Adolescence spoilers ahead.
At first glance, Adolescence feels like just another Netflix crime series — a gritty, gruelling tale of a small-town murder filled with dysfunctional families, brow-beaten cops, and a twisting, turning mystery. But pretty soon, it becomes crystal clear that Adolescence is something very, very different.
Co-created by writer Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, who also gives a heart-wrenching performance in the show, Adolescence is told in four hour-long segments, each filmed in continuous one-shots that grip your attention and hold it until the credits roll. We follow the story of Jamie, a 13-year-old boy from a small town in Yorkshire, who is accused of murdering a fellow classmate, Katie. As investigations into the crime begin, it becomes more and more clear that the adults in Jamie’s life didn’t really know him at all — and, perhaps even more unsettling, that they barely understand any of the children in his generation.
It’s safe to say that everyone is talking about this show. After all, it’s groundbreaking, both in form and in content. One question you may have though is did Jamie kill Katie?
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Did Jamie kill Katie in Adolescence?
What is somewhat fascinating about the show is that, unlike most crime dramas, the creators don’t seem to be very interested in this question. In fact, they answer it within the first episode: yes, Jamie committed the crime. And the police have pretty concrete evidence to prove it. In their first interview with Jamie and his dad, Eddie (played by Graham), they reveal that they have CCTV footage of Katie walking in a parking lot. Jamie then follows her and stabs her seven times, leaving her body where it is later found and pronounced dead. It’s horrifying and categorically damning.