation that threatens to lay bare everyone’s deepest secrets. The stakes are raised as the consequences of even the most well-intended can alter a life forever."

The season will also feature the main cast's graduation.

13 Reasons Why controversy

At the beginning of July this year, Netflix confirmed that it had edited 13 Reason Why's suicide scene after consulting experts. When the show was released, there was a debate over whether the sequence showed too much.

Netflix has now said the opinions of young people had been taken into account and that they had been told it had kick-started conservations on difficult topics like depression and suicide and prompted people to get help.

The statement read: "As we prepare to launch season three later this summer, we've been mindful about the ongoing debate around the show. So on the advice of medical experts, including Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we've decided with creator Brian Yorkey and the producers to edit the scene in which Hannah takes her own life from season one."

Katherine Langford as Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why season one (Netflix, JG)
Katherine Langford as Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why season one (Netflix, JG)

The three-minute long scene was cut meaning viewers no longer see the moment Hannah kills herself and her parents find her. The episode also opens with a warning that it "may not be suitable for younger audiences" and includes "graphic depictions of violence and suicide."

The new scene now shows Hannah looking at herself in the mirror before it cuts to her parents' reaction. Netflix is also monitoring for any pirated versions.

In May, a report was released claiming the suicide rate among teens rose following the release of season one. The study said there were 200 more deaths by suicide than expected over the nine-months following the release of the show and more deaths by suicide in the April than in any April previously in nine years. Netflix said it was looking into the research at the time. Another study carried out by The University of Pennslyvania said those who watched all the show and saw the negative outcome of the death were less at risk.

Monty actor Timothy Granaderos told RadioTimes.com that he thinks the third season will be less controversial than its predecessors, saying it "feels like a different show".

|There are definitely scenes that are wild but I don’t think you’ll be asking if any scenes will need to be removed from season three," Granaderos said.

Where is 13 Reasons Why season 3 filmed?

In April 2018, a report from local Californian paper Sonoma West Times & News stated that "the West Sonoma County Union High School District board on April 11 approved a third licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures that allows the company to film scenes at the Sebastopol High School" — which, translated, means that the same school used for Liberty High School scenes has agreed to further filming on its premises.

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If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in the series, the Samaritans are available round the clock online or by phone with helpful, friendly and confidential support.

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