Adolescence Ending Explained: Jamie Really Murdered Katie? What Happened to the Millers?
The End of Adolescence, the new Netflix series, which has already been placed as the most popular in so many countries only on its first day, is probably not what the viewers waited for. This four-episode show tells the story of a normal family in England whose is changed when the 13-year-old son is accused of the murder of a schoolmate. The series does not focus on discovering who did it, we know that from the first chapter. What it tries to do is make the public understand why a boy would end up doing something like that. How can it be that someone who has grown up in a quiet house, with good parents, with a non-dysfunctional family, is capable of committing a crime so heinous? When the police break into the Miller’s house to arrest Jamie (Owen Cooper), 13, for the murder of a teenager from the same school, that family’s life begins to crumble in Adolescence, British Netflix crime drama created and written by Stephen Graham and by award-winning Jack Thorne (“The Swimmers”, “Joy”). Did he? Why? How did you get to that point? Next, I will tell you what happened to the protagonists.
The Philip Barantini-directed miniseries recorded in continuous sequences begins with Inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters), Detective Sergeant Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) and his team breaking down the door of the Miller home to arrest Jamie and take him to the police station, where his family, who is convinced that this is a terrible mistake, catch up with him. After the blood tests and other initial procedures, Jamie must provide his statement, accompanied by his father, Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham), and his lawyer, who previously recommended that he not answer questions related to the murder. Despite the reluctance of the protagonist of “Adolescence” to share relevant information, officers manage to establish some points about the investigation into the murder of Katie (Emilia Holliday).
Adolescence Ending Explained: Jamie Really Murdered Katie? What Happened to the Millers?
As noted at the beginning, Adolescence is not a police thriller, despite its onset. It is a drama that revolves around adolescents, the influence of the Internet, and a school that has lost its main role in training. In addition, parents must work harder to give their children the life they did not have. In this perfect storm, young people feel more and more alone and confused. So, the fourth and final chapter of the series is located 13 months after Jamie’s arrest. Eddie, Manda (Christine Tremarco), and Lisa (Amelie Pease) try to get on with their dynamics. This involves celebrating Eddie’s 50th birthday. What starts as a special day, twists when the family’s father’s truck is vandalized. Two young men write in Eddie’s truck, taking responsibility for their son’s performance. The trip to the hardware store to buy a painting to cover the graffiti becomes a path of revelation. On the one hand, parents talk about how they met, with the background of A-ha’s 1985 theme, Take on Me.
This is a very important detail because it works to understand the differences in how couples previously knew each other and Jamie’s own lonely life. There is a beautiful synergy between the three members, with Lisa receiving all the key information about her parents’ sentimental life. Were these conversations held regularly in the family? It seems not. Later, already in the place, a young man named Quint, who attends to Eddie, recognizes him. He knows what happened to Jamie and to the father’s surprise, instead of rejecting him, the employee says he supports the killer. What’s more, he assures that he has seen online photos of Katie (as we know, there are images of a frontal nude of the teenager that circulated without her permission). And, words more or less, blame her for what happened. It also implies that there is an Internet community that believes the murder was fake news, a false news. Stunned by this encounter, Eddie tries to get out of the hardware store and then meet the two young men who vandalized the truck.
This is another wonderful closing detail. The boys, who believe that it is all a game, are shocked when the father of the family confronts them. It happens regularly that those who bully no longer find it so much fun when they collide face to face with those who know how to defend themselves. Finally, back home, unable to get rid of the sign in the truck, Eddie gets a call from Jamie. The young man, after congratulating him on his birthday, tells him that he wants to change his statement. You will assume your guilt. The father is unable to continue the call, and Manda and Lisa must take care of continuing to talk to the teenager. Jamie’s confession activates a new point in the Miller family: What did they do to make this happen? The question seems unfair. However, given the boy’s age, it is obvious that society will target the parents. Was there family violence? Lisa didn’t see her brother’s criminal potential?
The Acceptance
From there, what happens in the Miller family home is acceptance. Eddie and Manda have a long conversation. They discuss whether Jamie should plead guilty or not, and this gives way to the father’s confession of how he had been physically mistreated as a child. For this reason, he promised that he would never touch his children. But Eddie has a problem of contained, inherited violence. Manda makes him realize that although he was not violent and that he tried to raise his children without hitting them, there were gaps and a lack of support. And that, at some point, due to overwork, disinterest (remember that Jamie accepts that he is not a young man interested in sports and the father is), or communication, Jamie was at the mercy of the Internet. The question is, does the Internet make all young people violent today? Not. There is more. Manda tells Eddie that Lisa was raised the same way. That is to say, it seems that certain extraordinary elements influenced Jamie’s personality. It could be, and this is hinted at in the meeting with the psychologist, that the young man naturally has some kind of problem that was not noticed by the family.
The Bear
Eddie’s character is key to understanding Jamie’s communication problems. The father has a hard time connecting with his feelings until we see him burst into tears as he enters his son’s room and sits on his bed. It is there when he apologizes to Jamie for not having been for him, for not having talked to him, for not supporting him enough. Maybe even doing all of the above, Jamie would still have committed the crime. It is not known. Maybe there’s something inside Jamie that was already wrong. However, the father reflects that more can always be done and that we are obliged to give that extra. Finally, he kisses the bear in bed and covers him with a blanket. Why? The bear represents Jamie. It’s the closest Eddie will be to his son because it even smells like him. So by transfer, in that instant of anguish, crying, and guilt acceptance, Eddie has no one else to turn to and demonstrate his affection. It’s a tough closure but somehow cathartic for the Miller family’s father.
The Incels
Although not directly stated as the reason Jamie committed the crime It is obvious that there is a great influence of the so-called manosphere, incel community and the consumption of all kinds of content of hatred towards women, on the personality of the young person. Lamanosphere is a network of websites, blogs, and online forums that promote misogyny or hostility towards women or misogyny. And it is characterized by strong opposition to feminism. Manda says in the final chapter that Jamie went from drawing to spending hours in his room with the computer without them knowing what kind of information he consumed. On the other hand, the series talks about the incels. If you don’t know what it’s about, it’s a term that was born in the late 90s and comes from the so-called project “Involuntary Celibe”, which provided support to people who experienced loneliness, lack of recognition and social support allowing them a space to create community, express themselves and talk about it by shared experiences.
The problem is that, as explained in an essay from the University of Buenos Aires after its creation, the Incel ecosystem was manifested in virtual communities, mostly made up of men, who developed their own culture. Through the incels forums werein crescendoin expressions of misogyny, hostility, advocacy of violence against women and LGBTIQ + people, dehumanizing and holding them responsible for their lack of sex-affective interactions, even promoting or carrying out acts of extreme violence ». When Jamie has the interview with psychologist Ariston (Erin Doherty), the problem of relating to women is evident. The need to control the conversation and, in the end, the manifest violence. This seems to contradict his desire to fit in, to want his therapist to consider him a good person. Finally, she advises him to accept any psychological help they propose. Ariston has verified that Jamie meets all the characteristics of someone who has been bombarded by the manosphere at a very young age. So he is in shock. She feels overcome by this case.
Jamie Really Killed Katie?
When Detective Bascombe sets out to show more evidence against Jamie, the lawyer requests a recess. But Eddie Miller, who believes in his son’s innocence, asks that they continue the interrogation so that Jamie has a chance to tell the truth. However, there is not much I can say in his favor after the police have a video of the teenager stabbing his partner seven times. From the first minute of the first episode of Adolescence, Jamie is shown as someone who would not be able to commit a crime of that magnitude. In fact, during his arrest, he urinates after being frightened by the irruption of the officers. He is portrayed as vulnerable until the security camera video shows the brutality with which he can act. Thereafter, the series focuses on showing what led Jamie to commit that crime, what is hidden in his mind, and the impact all of that has on his family. Detective Bascombe and his partner, Frank, visit Jamie’s school for answers. All they find is out-of-control teens and teachers who can’t do much, at least until Bascombe’s son gives him a new perspective. Although the cops analyzed the comments Katie left on Instagram, they really don’t understand. The detective’s son reveals that Katie was pointing at Jamie as an incel, which angered the teenager. This, added to his lack of self-esteem, access to online crime propaganda, and other factors, led Jamie to commit the crime.
What Happened to Jamie and the Millers?
While at Jamie’s school, the inspectors in charge of the case question Katie’s best friend, who does not trust the police, and assault one of Jamie’s friends for considering him her accomplice. They also speak to one of the detainee’s close friends. Although the teenager refuses to cooperate, he ultimately reveals that he gave the killer the knife. Seven months later, Jamie remains detained in a Safe Training Center; they don’t know where to send him because of his age. In that place, the protagonist of “Adolescence” meets Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty), a clinical psychologist who seeks to discover how Jamie’s mind works. He refuses to answer the truth and thinks that each question is a trap, but eventually shares his complex feelings towards Katie.
Thirteen months later, the Millers attempt to celebrate Eddie’s birthday, but the reminder of Jamie’s upcoming trial and a series of unforeseen events threaten to destabilize them. Although they try to get the day back, a call from Jamie announcing that he will change his statement and plead guilty plunges him back into pain. The last episode of “Adolescence” is a deep look at the Millers. It is not a problematic family or vices that could influence Jamie’s way of being. However, they take responsibility as parents and deal with the pain that crime has caused in their family. Afterward, Jamie’s parents cry in their son’s room because of guilt and pain. Eddie apologizes to Jamie’s teddy bear, tucks him in, and kisses him like he’s his son.
Does Jamie Confess to His Crime?
The last episode of Adolescence focuses on Eddie’s 50th birthday, which turns into a day of tension and fighting. The family tries to celebrate as if nothing had happened, but reality creeps in at every moment. First, when they find painted insults in Eddie’s van. Then, a mall employee, Quint, recognizes Eddie and says something creepy: he supports Jamie because he believes Katie “deserved to die”. This moment, far from being a relief, becomes proof of the dangerous ecosystem that has fueled Jamie’s violence. Later, when Eddie loses his nerves and hits one of the kids responsible for the graffiti, the tension breaks out. Back in the car, he paints on the offensive words and drives quietly home. But the bomb goes off when they get a call from Jamie: he wants to plead guilty.
What Does Jamie’s Decision Mean?
Jamie accepts his crime and wants to bear the consequences. But for Eddie and Manda, this is not just their son’s confession: it is a sentence against themselves. If Jamie tells the truth, what does that mean to them as parents? Have they failed in their education? Are they responsible for raising an assassin? Adolescence ending explained Eddie and Manda are forced to face their past. Eddie has inherited a violent character from his father, and although he does not consider himself a bad father, he knows that his temper has influenced Jamie. For his part, he realizes that his obsession with giving his children a better life made them neglect the most important thing: their emotional well-being. Jamie grew up in his room, consuming misogynistic content and extremist messages on the internet, without anyone intervening in time.
Final Considerations
Adolescence is not intended to teach anyone. Barantini, Graham, and Jack Thorne (who also works on the script) only show one reality. From there, it is the viewer who must work on his conclusions. But the series does reflect that the picture is not encouraging at all. More and more authoritarian leaders with negative biases are leading countries without giving room for debate. Feminist discourse has a hard time addressing men, who seem seduced by the reactionary and conservative right. At the same time, the school is no longer a benchmark. With less employment, AI advancement, algorithm dominance in discussion, plus the race to maintain an income they barely give to survive, society seems unprepared to encompass or seek solutions to what Adolescence raises. Perhaps families with a lot of money can economically overcome events like the one starring Jamie. However, what about middle or poor families? The answers are not encouraging, although the fight must continue. The solution is not just to give love, it would be very naive to assure it. Specific plans are needed for children to have a comprehensive education. And this is what everyone enters, from teachers to politicians. The family has an enormous responsibility in the growth of the children, it is true, but it cannot be left alone in the fulfillment of this goal.
