Adolescence is a British television crime drama miniseries created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham. The series premiered on March 13, 2025, and comprises a total of four episodes. It is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham star in the show that follows a 13-year-old boy named Jaime, who stands accused of murdering a classmate. This leads his family, therapist, and the detective in charge scrambling for a motive.
Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers for the film. Reader's discretion is advised.
Adolescence ends inside Jaime’s bedroom, the same place where it started. However, the teenager is not seen attempting to hide his crime, but owning up his actions instead. This leaves his father Eddie alone in the room, weeping next to his teddy bear, and wrecked with grief.
In the final episode of Adolescence, Jaime informs his father that he would be pleading guilty to the murder of his classmate Katie, leaving the latter devastated. This marks a notable change in his character, as he has grown up to take responsibility for his action and face the consequence.
At the onset of his teenage years, Jaime falls prey to online 'incel' propaganda, leading him to commit a gruesome crime, but he never stops craving his father’s approval. Eddie, on the other hand, finds it tough to believe that his son can commit murder even though the act was captured on CCTV.
Jamie decides to share his decision of pleading guilty with his father on his 50th birthday, 13 months after being arrested. Working through the fresh wave of grief, Eddie goes to Jaime’s room and kisses his stuffed bear and apologizes to it as if it were his son, before the scene fades to black.
Series director Philip Barantini shared that the final scene unfolds differently than initially planned. As per the original narrative, Eddie gets into Jaime’s bed and pulls the cover over himself, as a metaphor of the latter being incarcerated.
“We rehearsed it, and it was great. But I just felt like there’s something about him (Eddie) tucking in Jamie’s teddy. This is the only thing that Eddie’s got that he can touch — that’s malleable, that Jamie’s cuddled, and Jamie’s been with. And then Stephen made it his own.”
The cast of the Netflix crime drama is led by Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, while Ashley Walters stars as lead detective Luke Bascombe, and Owen Cooper plays Jamie Miller, the 13-year-old boy accused of murder.
They are supported by an ensemble cast that includes the following actors:
Adolescence premiered on March 13, 2025, and is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Viewers can access the show, along with the platform’s extensive catalog of content, for subscriptions starting from $7.99 per month. Those who wish to enjoy an ad-free experience, can upgrade to the standard subscription plan at $17.99, or opt for the premium plan at $24.99 per month.