Note: The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find upsetting.
This article also contains major spoilers for 13 Reasons Why season 3.
13 Reasons Why season 3 answered the big ol' question of who killed Bryce Walker, but it also threw up a whole bunch of other threads that need untangling.
The one we're here to discuss right now is, how did Monty die?
Monty de la Cruz has done all manner of hideous things across the seasons, so when he was finally picked up by police towards the end of season 3, it was a moment of triumph for his classmates and for the show's viewers.
Related: 13 Reasons Why reveals identity of Bryce's killer
Tyler Downs was brutally and sexually assaulted by Monty in the high school bathroom back in season 2, and the new season saw Tyler processing the trauma caused by this attack.
His progress was illustrated through the daily photos he took following his assault; not only did Tyler's physical wounds start to heal over time, but by the final photo in the sequence he was also smiling.
In some of season 3's most poignant scenes, Tyler decided he was ready to tell some of his friends about what had happened to him the previous year. Both Clay Jensen and Jessica Davis were there to support him (as was Bryce, it has to be said).
Jessica became student body president and leader of HO – also known as Hands Off, an on-campus organisation she set up to support sexual abuse survivors. She led a powerful #MeToo-inspired assembly in which Tyler came forward as a survivor, along with Justin Foley and a number of others.
By the penultimate episode, Tyler was also ready to tell his story to the police, and it was as a result of this that Monty was apprehended by officers and taken into custody for sexual assault in the first degree.
The final episode opened with Monty in his orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, being led to the visitors' room to meet with his abusive father. He spat in Monty's face and called him a homophobic expletive, after Monty seemingly acknowledged his sexuality out loud for the first time.
Related: 13 Reasons Why star defends show following criticism over controversial first season
Meanwhile, Ani Achola's plan to place Monty in the frame for Bryce's death – to save Clay, who was the police's lead suspect, and the real culprit Alex Standall – was in full swing.
Talking Deputy Standall through her 'findings' and each possible assailant, she led him to believe that it had been Monty all along. Ani also poked a hole in Monty's alibi (his former friend Charlie, who had abandoned his guise as part of the toxic jock crew and put himself forward to help Tyler, Clay and his friends).
It is at this point, after Ani pointed the finger, that Deputy Standall revealed that Monty was dead. It happened off screen and was not fully explained, which has invited lots of questions.
"I don't think you would know this, because the sheriff has us locked down on leaks. But Montgomery de la Cruz was killed in his jail cell. Just hours ago," the officer told Ani. This is the extent of what we are told about Monty's untimely end in season 3.
Monty's father had previously issued a warning (well, more of a threat really) to his son. He told him he faced getting "beat to shit, at the minimum" in prison. This could serve as a hint at Monty's fate. Was he killed by an unknown fellow prisoner, who took issue with the nature of his crime?
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However, this is 13 Reasons Why (in case you'd forgotten) and things are very rarely what they first seem.
Could there be a murkier story behind Monty's death? Had there actually been a leak from the police department, and did Ani therefore already know that Monty had been killed when she spun the cover-up of Bryce's murder to Standall?
One thing we do know is that Monty, for all his crimes, was in fact innocent when it came to Bryce's death.
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Despite what Ani told police, Monty did not follow through on his threats to Bryce after the Homecoming game. Instead he spent the night with Winston, a Hillcrest student that he'd met at a party over the summer.
Monty and Winston had a complicated relationship too. The pair got intimate in one of the bedrooms at the private school bash, but Monty beat him up later that night, leading Bryce to give Winston money for his silence.
They next saw each other after the Homecoming game where Monty – showing a spark of humanity at the very end – apologised and told Winston that he seemed like a good guy. They slept together that night, and so Winston unknowingly (at that point) became Monty's alibi.
In the final scenes of season 3, we saw Winston confronting Ani about the group's lies and their framing of Monty.
"He was a human being," he said. "He didn't deserve to die like that."
With 13 Reasons Why season 4 already confirmed, it looks likely that Winston might try and clear Monty's name. And considering his comment about whether Monty deserved what happened to him, could Winston actually know more about what actually happened in that jail cell?
Here's hoping that we get some answers next season.
13 Reasons Why season 1, 2 and 3 are available now on Netflix.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
