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The crime drama television miniseries, Adolescence, released on Netflix on 13 March 2025 has taken the world by storm. Not only are people appreciative of the film's unique storytelling and filming methods, but they also appreciate the conversations the show has been able to start around major social issues.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Adolescence. Readers' discretion is advised.
Adolescence's storyline puts a lot of weight on elements like cyberbullying and incel culture and the ways these two affect young minds. This underlying element is intertwined with the larger question of the traditional "whodunit" and acts as the foundation of the show's plot.
Some of the aspects come to the forefront specifically in the third episode, when Jamie has an insightful conversation with his assigned psychologist, Briony Ariston. Through their conversation, viewers learn about the deeper meanings behind the emojis that teens use every day, which transcend beyond their usual perception.
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As Jamie elaborates on the emojis linked to the online incel culture that perpetuates toxic masculinity ideas, it became clear that the show’s intent was not merely to identify Katie's murderer. Rather, it sought to highlight certain aspects of online culture that could motivate young men like Jamie to engage in violent acts against women.
Adolescence is a commentary on society and the issues prevalent in it
In the first episode of Adolescence where Jamie is taken away from his home by the authorities on suspicion of having murdered his classmate, Katie, it appears that the show would address the story in a way that would ultimately reveal the real murderer or prove or disprove Jamie's innocence.
However, as the series continued, it was obvious that the show's motive was not just to provide viewers with a crime-solving version of the story, but also touch the core issue by pointing toward the common culture of cyberbullying among young kids and teenagers.
This is exemplified in episode 3 when Jamie explains to Ariston the true meaning of the dynamite and red pill emoji that Katie had left under one of his photos on Instagram. He revealed that a dynamite placed beside a red pill implies an exploding red pill which when sent to someone meant that they were calling them an incel.
The word incel has a negative connotation in the online sphere as it describes an individual who is not found attractive by the opposite se* and is thus involuntarily forced to live a life of celibacy. Jamie's dissection of the dynamite and red pill emoji seeks to imply that he was being bullied online.
Adolescence also sheds light on another prevalent societal issue that exists alongside the incel culture and online bullying culture. In the same episode, Jamie speaks about the 80/20 rule represented online by the 100 emoji.
This aspect also highlighted by DI Luke Bascombe's son Adam in episode 2 of the show suggests that 80 percent of women are attracted to 20 percent of men. The same rule suggests that the rest of everyone else who does not fit into the 20 percent will have to deceive women into being with them.
This deception occurs in the guise of an online community that is committed to the masculine gender known as the manosphere which consists of a group of websites, blogs, and internet forums that perpetuate masculinity, misogyny, and anti-feminism.
Do the audiences see Jamie killing Katie in Adolescence?
Throughout episode 1 of Adolescence Jamie maintained that he was innocent of the crimes he was being accused of. However, towards the end of the episode, video evidence of Katie's murder brought by Detective Bascombe makes Jamie cry pointing out that he must have committed the act. But even after the video evidence, Jamie insisted that he was innocent.
In episode 3 of Adolescence through his interaction with Ariston, he is hinted to be the murderer. But then again, he never openly accepts it, and nor is he accused, as the Detective is unable to find the murder weapon.
But at the closing of episode 4, Jamie tells his dad to withdraw his plea of innocence and enter a guilty plea. The show does not explicitly show whether Jamie murdered Katie but emphasizes through several pieces of evidence that he did.
All four episodes of Adolescence are currently streaming on Netflix.
