All the Clannah feels! You remember that moment between Hannah and Clay at the school dance in season 1. They found each other on the dance floor amidst the throng of couples. While they felt a tad awkward at first, they got more comfortable as the song went on. The song playing was Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met.” Clay said that the song reminded him of the old dance movies at the Crestmont.
As soon as fans, including myself, heard the song on 13 Reasons Why, it became Hannah and Clay’s song. When I heard it during the season 2 finale, my heart broke a little bit. This time around, Clay didn’t have Hannah to dance with. Even though Clay, a.k.a. her Helmet, was one of the reasons why Hannah didn’t feel like she had to take her own life, she did end up committing suicide. Clay loved Hannah, but he never got the chance to tell her that to her face.
In the finale, Clay finds himself in the middle of dance floor alone while “The Night We Met” plays. But he isn’t alone for long. Tony, Jessica, Alex, Zach, and more of his friends wrap their arms around him while the song continues. This scene illustrates that Hannah may bee gone, but Clay will never forget her. Earlier in the episode, Clay gave a poignant speech about Hannah at her memorial service.
“Hannah Baker came into my life at the end of one summer like a star that fell to earth,” Clay said. “She was funny and smart and moody and maddening and beautiful. And I loved her. I loved her so much. And I ask her every day why she did what she did, but I get no answers. She took those with her when she went, leaving me, all of us, angry, empty, and confused. And I know that hurt won’t ever go away, but there will come a day where I don’t feel it every minute, and the anger won’t be so hot. The other feelings will fade, and I will be left with only love. A good friend once said to me, ‘I can love you and still let you go.’ So, Hannah, I love you, and I let you go. I will miss you, and I hope that wherever you go next, you feel peace. You feel safe in a way you never did here. Wherever you go next, I hope that you know that I love you.”