It’s only March and Netflix has already delivered an absolute masterpiece that changed the world of TV. On March 13, a new miniseries called Adolescence was released on the streaming platform, and it certainly left everyone shocked but also in awe. Exploring the horror of an adolescent turned murderer, the horrendous reasons why a person’s life was taken, and the heartbreaking aftermath when a loved one commits an unspeakable crime, the psychological drama goes into all the details and thoughts. Even though Adolescence is the most bingeworthy Netflix series probably ever, the four one-hour-long episodes are by no means an easy watch.
While the one-take filming style is the perfect way to keep the viewer’s attention and draw them right in, the no-filter portrayal of such a heavy subject is difficult to digest in one go. Numerous gut-wrenching moments certainly cause some questions to arise at the end. So, let’s get into the ending of Netflix’s Adolescence, and answer the biggest questions.
Did Jamie Kill Katie in Adolescence? In Episode 1 of Adolescence, detectives show Jamie, who is played by up-and-coming actor Owen Cooper, and his dad damning CCTV footage, which clearly shows Jamie and Katie, the two teenagers at the center of the tragedy, together, and even captured Katie’s horrible final moments as Jamie murdered her. Despite the clear proof, Jamie immediately denies everything, while his father drowns in the heartbreaking realization of what his son has done and was even capable of doing.
After a long back and forth, which was incredibly well executed in the third of Adolescence's one-take episodes, Jamie finally reveals his own misogyny and answers questions about his masculinity, somewhat bringing him closer to his confession. It took Jamie 13 months to accept what he had done and change his plea to guilty. While he constantly denied his involvement in the crime, Jamie was forced to face the truth. He had to realize that he had ended Katie's life, and there was no going back from that. After accepting his reality, Jamie also told his family that he would plead guilty. This move simultaneously carried the confirmation that Jamie was capable of taking someone’s life, but it also marked the beginning of moving on with their new reality.
Adolescence is already one of the best shows of 2025, and it's based on more than one terrifying true story – including an ongoing controversy. Why Did Jamie Kill Katie in Adolescence? The reason why Jamie killed Katie is not as straightforward as could be assumed. There is not only one reason but a combination of different factors that added up and resulted in this tragic event.
First and foremost, the hit series with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score showed that Jamie suffered from an extreme lack of self-esteem, which weighed heavily on him and tremendously impacted his general well-being. As a young adolescent, the overwhelming emotions of puberty and growing into an adult were already burdening Jamie, but when the opinions of others were introduced, it completely crushed him.
It’s nothing unusual that young people (in fact, people of any age) find themselves longing for reassurance, but, in Jamie’s case, it reached a dangerous point. Jamie revealed to his psychologist that he was sent a photo of a topless Katie from a boy at school as a form of revenge. He admitted that he was quite drawn to those sorts of pictures, regularly consuming them online as well, but he also clarified that he felt bad for Katie. Upon asking her out, he was rejected, and his self-esteem was crushed even more. Jamie’s struggles with feeling good about himself and seeing his worth were joined by extreme anger when Katie started to mock him with degrading emojis on Instagram. The bullying got out of hand, finding its way into school as well, and when Katie called him an incel, the boiling concoction bubbled over.
Jamie’s lack of self-esteem, becoming the target of bullies, and online accusations led him to unleash his anger by killing Katie. In a misogynistic culture, Jamie thought he could regain his power, his worth, by harming a woman.
Boardwalk Empire alum Stephen Graham stars as a father whose son is accused of murder in the haunting Netflix crime drama Adolescence. What Happened to Jamie’s Family in Adolescence? It is an understatement to say that Jamie’s parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco), and his older sister, Lisa (Amelie Pease), were caught in a whirlwind of emotions and left shocked to their core after what Jamie did. Adolescence sheds light on the trauma the family of a convicted murderer experiences and shows the painful path to accepting a new reality.
In the Netflix series, which is considered one of the best TV shows of the year, Jamie’s family receives a lot of hate, which leads them to consider moving away. However, Lisa makes a valid point by stating that a new place would only mean that, at some point, their past would come to light, and the hate would start all over again. Hence, the family decides to stay in their hometown, where the resentment towards them will ease up. Additionally, they still want to be close to Jamie, to be able to stay in touch with him and be there for him. He is a part of their family, after all, even though he committed a horrific crime and caused his family immense pain. Adolescence is available to stream on Netflix.
