Warning: this contains spoilers for 13 Reasons Why.
Netflix's hit teen show 13 Reasons Why is facing renewed criticism over a graphic ending to its second season, with viewers and parents groups calling on the streaming giant to can the series.
The show's second season finale, which premiered on Friday, features a graphic scene in which a teen student is beaten and sexually assaulted with a mop handle in a school locker room by his bullies.
The same character, loner Tyler (played by Devin Druid), also features in a foiled plot to shoot up a school dance that has drawn complaints from a parents group in the US.
Viewers have taken to social media to slam the scene, calling it "sick" and "torture porn", and accused the show's writers and creators of favouring "shock value" in their handling of the sensitive subject matter.
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"After that brutal scene with the mop and Tyler, this show needs to be cancelled," one viral comment on Twitter read.
"Stop using trauma to make a buck," said another.
Netflix has yet to respond to the backlash.
Netflix's 13 Reasons Why has drawn complaints over its season two finale.
Photo: Netflix
The criticism echoes complaints the series faced following its first season, which included graphic scenes of rape and suicide. Mental health groups, including Australia's Headspace, last year issued a warning over the show following concerns from young viewers and their parents.
While the series' writers and producers defended the show's "honest and uncomfortable" scenes as a way of sparking discussion around the topics, the new season introduced a disclaimer with cast members warning viewers of the show's "difficult" content and urging them not to watch if they're struggling with issues such as sexual assault, substance abuse and suicide.
They also suggested seeking help by visiting a new crisis website set up by the show at 13ReasonsWhy.Info, which points to local services including Lifeline, Headspace, Kids Helpline and others.
Still, the new season, which ventures away from Jay Asher's 2007 source novel, has been largely panned by viewers and critics as unnecessary.
"The second seasons of 13 Reasons Why is, above all else, a string of 13 episodes struggling to justify their existence," a review from pop culture site Vulture read.
"The return of the YA drama… is really only justified in Netflix's desire to bulk up inventory and attract and maintain subscribers," was the damning take from Hollywood trade site Deadline.
The show's second season can still be streamed on Netflix.
Lifeline 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
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Rob Moran is an Entertainment reporter for The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times.
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