WARNING: Spoilers about Netflix's Adolescence ahead!
As far as crime dramas go, Netflix's Adolescence is as emotionally complex as it gets. The miniseries is centered around 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested on suspicion of murdering a young girl from his school. This, of course, turns his and his family's entire life upside-down. His father, Eddie (Stephen Graham), is especially distraught as the truth about his son comes to light and shakes him to his core.
There's so much more to the story than getting to the bottom of the murder case. What audiences see unfold is really about kids coming of age in a chronically-online world— constantly exposed to misogyny and extremism, violence, and online bullying—and the parents who are just trying to do their best to raise them. And while the entire show is only four episodes long, it doesn't miss a single beat.
Here’s the a breakdown of the poignant finale of Adolescence.
Is Jamie still in custody?
The last episode of the miniseries takes place 13 months after Katie's death and Jamie's arrest. It also happens to be Eddie's birthday. While, initially, everything seems to be normal and that he and his wife Mandy (Christine Tremarco) are making an effort to live happily, this façade quickly fades. The mood starts to shift a bit as Eddie reads birthday cards, and sees one with a decently-drawn portrait of himself—the one Jamie sent from jail. And as the morning rolls along, it becomes clear that the Millers are trying to sweep things under the rug. The couple are obviously struggling to keep it together as they try to figure out what's best not just for them, but for their daughter Lisa (Amélie Pease).
The Millers try to turn things around.
Eddie's birthday was off to a good start, until he sees that his van has been vandalized with the word, "nonse." This was a teen's poor attempt at spelling "nonce," which is a derogatory British slang word for sex offenders who prey on children. He tries to wash it off with soap and water, but this doesn't work. Before he fully breaks down, his wife Amanda suggests they take back the day and try to turn things around.
Eddie suggests they all go to get the supplies needed to remove the graffiti, go home to do the job, eat breakfast, go to the movies, then eat Chinese food for dinner. Things were looking up, and we see that the Millers are just like any normal family. As they drove to the hardware store, Eddie and Mandy shared stories from their childhood and how they met, their first kiss—much to the embarrassment of their daughter. They were even singing to the tune of 80s hit, "Take On Me," by Norwegian pop band A-ha.
Does Eddie end up having a happy birthday?
But, of course, things don't go the Millers' way. Their trip to the hardware store ends with an outburst from Eddie. Just after a strange encounter with a store clerk who recognized him as Jamie's dad, he then sees the teen who vandalized his van from the parking lot. He confronts the kid and causes a scene, then splashes the van with paint and makes a mess on the store's parking lot which causes an even bigger scandal.
Needless to say, the ride back home was a bit awkward and unpleasant, and their plans to properly celebrate his birthday have been derailed.
Jamie decides to change his plea.
On the car ride home, Eddie gets an unexpected call from Jamie. Lisa picks it up and they all hear Jamie's voice over the van's speakers. He greets his dad a happy birthday, shares that he's decided to take up drawing again, and they exchange general catch-up chatter. Meanwhile, Lisa is on the verge of tears, hearing her younger brother's voice.
In the middle of the call, Jamie decides to break the news to his dad: he's changing his plea. As the trial date gets closer, he's thought it over and now wants to plead guilty. He apologizes to his dad, and greets him a happy birthday again. The line drops before Eddie could even say, "Thank you."
Does Jamie's plea change the way his parents feel?
When the Millers arrive home, Mandy begins to break down. The call from Jamie, and the change of his plea, seems to have broken the tension that's been building up all day—and probably all year. She and Eddie then have a long, much-needed conversation about their son. Of course, they admit that a lot of the emotional turmoil they're feeling is from questioning whether there was anything they could have done to see things sooner and stop Jamie from turning out the way he did. And because of their supposed father-son bond, Eddie especially takes this to heart and questions how he made a child like Jamie.
The couple have a good cry together before Lisa steps in, and they all decide to officially cancel their plans for the night, rent a movie in and get takeout.
The show ends where it began.
The very last scene of the limited series ends where it began: Jamie's bedroom. As the girls try to restart the day, going back to preparing a full English breakfast for the birthday boy, Eddie begins to get truly emotional. He decides to go into Jamie's room and have a moment alone.
There, he looks around, then sits on his son's bed and sobs. He wails into the pillow to muffle his voice, and tries to come to terms with everything. As a sort of farewell, and a sign of acceptance of his son's fate, he tucks Jamie's teddy bear into bed. He apologizes to the bear that's acting as placeholder for his son, and kisses its forehead. Then, he utters his final words, "I should have done better," before heading out.
