Episode #1.4

This limited TV show is a masterpiece. It tells the story of a family left behind, trying to return to a normal life, but in reality, no one truly understands what they have been through.

The show challenges viewers to empathize with the fact that the suspect is just a child-not inherently guilty, yet everyone wonders what could have been done differently. The family lost their son in the worst possible way, but the story extends beyond them, reflecting the pain of any family who has lost a loved one.

There's a significant contrast between those who take lives and those who take away opportunities. The death of a young girl is different from a young boy being condemned to a life behind bars. The focus remains on the suspect's family, yet the boy is still alive-unchanged in some ways, yet forever marked.

It leaves everyone questioning... Who is the real victim here?

What shaped the young boy's future?

What should we, as parents, have done differently?

But while the boy remains alive and might one day reintegrate into society, the girl will never return. This reality weighs heavily on those left behind in the living world.

The show's cinematography is exceptional, using seamless one-take shots to present multiple perspectives. Unlike typical crime dramas that focus on law enforcement, lawyers, or victims, this show highlights the people surrounding the suspect-those directly impacted yet often overlooked.

Emotions are what make us human, but how we control them is just as fascinating. The story explores the emotional struggles of psychologists, institutions, detectives, parents, siblings, and even the victim's best friend.

The final episode feels like an acceptance of the boy's guilt-without scapegoats, only the reality that life must continue. This reinforces the idea that those still living are not ghosts; they must carry on.

Recommended for those who have complicated relationships with their parents, have lost children to tragedy, struggle with family distance due to work, feel lonely, or are dealing with the challenges of parenting, trauma, or relationship struggles. It may also resonate with therapists or those planning to become parents.

There is no escape or perfect way to handle these situations. Sin cannot be justified, but we are not them. We can still save ourselves by recognizing our emotions and staying true to our inner selves.

You need to protect yourself.

Detectives, lawyers, nurses, and psychologists all deal with emotions professionally, but they are also human-mothers, fathers, someone's daughter or son. Losing control has consequences that ripple outward, reminding us how to live with the weight of tragedy. Themes and perspectives explored in the show.

Fathers: Regret and self-doubt.

They struggle to hide their true feelings behind daily smiles, yet their pain is undeniable. The importance of allowing time to confront unresolved emotions is deeply explored.

Mothers: A quieter kind of grief.

She may not outwardly struggle as much as the father, but it doesn't mean she suffers less. It's about survival, about holding the family together. A simple question-"Want a cup of tea?"-becomes a powerful moment of moving forward.

The sister: Strength and independence.

Teenagers today are overwhelmed with information, making it crucial to filter and absorb knowledge without being brainwashed. The difference between her and her brother is that she holds onto her core identity without external influence.

Detectives and lawyers: A professional front. A male detective, who is also a father, manages to remain highly professional while coping with emotions. They are human too, but they have learned how to set boundaries. The show demonstrates that emotional control is a skill that can be learned, not an impossibility.

Teachers and grieving friends: Supporting students in crisis is complex, as each child copes differently. Giving up on them means giving up on the core belief of education-to guide and support.

The psychologist and the suspect boy: This dynamic is deeply layered, focusing on boundaries, control, manipulation, skepticism, gender stereotypes, and fear. One entire episode is dedicated solely to their session, without explanation-because the scene itself provides the clearest insight into his motives. They fear each other, struggle to protect their core selves, and are shaped by their families' influence.

I'm sure I've only ever shed a tear at three films: The Green Mile, The Reader and The Whale. I may have also shed a tear or two during the final episodes of After Life and 1883. I have watched hundreds, if not thousands of films and TV shows.

This final powerful episode of Adolescence truly made me sob for several minutes after the closing credits. This felt awfully real and it's hard to fathom that families experience this kind of tragedy on a daily basis.

This is an emotionally raw and devastating final episode, sold with an absolute conviction by writer and star Stephen Graham. This for me was the most difficult of the four episodes to sit through, and not just because of the final 2 mins in the son's bedroom. The ripple effect of Jamie's actions has not only destroyed the lives of the victim's family, but his own family too, as they are left to answer for what he did.

It was utterly heartbreaking to watch Jamie's parents try to make any sense of their son's actions and whether they could have done anything different to prevent their son's descent into insecurity and misguided, misogynistic anger, which ultimately led him on a path to murder a fellow female classmate. Memories the parents discussed about Jamie suggested their son was dead and to an extent that was true. The son they thought they knew was dead.

Narratively speaking, this episode is slightly undercooked and the series as a whole offered no definitive answers. The writers try to say a lot, but the ideas aren't fully realised, limited I think by a runtime of less than 4 hours and the need I think for a fifth episode to explore beyond its own hints. It does leave you with more questions than it does answers.

I can't say I've enjoyed the experience of watching Adolescence and I will likely never be able to bring myself to watch this again. I sat there throughout with a heavy heart and a beating lump in my stomach. What makes this all the more difficult are the show's timely and scarily relevant themes. No doubt this is an important watch, and there are lessons to be taught and conversations to be had, not just about youth knife crime, but misconceptions around sex, the dated principles of masculinity and the power of the internet and its detrimental impact on mental health, self-worth and body image.

It's Eddie's 50th birthday and The Millers are trying to have a normal day, unfortunately people won't allow them to move on, and with Jamie inside, then become the target.

As with episodes 2 and 3, this one surprised me, it certainly didn't go in the direction I was expecting, I thought it may have ended with the trial, but instead it shows the long lasting impact Jamie's crime has on his family.

Incredibly uncomfortable to watch, this was really heavy going, talk about intense, I watched the whole thing with a sunken feeling in the pit of my stomach, surely a great drama is designed to move you, to make you feel, even if it's bad things, this certainly does that.

Every crime drama and mystery focuses on the victim and the killer, this one goes a step further and focuses on the lives of those trying to move on.

That moment when Jamie phoned, that was like the ultimate knife twist.

It makes you think all sorts, especially about where we're at now, society just seems to be crumbling before our eyes, no respect, no discipline, it's so sad.

I figured Stephen Graham would get a chance to display his talents to the max, of course he does, he's superb here, you almost feel Eddie's anger and frustration.

10/10.

This episode started with a bit more of a positivity than previous ones with dad's birthday and so on. However, later it turned out to be a train of terrible events for the entire family.

Stephen Graham's performance here was top-notch! He conveyed father's emotions in an impossible way, e.g. With his outbursts of anger against the biker kids

It was a great finale of the series, showing how decisions of one family's member might affect the rest of them. However, it was especially about parents who feel responsible for their kid's downfall as a human being. A father even deliberates whether he could've done something better raising his kid, not being strict enough with him.

And this final scene with Stephen Graham in tears, saying "I'm sorry son. I should've done better" was an absolute masterpiece!

It's just not THAT good. It feels like people who've rated it this high have only watched netflix in their life so the benchmark is low. The concept is there but it's just simply lacking depth despite feeling like it's dragged at times. The last episode is just so boring and full of unnecessary dialogues which just made me feel uninterested for the full 20 minutes, so what's the point. I really wish the time was used better to create a narrative and back story leading to the incident.

Do i recommend it? Sure, watch it for the sake of knowing what people are talking about, but this is not an example of good tv.