Is Monty really dead in 13 Reasons Why?

Season 3 spoilers ahead!
Helena Rose8 June 2020

Every season of 13 Reasons Why so far has been packed with unexpected and shocking twists, so viewers can bet the final season will be the same.

After three years of covering up some very serious crimes, fans have plenty of guesses about what might be in store next for the teens at Liberty High.

One of the biggest fan theories is about what actually happened to Monty de la Cruz - and although we can't be sure about what went down until we watch the new season, there are some convincing theories

Here’s a recap of how his story was left in Season 3:

Netflix: 13 Reasons Why (2020) - In pictures

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Bryce was beat up by Zach, then murdered by Alex. Jessica watched it happen. Tyler revealed Monty raped him, and Monty was sent to prison where he was murdered in his cell.

The gang, encouraged by Clay, pinned Bryce's murder on the now dead Monty. Alex confessed to his policeman father Deputy Standall, but his father burned evidence to protect him.

However, fellow student Winston knew the truth - Monty couldn't have killed Bryce as he was having sex with him at the time of the murder.

As the trailer for season four dropped, it revealed the crew who framed Monty for Bryce’s murder would have to face the music, as the words "Monty was framed" are spray-painted in giant letters in the Liberty High hallway.

Timothy Granaderos as Monty
David Moir/Netflix

It looks like Winston, Monty’s alibi on the night in question, is after justice for his dead lover, and Clay’s secrets and lies are coming back to haunt him.

But fans have been questioning all over the internet whether Monty is really dead - here’s why.

In the third season, we didn’t actually see the death of Monty on-screen - the group only learned he had died after being told by both Deputy Standall, and a local drug dealer who confirmed to Justin and Ani he saw Monty being killed in his jail cell.

Viewers on Twitter found Monty's off-screen murder suspicious, especially as 13 Reasons Why has never shied away from showing gory events on screen.

David Moir/Netflix

Something else that seems a little iffy about the character’s death is that Deputy Standall broke the news of Monty’s death to his schoolmates - the same Deputy Standall that covered up evidence for his guilty son Alex.

Ani gives the falsely arrested Clay an alibi, telling Deputy Standall that Clay had been driving around with her all night on the night of Bryce's death.

She also tells him that Monty may have been the one to kill Bryce, saying that Monty threatened Bryce the night of a big game.

That's when Deputy Standall breaks the news that Monty was killed in his jail cell just hours before. Suspicious?

David Moir/Netflix

This has made some fans still think he could be secretly alive and will make his surprising return in the final season.

However, 13 Reasons Why showrunner Brian Yorkey seems convinced that both Bryce and Monty are definitely both dead.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the show’s boss said that the characters may appear in flashbacks, but didn’t hint at a twist where Monty is alive.

Dylan Minnette in 13 Reasons Why
David Moir/Netflix

He said: “So I think that, it being 13 Reasons Why, even though both Bryce and Monty are gone from this earth, there will be ways that they factor into our story and certainly into the states of mind of our characters in Season 4.”

But could the show boss also be hiding the truth of a major twist?

With speculation at an all time high, fans will be able to uncover the truth as the fourth and final season drops on Netflix on Friday, June 5.

All seasons of 13 Reasons Why are streaming on Netflix now.

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