Adolescence has an emotional ending (Image: NETFLIX)
Adolescence, the gripping drama currently streaming on Netflix, follows the Miller family’s emotional journey after their son Jamie (portrayed by Owen Cooper) is arrested under suspicion of murder. Each episode traces a different phase of the process, from the arrest to Jamie standing in the dock.
The final episode unfolds at Jamie’s home, coinciding with Eddie’s (Stephen Graham) 50th birthday. Amidst attempts to savour the special day, the family is constantly reminded of their grim reality. Eddie receives a handmade card from Jamie, a poignant reminder of his son’s absence during such a pivotal moment. Concurrently, he has to contend with some youngsters who have vandalised his van with graffiti.
The finale, set 13 months post Jamie’s arrest, sees emotions still running high. His mother Mandy (Christine Tremarco) is desperate to leave Liverpool, driven to despair by relentless torment. However, Eddie is resolute about staying put in the family home, refusing to let the rumour-mongers win. A trip to a local DIY store to buy paint for covering up the graffiti takes a dramatic turn when Eddie spots the youths responsible for defacing his van.
Jamie changed his plea to guilty (Image: NETFLIX)
In a fit of anger, he seizes one of them by the collar, clearly struggling with Jamie’s ‘incarceration’. To add to the turmoil, Jamie calls to wish his dad a happy birthday on their way back from the store.
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, he informed his father of his decision to plead guilty, confessing to the murder of Katie. The overwhelming evidence against him seemingly left him with no choice but to accept responsibility for his actions.
His family, naturally shattered by the news, engaged in a poignant discussion about their role in shaping Jamie’s behaviour, ultimately supporting his decision to change his plea in hopes of a more lenient sentence.
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Eddie and Mandy Miller were heartbroken (Image: NETFLIX)
Although the series concluded before disclosing Jamie’s final sentence, it is implied that he faced a life sentence, as is mandatory for young individuals convicted or pleading guilty to murder, with a minimum term starting at 12 years for those under 18.
Reflecting on the series’ finale, Stephen Graham remarked: “It’s the episode where Eddie and Manda ask themselves questions about their accountability as parents and how much they’re responsible for ‘making’ Jamie.
“Deep down, Eddie has always been thinking, ‘It’s my fault. Ok I tried everything I could. I did all the things that a dad should and could do with a boy.’ Graham also touched upon Eddie’s efforts to bond with Jamie through activities like football and boxing, which failed to resonate with his son, expressing Eddie’s unfulfilled wish for Jamie to join the family business.
“But when Jamie wants a computer, it’s ‘OK, let’s get him a computer, maybe that will spark an interest in IT, there’s a lot of money in computers.’ But did Eddie and Manda have any idea what Jamie was doing when he was on that computer alone in his bedroom? No. But, then, does any parent really know?”.
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