Adolescence is Netflix‘s newest hit series, quickly moving to the No. 1 spot on the platform’s Top 10 shows charts and captivating audiences around the world.
In the four-episode mini-series, 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) is accused of murdering a fellow classmate, much to the surprise of his family and his community. As Jamie moves through the criminal justice system, experiencing interrogation, lockup, and psych evaluations, the shocking crime sends ripples through the small town and leads his father (Stephen Graham) to question everything he knows about his own child. All four episodes lead up to the final moments in which closure is finally provided.
Thanks to the show’s dynamic camerawork and almost-too-realistic storyline, it’s no surprise that so many Netflix users have tuned in to watch the series, even if they have left with questions. Along with those wondering about how the show ends and who killed Katie, some fans — possibly still reeling from the based on a true story U.K. drama Baby Reindeer — are looking to find out if the show is inspired by real events.
But if you’re solely focused on finding out if Jamie killed his classmate and why he (or anyone) could have done such a thing, no stress, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know about the ending of Adolescence.
Adolescence Ending Explained: Why Did Jamie Kill Katie?
Yes, Jamie did kill his young classmate, Katie, and that answer is actually provided to the audience in the first episode. During his interrogation with DI Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and DS Frank (Faye Marsay), the detectives show Jamie and his dad the video they have of the 13-year-old boy stabbing his classmate repeatedly. In the footage, after Katie shrugs him off and pushes him to the ground, he retaliates by pulling a knife out of his clothing and going at her. This unfolds on the detective’s laptop as Jamie and his father watch in horror.
Despite being caught on CCTV committing the brutal murder, Jamie repeatedly denies his involvement, calling the video doctored and saying that it is not him. This leaves the audience to wonder if there is any credibility to his denial, but it’s not until the fourth episode that any doubts are laid to rest. In Adolescence Episode 2 and Episode 3, the detectives learn that Jamie had been engaged in right-wing online circles, primarily in the toxic masculinity space. There, he was radicalized to believe that girls had no interest in him and never would. The show specifically calls out self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate as someone who the young boys at Jamie’s school have been listening to for his opinions on the place of men and women in society.
Over the course of the series, particularly in Episode 2 and Episode 3, it is revealed that Jamie was angry and hurt over the rejection and bullying he faced from girls at school, including Katie. This led him to believe that his only answer would be to assert his dominance over Katie. After yet another rejection from his classmate, he became enraged and violent with her, shoving her to the ground and pulling out the knife to kill her.
In Adolescence Episode 4, Jamie’s parents — who have tried to believe their son in spite of the evidence stacked against him — finally come to accept that their son killed Katie. This is assisted by Jamie calling his dad on his 50th birthday, 13 months after Katie’s murder, and telling his family that he intended to change his plea to “guilty.” This gives Eddie, Manda (Christine Tremarco), and Lisa (Amelie Pease) the closure they have been so desperately searching for. While it does give them some sense of reprieve, it doesn’t take away their pain, Jamie’s parents are left to wonder how this could happen and if it could have been stopped.
In that final moment, as Eddie walks around Jamie’s bedroom and takes in his son’s outer space wallpaper and childhood art still on the wall, he understands that this tragedy could happen to anyone, and will happen again if the toxic masculinity culture continues to thrive. It’s a harrowing and heartbreaking realization that asks Eddie to examine his own words and actions in raising Jamie and, in turn, the audience’s culpability in how boys are raised and how the internet can take an innocent child and make them into a monster.
All four episodes of Adolescence are currently streaming on Netflix.
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