There is an intriguing facet of detailing that Adolescence employs through its 4 episodes. This is true in drawing your attention in its first episode when the center of attraction remains a 13 year old, around whom the drama is designed. So when he pleas for freedom of longing to meet his dad Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham) while being taken away, you empathize with him. There is almost a natural sense of empathy that presents its case towards Jamie, even as he is being questioned by the sergeant at the police station about an attorney. Jamie remains subdued throughout, being in denial of the crime charged on him, even as you as a viewer are unsure of what the crime is being referred here. Characters enter and leave his little detention center, even while Jamie is briefed by his attorney in the presence of his father. In other words, the tense atmospherics are horrific and create a startling picture of detention while your loyalties lie with the young boy. But everything changes at the end of the first episode when the incident is relived through a CCTV camera. The events are shocking and startling even as you wish to know more about the case and Jamie.

The beauty of the writing lies in the fact that it almost gives you an illusion that this is a murder mystery, while only picking certain elements of it before transforming itself into a psychological thriller with layers of social commentary. It is similar to Primal Fear (1996) with its premise, before making a U-Turn. The only clutch difference is that the protagonist here is a 13 year old as opposed to a 19 year old in Primal Fear. Hence when the setting shifts from the police station to a local school, the chaos is palpable given that the identities of the victim and accused are revealed to most children. The commentary on the education system is in full throttle too – in a scene, you see Bascombe quipping about how one of the teacher enters and leaves the class whenever he prefers to. This, even as the children remain aggressively rude with a more wide-space use of social media that may have replaced the concept of friendship in their lives. The stakes are further raised when a student is beaten up in broad daylight, even as Bascombe is at the receiving end of rude statements wherein some of the children refuse to cooperate!

Amidst the chaos, there is a searing commentary on parenting also – first with respect to Bascombe and later with Eddie (which I shall touch upon later). Bascombe shares a very indifferent relationship with his son. One look at them and you can see the distance between the duo. It may have been tagged to the fact that Bascombe was also duty-bound while never having the ‘time’ to share moments with his son. Hence, you see his son in a shell almost being resilient to the racism slurs that he is subjected to in class. His reluctance has transformed into a distance from his father, so much so that he is seen to be asking for permission to talk to him at a certain point. And while the revelation is more on the lines of social media related to the case that Bascombe is investigating, the underlying theme is more of shock for the latter when he gets to know that his child is spending most of his time on social media (stemming from the fact that he did not give him much time). In a scene, you see Bascombe citing that he did not want a child but he still loves his son, something that he amends even with his actions when he decides to take a day off for his son, after zeroing on an important breakthrough.

What elevates the writing here is its ability to get into the psyche of Jamie, in the events leading up to the incident in question. So when you have the psychologist Briony (Erin Holland) conversing with Jamie, you are witness to a completely different person from the first episode. Jamie has anger issues even flairing up at the smallest of questions, a trait that touches upon the anger management issues in children (remember Animal and how dangerous that could be?). The questioning doesn’t end there – there are a range of questions thrown in with respect to the behavior of the father to Jamie’s resortment to the social media and his borderline addiction to p*rn. In a way, it was like deconstructing the psyche of the accused without allowing any room for empathy, a stark difference in tone from the first episode. What you are subjected to, is an individual suffering from an inferiority-complex given how he thinks he is ugly (very common in teenagers), and being bullied while referring to an an incel! And hence, it is determined that the anger erupting in Jamie is a byproduct of his father Eddie, a figure whom he invariably modelled himself on. And the victim may have been someone who ‘weak’ in terms of looks and body structure, that invariably made Jamie think that she was within range for him. But when that didn’t happen, his anger took over while resulting in the worst outcome (and I liked how the worst outcome here is only implied through and through without explicitly highlighting it). And hence, the commentary on social media (and how young minds are influenced by it thinking that everything on it is true), and anger management in kids, and even toxic masculinity (wherein you saw Jamie reacting violently at the thought of having to part with Briony, implying that he may have been attracted to her) landed perfectly!

The writing shifts perspectives to the parents of Jamie, going about their lives 13 months after the incident. There is an underlying layer of pain that remains buried even as you spot the family in happier times to begin with. But the events that transpire are also reflective on the statement of Jamie, and on how accurate his reading turned out to be. And this is where the characterization of Eddie remains immaculate – he isn’t vilified to the point of subjecting his family to violence because of his anger. But his anger did make him an unpredictable person, given how it would flair up at the most trivial things around him. The case in point being his truck being coated with a slur, that triggers him to the point of wanting venture out for a solution immediately, and also overhauling young boys physically just on mere suspicion. His wife and elder daughter remain understated, often having to put up with his behavior. Make no mistake – Eddie isn’t a bad person even as you see him showcasing his affection towards his son early on in the show. He just remains flawed whose repercussions have a direct impact on Jamie.

The writing also dwells on the concept of parenting and how that is a significant factor in shaping up a young mind. Both Bascombe and Eddie remain flawed individuals as far as parenting is concerned. Both these characters did not give time to their children at some point in the drama (even off camera which is implied). But while Bascombe realises it before it is too late, Eddie and his wife don’t get that chance. In a scene, you see Eddie’s wife emotionally claiming that she was witness to Jamie being awake in his room at 1 AM without the reason for it. It was clear on how Jamie wasn’t given time that eventually made him develop all the traits that ended with a tragedy. The emotion on the surface was of regret for Eddie and his wife, while deep down having a feeling of helplessness and having to take the blame for the manner in which Jamie’s life had shaped up. This remained a screenplay writing masterclass in the purest sense, with the writing having the ability to push boundaries and dwell deeper into the psyche of flawed young minds.