Have you watched Adolescence yet? The short-form drama starring Stephen Graham has become a lightning rod for all sorts of conversations about young men and violence. The viewership on Netflix is massive, but despite those numbers, season 2 probably isn't going to happen.
The story focuses on Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy who’s accused of killing a classmate of his, Katie. As we continue to reel from the first season, there’s some demand for another set of episodes, this time from Katie's point-of-view, to give us a more complete perspective.
Jack Thorne, who co-created the show with Stephen Graham, spoke about doing a follow-up on ITV's This Morning, where he stated it's not on the cards right now, mostly because they don't feel qualified to write it. "I don't think we're the right people to tell Katie's story," he explains. "I think there are other makers out there that could tell beautiful dramas about Katie or girls like Katie, and that those shows should be made."
The purpose of Adolescence was to tell Jamie's story in as well-rounded a fashion as they could, and zooming out of his immediate world might not serve the same narrative ends. "Maybe trying to tell her story would dilute that in some way and maybe we would be inadequate for that task," Thorne adds.
Told over four episodes, each filmed in a single-shot, Adolescence covers Jamie's arrest, the subsequent investigation into his life, and the fallout within his family. Owen Cooper portrays Jamie, while Graham plays his father, Eddie Miller.
The narrative we see across the four episodes is Jamie's arc in totality, and Thorne states they aren't planning to go back for another chapter. "I don't think there's anywhere more we can take Jamie, so I don't think there is a series two," he explains. "We'd love to explore the one shot format in another way. We’d love to tell other stories with it, but I don't think [another series] of Adolescence is quite right for us."
Disappointing though this might be, Adolescence has touched a nerve. It’s currently the most-watched Netflix limited series ever, with 66.3 million hours watched in two weeks. Meanwhile, it stands at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Besides being a great show, people are resonating with the themes and ideas. The series looks at how male violence and misogyny are perpetuated through online spaces, and what we can do to combat influencers who're feeding troubling rhetoric to our young men and boys. Many tricky conversations have emerged, and it seems like there are many more to come as more people enjoy the show.
You can find Adolescence on Netflix now. Check out the best movies on Netflix for other top class viewing options.
