The '13 Reasons Why' Finale Sets Up Season 4 For Another Big Investigation

Spoilers ahead for 13 Reasons Why Season 3. When you're watching a show with as many twists as 13 Reasons Why, you always have to be thinking a step ahead. Which is why, even though its third season only just hit Netflix, it's already time to start asking when 13 Reasons Why Season 4 premieres. Unfortunately, as with many things on the series, there isn't a simple answer: its schedule thus far has been all over the map, which makes it, fittingly, kind of hard to predict when it will be back.

13 Reasons Why's 13-episode first season hit Netflix on March 31, 2017. Season 2 came out on May 18, 2018, which is just over a year later — or 14 months, to be exact. Season 3's Aug. 23 release date ups that time frame to 15 months. So if you're having trouble pinning down a potential return date, rest assured, you're not the only one. The closest estimate would be to say that it'll happen at some point in 2020, likely in the summer or even the fall, if the gap between seasons keeps getting longer.

The one thing we do know for sure? 13 Reasons Why's fourth season will also be its last, and if Season 3 is any indication, there will be a lot of loose ends to tie up.

Season 3 picks up eight months after the events of the Spring Fling dance and a few days after the Homecoming game — the same night Bryce was killed. The season, narrated by new character Ani (Grace Saif), explores the motives everyone had for wanting Bryce dead, before eventually revealing that (again for the people in the back: spoiler alert!) Alex killed him in a fit of anger while Jessica stood by watching. Working together, Grace and the rest of the gang are able to prove Clay's innocence and pin the murder on Monty, who died in jail after being arrested for Tyler's assault.

However, they're not out of the woods yet. In addition to the fact that Alex will have to continue grappling with the fact that he killed Bryce — and now, everyone knowing about it — a fishing boat also found the bag of guns Clay and Tony dumped in the lake after Tyler brought them to school at the Spring Fling. This likely means the fishermen will hand the guns over to the police, who may start to realize the school shooting call at the dance wasn't just a false alarm. This sets up Season 4 to follow Clay and co. trying to outsmart authorities and protect Tyler. And while they may have been successful in pulling the wool over their eyes one time, they might not be that lucky this time around — especially without the help of Alex's dad.

Let's hope it all ends up OK for Tyler and the rest of Liberty High. God knows they've been through a lot already, and they could all use a happy ending.