people to acknowledge the harsh realities of life that seemed to be glossed over. The first season received critical acclaim and became one of the most noteworthy shows to debut in early 2017. Season two of the drama has not received such acclaim, getting negative to mediocre reviews from most outlets. Part of this criticism is laid at the feet of one of the most disturbing scenes to ever be shown on screen. It takes place roughly halfway through the season 2 finale, and it’s just horrific.

In the scene, the character of Tyler, who has suffered as a target of bullying, is followed into the bathroom by a member of one of the school’s sports teams. Once inside, Tyler is brutally assaulted and raped by one of hisother reason besides the fact that they can. All the writers had to do was imply what was about to occur – show not tell – and allow the audiences to fill in the rest with their minds. The narrative gains nothing from showing the brutal assault for that length of time. Even if the writers wanted to show the beginning of the assault, it goes on for far too long and the brutality is almost entirely unnecessary. What Tyler attempts to do after the rape at the end of the episode, that alone tells you what the experience was like for him.

Another scene – not as graphic – that I recalled when watching the episode was Sansa’s rape in the sixth season of Game of Thrones. It