I’m a huge fan of thriller shows. Every now and then, you’ll find me in front of the TV, endlessly scrolling through Netflix in search of that perfect blend of suspense, mystery and drama. It was one of these days when I came across Adolescence, directed by Phillip Barantini. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t heard about the show from the internet; it was perhaps everything social media could talk about lately. Keeping myself away from spoilers, I managed to navigate social media and finally decided to watch the show. I had an idea that it was about child abuse and murder, but nothing more than that. Little did I know that I was in for a roller-coaster of emotions.
The Frantic Beginning
Right from the bat, the show started with an enormous amount of energy. What I found weird was that there was no story build-up. The accused, aka Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), is arrested in the first few minutes of the show by detectives Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and Misha Frank (Faye Marsay), along with an entire team. The scene is probably one of the most intense of the entire series. From breaking the doors to shouting at the family members, entering Jamie’s room, arresting him and realising he has peed himself, everything happens very quickly but leaves a lasting impact.
The police then take Jamie to the police station and ask his parents, father Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham), mother Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco) and sister Lisa Miller (Amélie Pease) to follow. From the point Jamie sits in the van till he is taken to the police station, Owen Cooper’s mind-blowing acting keeps the audience gripped. He is crying, pleading and looks exhausted, and at that moment, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
The One-Shot Brilliance
By this time, I understood the show wasn’t shot like any regular one. It felt longer than usual because the entire episodes were shot in one go. As a film student myself, I knew how difficult this could have been, which is why it instantly earned my appreciation. Now that I look at some of the behind-the-scenes footage of Adolescence, it’s truly amazing to see how the crew behind the camera has worked just as hard as the one in front.
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Cinematographer Mathew Lewis filmed each episode using the DJI Ronin 4D paired with a Cooke SP3 32mm lens. This, however, was not Mathew and Phillip’s first one-shot project; the two had previously worked on Boiling Point, which was just as challenging.
Episode 3: A Mandatory Viewing
If you haven’t watched the show yet, you need to do it for episode 3, perhaps some of the most dramatic and exhilarating content I have seen on Netflix in a while. We’re all familiar with the age-old narrative of two people sitting on the opposite ends of a table, the mood confrontational, and the atmosphere almost eerie. But what made a similar scene from Adolescence absolutely unravelling?
In usual cases, the two people sitting across one another often include a serial killer or hardcore criminal and a fresh detective. But this time, on one end sat a young boy, 13-year-old Jamie Miller, accused of stabbing his classmate Katie (Emilia Holliday) and a female psychologist, Briony (Erin Doherty), on the other. This already makes the scenario a whole lot different. Their interaction that extends for more than an hour is by far the most entertaining part of the Netflix series. It is also the most important one.
What Really Happened?
What starts slow and friendly escalates in no time when Briony begins digging deeper, asking questions about his relationship with his father and what he thinks being a man means. The irritation within Jamie soon becomes apparent. From there on, we get a glimpse of what truly happened. Jamie tells Briony about Katie’s leaked nude photos and how the entire school made fun of her. Jamie, too, had seen these images but did not consider Katie to be her type because she was too “flat.” But despite Katie not being his type, Jamie asked her out, seeing that she was in a vulnerable position.
At this point, the conversation between Jamie and Briony feels like a tennis match, one that keeps getting interesting after every shot. Jamie’s constantly changing demeanor, from nonchalant to panicky and extremely aggressive at points, holds the audience together. On the contrary, Briony holds a calm demeanor, carefully paving her way through the session. It’s an absolute treat to watch Owen Cooper, a first-time actor, give perhaps one of the most brilliant performances Netflix has ever seen. You just couldn’t tell that this kid has never acted on television before.
The Emoji Code
One of the most shocking yet interesting moments of Adolescence was when Adam (Amari Bacchus), Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe’s (Ashley Walters) son, reveals the hidden meaning of the emojis under Jamie’s Instagram posts. Until then, the detective had a hard time understanding why Jamie would kill Katie; after all, he had no motive. So what exactly did these innocent-looking emojis mean?
Red Pill Emoji
You must have seen the pill left by Katie on Jamie’s profile. As innocent as it might look, this emoji signifies the concept of the “manosphere,” a term that is loosely connected to a network of websites and online forums that promote masculinity and even misogyny. The Red Pill was first seen being used in The Matrix. But why did Katie leave this emoji on Jamie’s profile? Perhaps because she believed that Jamie has bought into these toxic misogynist traits that the pill represents.
100 Emoji
While explaining to his dad, Adam elaborates on the 100 emoji that was also seen on Jamie’s profile. This emoji is quite popular among the incel groups where men believe that 80% of the women want 20% of the men. This gives birth to the idea that the majority of men are expelled from dating, and thus the hatred against women begins. Katie’s use of the emoji is a reaffirmation that Jamie already had, that he is perhaps among the undesirable men out there.
The fact that this thought is fed into young boys’ minds is simply disgusting. A lot of it comes from the lectures and motivational speeches of people like Andrew Tate, a figure prominently discussed in the Netflix show. Tate often mentions how it is important to get to the top because without it, you’re nothing but a loser, and women will not want you. This often puts the idea in young minds that their worth is only determined by how much they are desired, which is completely unfair.
Dynamite Emoji
The Dynamite emoji was yet another emoji that Katie used on Jamie’s profile. It is an extreme version of the red pill and indicates a misogynist mindset that has gone to the extreme. In the show, when Katie used the dynamite emoji with the red pill emoji, she meant that Jamie has extreme internalised hatred and toxic beliefs to the point that he can be dangerous to others.
Kidney Beans Emoji
The kidney beans have to be the most random out of all. Turns our, this emoji is often used to self identify or identify someone else of being part of the incel community.
The Heart Emojis
We also saw a bunch of random heart emojis in different colours. Each one meant something in particular.
- Red Heart: Represents genuine love
- Yellow Heart: Suggest cautious interest
- Pink Heart: Shows interest but not in an intimate way
- Purple Heart: Indicates sexual desire
- Orange Heart: Symbolises reassurance
Life Moves On
For me, personally, I was expecting something mind-boggling to happen in the end. Maybe, by the end of the show, I was hoping that Jamie didn’t do it despite seeing the CCTV footage in the beginning. It has a lot to do with the fact that even though Jamie was a cold-blooded murderer, the story was so personalised that you end up feeling for him. After all, he was the product of a bigger and messier social issue.
But seeing the last episode made me realise that sometimes, we need to accept things for what they are. Unlike most shows, the last episode of Adolescence was slow but highly impactful. Jamie admits his crime in a phone call to his father, an admission that feels like a relief. The main focus of the episode, however, is Jamie’s family. As the Millers celebrate Eddie Miller’s birthday, the viewers notice an emotional rollercoaster, one that perhaps will get steady with time. The family slowly accepts that their son will spend the rest of his life away from them, and perhaps there is nothing they can do now.
Stephen Graham Steals the Show
What broke my heart the most was the helplessness of the parents- the feeling of failing their only son. By the end of the episode, we see Eddie Miller go into Jamie’s room, something he hasn’t done since Jamie’s arrest, and completely breaks down. The scene feels like a sucker punch right into your chest; you cant help but cry. Eddie apologises to Jamie’s teddy bear, and at that moment, we realise that this is the very room where Jamie learnt all the propaganda that led him to kill Katie. As sad as one might feel for Eddie, we need to remember that Jamie was serving the consequences of his actions.
A Must Watch
If there is one show you need to watch right now, it is Adolescence. Let the amazing storytelling, brilliant production and mind-blowing performances sweep you.
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