This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS forAdolescenceand mentions instances of extreme violence, bullying, and murder.
The ending of Netflix’s visually impressive and emotionally harrowing miniseriesAdolescencereveals the truth about who killed Katie. Stephen Graham leads thecast ofAdolescenceas Eddie Miller, the devastated father of Jamie Miller, a seemingly typical teenage boy who gets accused of stabbing his classmate, Katie, to death. Graham, who developed the 2023 cuisine thriller seriesBoiling Point, also co-created the 4-part miniseries with Jack Thorne.Adolescencehas received a rare 100% critic scoreonRotten Tomatoes, making it one of the most critically acclaimed new series of 2025.
Adolescenceis brilliantly crafted and plays out like a theater performance, with each episode remarkably taking place with a single uncut shot. Whilethe visual aspect of the Netflix seriesis a standalone feat,Adolescence’sstory remains the most gripping part of the psychological drama. After episode 1 takes Jamie through the police protocol following his intense arrest and initial interrogation, episode 2 takes a look at the school he and Katie attended, while episode 3 revisits the troubled Jamie as he spirals in and out of control with a psychologist.Episode 4 takes place 13 months after Jamie is charged with Katie’s murderand ends on a tragic definitive note about what truly happened.
Jamie Finally Confesses To Killing Katie With His Guilty Plea
Adolescenceepisode 4 takes place on Eddie’s 50th birthday, which is why he receives a birthday card from Jamie, who has been detained for over a year awaiting trial. The episode shows how the Miller family has gotten over Jamie in some ways and hasn’t in others. After dealing with some punks who vandalize his van, Eddie loses his cool outside a home improvement store, causing a scene. Eddie takes a call from Jamie, who wishes him a happy birthday and has some alarming news: he’s pleading guilty. This essentially confirms thatJamie did, in fact, stab Katie seven times and kill her, as was shown on CCTV video evidence in episode 1.
Why Eddie Couldn’t Believe Jamie Is A Murderer After Watching Video Evidence
Eddie Was Driven By Denial To Protect His Son At All Costs
One of the most fascinating aspects of Jamie’s character washow convincing he was at lying and manipulating. This is put on full display with his therapist in episode 3. Even though Eddie saw the undeniable footage of Jamie stabbing and murdering Katie, he couldn’t completely believe it.
After hearing Jamie finally confess, Eddie realizes he had been lied to all along and reality finally sinks in for him and his family.
Over the last 13 months, it appeared thatthe Miller family had still held on to some hope that their son was not a killer, likely as a defensive measure because the pain of such a truth would be too great. After hearing Jamie finally confess, Eddie realizes he had been lied to all along and reality finally sinks in for him and his family.
Eddie & Manda’s Emotional Conversation About Jamie Explained
They Feel Guilty For Making A Murderer But They Also Raised A Great Daughter
Following the shocking news of Jamie’s plea decision, Eddie and Manda have an emotional reflective conversation about their son, who will surely be facing years in prison. They reminisce on better days while alsoanalyzing what they could have done differently, taking on guilt and accountability for “making” him.
Eddie says he tried to get him into sports but Jamie wasn’t interested, while Manda recalls how Jamie would come home from school, go on his computer, and stay up late every night. While Eddie and Manda assume responsibility for making him a killer,their daughter, Lisa, enters and reminds them that they also made herand that they can’t blame themselves for Jamie’s darkness.
Why Some Kids Spray-Painted “Nonse” On Eddie’s Van
There May Have Been A Rumor Going Around That Eddie Abused Jamie
Adolescenceepisode 4 begins with Eddie discovering that his work van has been vandalized, with some kids tagging “Nonse” in yellow spray paint for all Eddie’s neighbors to see. In British slang, a “nonce” refers to a sex offender, particularly one involving children.Lisa sees this and tells her mom she is confused about who the “nonse” is, whether it be Eddie or Jamie. Jamie did disclose in episode 3 that he was tempted to touch Katie inappropriately but never did. Then again, it’s impossible to know what Jamie was being honest about.
Episode 4 also highlights the fact that Eddie is having some difficulty coping with Jamie’s situation and his ongoing struggles with rage. When Eddie confronts the teen who vandalized his van,he shouts “Don’t make fun of me,” which may be interpreted as a slight admission of guilt, as if he knew the “nonse” was meant for him. While Lisa is clueless on the matter, Manda may know something about Eddie’s past that doesn’t necessarily come to the surface by the end ofAdolescence. Perhaps the teens who wrote “nonse” heard a rumor that Eddie had sexually abused Jamie. Regardless, the “nonse” accusation of Eddie or Jamie seems baseless.
Who Jenny Is & Why Manda Keeps Bringing Her Up
Jenny Is Eddie’s Therapis Who Helps Him With Anger Management
Manda mentions “Jenny” several times during her discussion with Eddie, reminding him of what she has said about certain behaviors of his. Even though Jenny does not appear in the series, it’s safe to assume thatshe is Eddie’s therapist and could even be a couple’s counselorfor Eddie and Manda.
Eddie is clearly flawed and his most obvious issue is uncontrollable rage – he asks his wife if he “gave” this to Manda, who denies it, when really it’s a bit of an impossible question to answer. Surelychildren who are exposed to ideas of men exerting dominance or control through anger and violence could implement these notionsinto their personality and perception.
Jamie’s Motive For Killing Katie Explained
Adolescence Explores Several Aspects Of Jamie’s Unhealthy Mindset
Jamie made it official in the finale episode ofAdolescencebut the writing was on the wall ever since the end of the first episode. Through the youthful insight of his son, Bascombe learns that Jamie was being subliminally bullied by Katie, who used certain emojis in comments on his Instagram posts to imply she thinks he’s an “incel”. There’s also talk of the"manosphere" and other pillars of toxic masculinity, perpetuated by controversial figures such as Andrew Tate, who is even directly mentioned in the series.
These elements, combined withJamie’s rowdy school, pathological lying, family history of rage, and deep-rooted insecurity, paint an understandable picture as to why someone who was rejected and bullied by a girl he liked would retaliate through brute force, potentially without realizing the finality of his actions.
The Real Meaning of Adolescence’s Ending
A Fictional Portrait That Raises Real-World Discussion
Adolescencedoes an outstanding job of not only raising the questions surrounding real-life teenage stabbings, which inspired the series, but also offering some applicable circumstances and avenues toward understanding. Graham and Thorne present the experience of adolescence itself as enigmatic and often irrational,increasingly fueled by Internet jargon, so-called influencers, and clever cyberbullying workarounds. Given the full context of Jamie’s situation, he clearly had many social and personal struggles that he did not know how to process or express to a trusted adult. Viewers ofAdolescencethen decide where to place blame.
With such a confusing and indescribable subject,Adolescencebrilliantly offers some empathetic perspective while starting a vital societal conversation.
Jamie was not in therapy until after he killed Katie, which would have at least helped him sort out some of his intense and violent feelings beforehand. Jamie is undoubtedly tragic in a sense and raises all sorts of inquiries and debates, such as whether he was truly made to be a killer, and if so, what conditioned him – his parents, peers, the outside (Internet) world? Eddie’s final onscreen, “I should have done better,” displays his natural grief but Bascombe’s investigation reveals that there were certain things out of Eddie and Manda’s control. With such a confusing and indescribable subject,Adolescencebrilliantly offers some empathetic perspective while starting a vital societal conversation.
