Bright spots in the latest season of 13 Reasons Why were few and far between. In spite of this — or, perhaps, because of it — fans of 13 Reasons Why may be relieved to know that one of the more wholesome elements of the show has carried over into real life. Apparently, Tony Padilla (Christian Navarro) loves Olivia Baker (Kate Walsh) just as much IRL as he does on the show.
In the show’s second season, Tony grows closer with Olivia — who is still grieving over the loss of her daughter, Hannah — as she endures a divorce and a lawsuit against Liberty High School. Tony’s presence serves as a strong support beam in Olivia’s life, even as it is revealed that Tony’s own life has its fair share of instability.
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Navarro’s thoughts on Walsh were revealed last week, when the cast of 13 Reasons Why was interviewed by AOL’s Build Series. In the interview, Navarro was asked what it’s like to play a teen helping a grieving mother, and Navarro took advantage of the question to provide a glowing statement on Walsh.
“I spent most of my second season with Kate Walsh and, man, it’s like going to school again, it’s like an acting class,” he said. “She is phenomenal, her work deserves to be lauded and respected, and she does it from the center of her really, really big heart. I loved every second I got to work with her...I think we work well together, and I hope she agrees.”
Walsh hasn’t publicly shared any thoughts on her relationship with Navarro, but it is clear that she learned from her role on the show as well.
“All the conversations and all the issues we talk about on the show are issues in the cultural zeitgeist. All these are things that people aren’t comfortable talking about,” Walsh said in an interview with the Today Show. “And I certainly learned a lot in playing the role of Olivia Baker.”
So, it seems that there is still much be learned from 13 Reasons Why — if the show gets a third season, let’s hope they take advantage of it.