I finished watching season 2 and love this series. I've read some of the negative reviews and like any art form, you will NEVER please everybody. Yes, at times "some" of the acting is poor/ yes, it could be "more" realistic/ yes, not every teenager will agree this is a "truthful" portrayal of the issues handled in this series according to "their" experiences, etc. etc. etc. Just as PLATOON did not portray every Vietnam Vet's experience of that war, this series doesn't portray every teens experience with bullying or peer pressure. No film could ever do that with any complicated subject but it doesn't diminish the power of the film(s), unless it is a simplistic subject to begin with, which the issues in this series are NOT, i.e.: bullying, peer pressure, school "laws", "unwritten" rules, teen sex, loyalty(either positive or misguided), drug use, rape, homosexuality and of course the real taboo: suicide. Run for the hills screaming and get out your pitch forks and flaming torches conservative "helicopter" parents and those that tried to ban THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, REEFER MADNESS, FREAKS, CATCHER IN THE RYE, TROPIC OF CANCER, etc. and any other films, books, etc. that those people wanted to ban, most times without having even seen or read the subjects up for censorship. The mere mention to my adult friends about watching this show and they instantly gasped and went straight to the suicide word, as if that is all this series is about. It is one aspect, not the whole. The one issue they have not really dealt with is depression, it is touched upon and implied but hopefully they will focus more on it in season 3. As a younger teen I developed depression, social anxiety and was bullied at certain times during my academic training. While hard to watch at certain times it is overall a cathartic experience. When I was growing up none of these topics were talked about, especially any sort of mental illness. I am glad that it is finally being discussed and the mental health community is trying harder to debunk some of the old stereotypes and inform the public and I feel this show is a huge step towards that goal. Travelling on public transit I saw a BELL campaign to make people more aware of mental health issues. Even a big corporation is spending money to help us become more aware. I grew up alienated because no one talked about those things in my era and many, far too many people in my generation and centuries before were permanently damaged because of this taboo subject. For myself, surprisingly, the strongest issue the show deals with is the hypocrisy of the LAW which serves itself and not justice. The "LAW" has NOTHING to do with justice. Laws were written by Lawyers only to be understood by Lawyers to give themselves invaluable jobs. Look at any "contract" for anything and it contains 99.9 % unnecessary legalese babble only a lawyer can understand, ON PURPOSE. The Law lets defence and prosecution lawyers twist the facts around to suit their own needs to win their cases. Yet, every one called up to the stand MUST swear to tell the truth, but this same moral code is NOT taken by lawyers in a court room so they can by this loophole to silence and have stricken from the record a witness speaking if it starts to negatively affect their case. I hope this show is shown in all schools. We need to inform ourselves on all matters in this world if there is to be a world in the future.