The new TV series Adolescence has been setting records for Netflix. According to Variety, “It has been a runaway hit, reaching 24.3 million views in its first four days of availability,” and now has over 66.4 million viewers in the first two weeks since its release. This is the most views Netflix has gotten on a series within two weeks.
The series is only four episodes long and each runs about 50 minutes. The story takes place in West Yorkshire, England and follows a young 13 year old boy Jamie Miller, who is convicted for murdering one of his classmates, which he says he did not commit. The boy faces horrific charges that could put him in jail for many years. As you watch you can see the emotional roller coaster the boy and his family must endure, leaving you devastated and curious for the next episode.
As I finished this series, I was both puzzled and hopeful for Jamie and his family. The show did a remarkable job of showing how the justice system works and how a family would feel if put in this situation.
Owen Cooper, the young actor who played the main lead Jamie Miller, accurately delivered the fear, vulnerability, and shock of what it would be like going through the legal system at such a young age.
The setting had a dark and eerie tone to it, which paired well with all the somber emotions. I felt that each character really brought their own emotions, making it feel upbeat and hopeful one moment and tragic the next, like a roller coaster to watch.
In certain parts of the show it moved into investigating the school where Jamie attended, and I feel like it exaggerated the school life of the kids in England making them incredibly disrespectful, which could be true to an extent, but it felt somewhat harsh.
The series ends on what seems like a cliffhanger, but the creators of the story stated that they felt there was no need for a sequel, meaning viewers are only left with short episodes.
Overall, this was a great TV series with so many engaging elements that show the legal system, and the actors performed their roles perfectly. I highly recommend watching this show.
