Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Adolescence, Netflix, TV And Film, Social Media, Crime
Niamh Spence
Topics: Adolescence, Netflix, TV And Film, Social Media, Crime
Adolescence viewers have not been able to get over the final scenes of the Netflix drama, which many viewers have revealed left them in tears.
The new TV series has been a huge hit since it dropped on Netflix (13 March), receiving a heap of five-star reviews, gleaming critical acclaim, and a mountain of praise on social media.
The plot of the 'disturbing' series, which stars Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, and Owen Cooper, follows a devoted father named Eddie (Graham), whose life is turned upside down when his 13-year-old son Jamie (Cooper) is arrested for the violent murder of one of his classmates.
In one scene in the final episode, Eddie sits on Jamie's bed and tucks his teddy bear under the duvet, kissing the top of its head and saying: "I'm sorry son, I should have done better."
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Viewers have been left reeling from the scene, as one shared on social media: "Anyone else still not recovered from Stephen Graham tucking the teddy bear in at the end of Adolescence? Because same."
Another felt similar as they added: "Jamie's teddy bear. I was in floods. Days later still feeling impact of that scene."
"The way Stephen Graham tucked that teddy bear in… I just lost it at that moment!!" said a third.
The devastating final moments of the series reveal how Jamie's crimes have impacted the entire family, and now, psychologist Dannielle Haig has explained why the emotional scene is so significant.
She shared: "The final scene, with Eddie sitting in Jamie’s childhood bedroom and tucking in his teddy bear, is psychologically striking for several reasons. It presents a stark juxtaposition between innocence and brutality, reinforcing the dissonance between Jamie’s status as a child and the violent act he has committed."
One of the key themes Haig explains is that it focuses on parental grief and denial, as Eddie struggles to come to terms with what Jamie has done.
Haig explained: "Eddie sitting in Jamie’s childhood space and engaging in a nurturing act like tucking in a teddy bear may reflect a subconscious attempt to hold onto the image of his son as an innocent child, rather than facing the reality of what he has done.
"Parents of children who commit violent crimes often experience profound cognitive and emotional conflict, struggling to reconcile their perception of their child with the horror of their actions. Eddie’s behaviour here could signify denial or an attempt to regress to a time before everything changed.
"The stark contrast between the innocence of Jamie’s bedroom and the violence he has committed highlights the psychological tension Eddie is experiencing. Now that Jamie has decided to plead guilty, Eddie is forced to confront the truth, a truth he may have been resisting. Sitting in his son’s room, engaging in this childlike act, could be a way of grappling with this unbearable reality."
The teddy bear also has a role to play in the scene and is thought to be a sign of loss as Eddie grieves, which Haig explained: "The teddy bear, the childhood setting, and Eddie’s quiet presence could all symbolise his mourning—not just for Jamie’s future, which is now irreversibly altered, but for the child he thought he knew. It may also represent a sense of helplessness, as he realises he can no longer protect Jamie or rewrite what has happened.
"As for the room’s details—wallpaper, books, etc.—these could be deliberate visual cues emphasising Jamie’s arrested development or innocence. If the room remains unchanged from his younger years, it might further highlight the tragic contrast between the child Jamie once was and the crime he has now confessed to."
The emotional scene has evoked a strong reaction from viewers who have been 'brought to tears', which Haig says is due to the powerful nature of the scene.
"Overall, this scene is incredibly powerful because it forces the audience to sit with the devastating contrast: a father, in his son’s bedroom, holding onto a symbol of childhood after learning that his son is responsible for an unspeakable act," she shared. "The discomfort it evokes is likely intentional, leaving us to grapple with the complexity of human psychology, morality, and identity."
You can watch Adolescence on Netflix now.