A Lesson in Adolescence

Warning: Spoilers ahead. I strongly recommend watching the series first before reading further.

Going into Adolescence, a four-part limited series on Netflix, I had no prior knowledge—no trailers, no synopsis. From the opening scenes, it grabs you by the throat, and by the fourth and final episode, it rips your heart out.

Adolescence follows the story of 13-year-old Jamie, who is arrested early one morning on suspicion of murdering a classmate.

As a father of two boys, putting yourself in the shoes of Eddie Miller requires a certain vulnerability—forcing you to ask, What if that was my son? Flawlessly portrayed by Stephen Graham, Eddie’s emotions are raw and tangible. You feel his confusion as police break down his door, his helplessness as he watches his son endure a strip search, and the sheer horror that washes over him as he learns what Jamie has done. You feel how desperately he wants to believe his son is innocent.

It wasn’t until midway through the first episode that I realized the show never cuts away from the scene. Shot with a single camera, it acts almost as an unspoken character, observing events in real-time and seamlessly intertwining each character’s experience in a masterful way.

The second episode shifts focus to Detective Bascombe as he interrogates Jamie’s friends and acquaintances while police search for both the murder weapon and a motive. We meet the victim’s best friend, Jade, who is drowning in grief over losing the only person she felt truly understood her. We also get a glimpse into Bascombe’s strained relationship with his own son, Adam, who is bullied for having a cop as a father. Bascombe initially misinterprets Instagram comments left by the victim, Katie, on Jamie’s posts—believing they were friendly. But Adam deciphers the emojis, revealing that Katie was anything but kind to Jamie. By the episode’s end, a revelation shakes Bascombe to his core, forcing him to confront not only the case but also his struggles as a father.

The third episode jumps seven months ahead, following Jamie’s psychiatric evaluation. The tension is suffocating as psychiatrist Briony presses Jamie about his relationship with his father and his feelings toward girls. As Jamie grows increasingly agitated, a chilling side of him emerges. The episode leaves you breathless, mirroring Briony’s own reaction as she processes what she has just witnessed. We see Jamie for what he truly is—broken, bullied, and deeply insecure.

The final episode takes us into the Miller family’s home as they attempt to have a normal day celebrating Eddie’s 50th birthday. Manda, Eddie’s wife, is portrayed so authentically that it feels as though the show plucked a real suburban mom and simply told her to “be herself.” We see a loving husband and father desperately trying to keep his family intact. But as the day progresses, Eddie deteriorates—his car is vandalized, nosy neighbors pry, and an uncomfortable encounter at a hardware store sends him spiraling. Then, during a tense and quiet car ride home, the family receives a call from Jamie. At last, Jamie has accepted what he has done.

The family debates whether moving away will free them from the persecution they face, only to realize escape is impossible. Eddie and Manda wrestle with overwhelming guilt and fear, questioning whether their failures as parents shaped their son into what he became. As parents, most of us just want to do better than our own parents did—Eddie and Manda are no different.

I was left heartbroken by the cruelty of kids and deeply reflective about what my own children may face growing up in a world dominated by social media. I questioned whether I had done enough to protect them, to give them a fighting chance at finding love and acceptance in an increasingly dark world.

The series ends with Eddie walking into Jamie’s room and sitting on his bed. The pain and guilt radiating from him are palpable. If you have any kind of heart, this final moment will leave you with at least a lump in your throat—if not an emotional wreck like me.