This article contains major spoilers for AdolescenceNetflix's four-part miniseries Stephen Graham gives one of his best TV show performances as a bewildered father coming to with his son's hate crime.

Adolescence appears to begin as a police procedural drama, starting outside a family home where the police are about to arrest one of the inhabitants. That said, the first shock comes early, when the police do not arrest Eddie, the father (Stephen Graham), but his 13-year-old son, Jamie. This is far from the darkest moment in the show, which makes for essential but harrowing viewing. The writers depict the insidious nature of incel culture through subtle moments, without even showing the full gory murder. Adolescence episodes are filmed in one continuous shot, adding to the story's chaotic feel.

4 Episode 1

Adolescence Reveals That Jamie Did Kill Katie

When the police burst into the home, Jamie is in his space-themed room, asleep in bed next to his teddy bear, wearing pajamas that he wets when he is arrested for murdering his classmate, Katie. The entire episode is set up to imply that this is an innocent young boy, following Jamie as he gets legal advice that he can barely comprehend and asks for his dad. Jamie denies he did anything wrong until the CCTV proves to both Eddie and the viewer that Jamie really did kill Katie, leading to the harrowing story up to and through Adolescence's ending.

Even with such a deceptively simple revelation, the acting is phenomenal.

This is barely a spoiler now, as the twist is well-discussed, but for first-time viewers who went in unaware, it is a major shock. The revelation that the 13-year-old Jamie is a murderer changes the entire premise and tone for the rest of the series, turning Adolescence from a "whodunnit" style mystery to a much more introspective story. Even with such a deceptively simple revelation, the acting is phenomenal, with Eddie contending with Jamie's betrayal and desire to protect his son.

3 Episode 2

Adam Translates The Emojis

Each episode of Adolescence addresses a different part of the case, and the second episode follows DI Luke Bascombe and his partner DS Misha Frank when the two officers arrive at Eddie's school to question the other pupils and teachers. The continuous camera shot formula is used to great effect here, following them through a chaotic school where the teachers appear to have no control over their classes. Again, Adolescence shocks viewers, who are led to believe that Katie and Jamie were friends until another character reveals the truth.

Luke and Misha believe that because Katie was leaving emojis on Jamie's social media posts, the two were friendly, and they base their questioning on this. They get nowhere until Luke's son Adam pulls him aside to explain Adolescence's incel 80/20 rule and the emoji code Katie was using. The shock is far more disturbing than surprising in episode 2, because it reveals that the officers have no idea what they are doing, while Adam is fluent in this code, leading the viewer to question how involved he and the other students really are.

2 Episode 3

Jamie's Angry, Violent Outbursts

Episode 3 is undoubtedly the standout episode of Adolescence, with Owen Cooper (Jamie) showing his range and nuance. Jamie meets with Briony Ariston, a psychologist assigned to his case, and while he appears to be a frightened child, the situation soon changes, with Jamie showing his true colors. Jamie switches from a shy, approval-seeking boy to a menacing young man who already knows how to use his physicality to try and intimidate women. This scene does more to reveal Jamie's true nature than showing the murder would have done.

Adolescence was Owen Cooper's first onscreen appearance.

Episode 3 of Adolescence shows that Jamie can manipulate adults, with him performing nervousness before smirking and asking Briony if she was expecting him to say something interesting. The episode was shocking for several other reasons, including the fact that Cooper is a new actor, but groundbreaking for its attention to detail. The characters in Adolescence are all affected by misogyny in some way, with Briony dealing with unwanted attention and personal space invasion from one of the other prison staff.

1 Episode 4

Eddie Breaks Down

Episode 4 of Adolescence has some of the hardest moments to watch, as Jamie's family deals with the aftermath of his actions. This includes the family deciding to celebrate Eddie's birthday with a cinema trip before making their plans smaller out of fear of being outside. The episode is not as full of horrific moments as the rest of the series, but is very realistic at times, including a scene involving vandalism. Eddie finds that the UK slang term "nonce" is painted on the side of his van and reacts with fury, perfectly setting up the most shocking moment of episode 4.

Episode 4 shows Jamie's parents asking themselves if there was anything they could have done to stop Jamie from going down the path he had. As one of the more volatile characters in the series, Eddie wonders if it was his fault for pushing Jamie into sports rather than encouraging his art. Then, in a very out-of-character move, Eddie finally breaks down on Jamie's bed, tucking his teddy bear under the covers. It is rare for a show to shock audiences with defeat rather than violence, but Adolescence manages it, ending the show perfectly.