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Two things
a) sweet Jesus, it is incredible
b) I'm so glad I'm not a teenager in the age of the smartphone and social media
i lasted 14 mins and binned it.
Well, there you go, different strokes for different folks I guess. I think it's the best telly I've seen in years. We're up to Episode 3 (which was the best so far, and that is saying something)
2 episodes in for me, agree tremendous bit of TV. The real time filming adds to to what is a pretty intense drama.
Yep, finished it last night. Great bit of TV. Pretty hard to watch in places, proper gritty drama.
2 episodes in for me, agree tremendous bit of TV.
Same here
Can't imagine how there will be be anything better on telly this year. Easy to be hung up on the instagram/Tate/etc stuff, but hasn't it always been an issue - how boys learn to become men?
Anyway - interesting article about the "one take" process
i binge watched it the other day, agree it is very good. BBC had Graham and the other writer on this mornign talking about the story as well as how it was all filmed -clever and basic at the same time. One thing that really got me was the impact on family, especially the matriacal element with dad feeling powerless from the moment his son was arrested, through to the impact from yobs and the wider community treating his wife and daughter. Weeksy, it might be worth giving it another go - it's not normally something i would watch, but i like the actor and was glad i watched it through.
Intersting - the lad that played James (the murderer) had no formal acting experience prior to this!
It's very good. As someone who has direct exposure to these issues I can safely say it's not a long way from reality. It's a sobering watch.
3 episodes down, its gripping stuff. Nearly watched 4 last night but was too late and didn't want to be rushing, willing it to end.
Easy to be hung up on the instagram/Tate/etc stuff, but hasn't it always been an issue - how boys learn to become men
Without knowing how it ends, this was kinda my thoughts too. But with a daughter approaching that age its the "Andrew Tate sh'te" that worries me and I've seen shades of it in my nephew - doesn't help his dad is an @rse, but then I'm wondering if that's where episode 4 is going.
Binged it in a oner the other day. Ooft! That was a bit draining and emotional , but excellent
Watched the first episode last night - absolutely breathless stuff. The only thing that slightly jars for me is that Stephen Graham doesn't look like that boy's dad.
Challenging and topical storyline
Outstanding acting
Technically brilliant
Its not very often TV can be so gripping and powerful. I think it is the most impactful programme I have seen since Its A Sin. Powerful, awesome television deserving of every award it will win.
My review....
Episode 1: Utterly gripping
Episode 2: Depressing - makes me glad my girls are all out of that stage
Episode 3: Quite frightening
Episode 4: So sad
Amazing TV
Episode 4: So sad
I'm the parent of a 15yr old boy called Jamie so the whole thing was a little too close. That last scene in Jamies bedroom broke me a little bit.
Challenging and topical storyline
Outstanding acting
Technically brilliant
Its not very often TV can be so gripping and powerful. I think it is the most impactful programme I have seen since Its A Sin. Powerful, awesome television deserving of every award it will win.
+4
Netflix productions have been so disappointing to date that I had very low expectations of it. But it's utterly brilliant.
Doing it in one shot is amazing. Really gives it a goldfish bowl feeling of everyone staring and looking in on what's happening, which I imagine is how it must feel with the media around the police, social media speculation, the neighbors etc.
And the writing was just superb. Even the small characters like the detectives son and the girls best friend coming in to explain to the audience what's going on. And the way episode 4 just spirals as dad has to deal with neighbors, the kids, the store assistant, the security guard.
Episode 3 made Silence of the Lambs look like a hammy amateur production.
My earlier post should have said I was up to 3, I watched 3 last night. What an episode, the emotions by both characters spot on. To think that’s one solid take too, that kid has a big acting career ahead.
We watched the episodes 1 & 2 last night.
It's definitely powerful stuff.
Think the acting is superb and the continuous shot gives it a totally different feel.
Can't wait to see this.
I've got one of those ronin 4ds this was shot on.
Incredible camera for doing this sort of flowing narrative
Episode 1: Utterly gripping
Episode 2: Depressing - makes me glad my girls are all out of that stage
Episode 3: Quite frightening
Episode 4: So sad
I'd go with that, except Ep3 was also, I think the most impressive of the series.
That last scene in Jamies bedroom broke me a little bit.
I thought just before that, when the daughter had put a nice top on because it was her dad's birthday and she was still trying to make the day special for him even though she knew it had all already gone to shit. That got me.
It is a truly impressive show. Gripping (even though its not the sort of thing we usually watch) and the characters were almost universally convincing. For example the teacher that escorted them round the school behaved exactly like a teacher. Phenomenal.
The camerawork definitely added something to it but at the same time was an unwelcome distraction because all the time you're thinking "how do they do that" and "well I suppose they do it in one shot if it's a stage play".
And admiring the kid - thinking "blimey, and some people thought Daniel Radcliffe could act"
Think the acting is superb and the continuous shot gives it a totally different feel.
I did wonder if this would challenge some peoples attention spans in a day and age where most TV shows are just radio plays leading upto the final set-piece action sequence (that's announced well in advance to get you to look up). You have to sit down and commit to paying attention for an hour. The way the writers have delivered the story means you need to fill in the blanks yourself. There's no cutaway to the bereaved family, no flashbacks beyond a few seconds of CCTV, characters come in and go through their entire development in 60 seconds.
Three episodes in - a very clever change of lighting in episode two (I think - we watched two and three in one go) when he was in the room being interviewed by the assessor and his mood changed and the room darkened - so subtle but so clever.
on a personal level, we Fostered for a couple of years (taking a break due to other family priorities) but the behaviours of the boy were terrifyingly similar to the boy we were fostering.
Watched the final episode tonight. That was one absolute superb bit of TV drama, no over the top action, no silly CSI made up rubbish just pure drama of emotions of the family going something incredibly challenging. Apparently E3 was the first one they filmed, young Owen’s first performance and it was sublime. Yes, I agree some of the lighting was cleverly done to show mood swings.
And admiring the kid - thinking "blimey, and some people thought Daniel Radcliffe could act"
There's a bit about him in here:
The last episode had me gripped all the way through, waiting for Stephen Graham to tip over the edge and do something horrific (wife / daughter beating?) to maybe explain everything. But as the article above says, there's no big event to do that, just the subtleties (or not) of everything that's gone before.
The final scene in the kid's bedroom... Even without something so horrific and absolute, its the mourning of childhood, questioning the quality of one's own parenting, fear of years to come and what's out there online waiting to find its way in. I don't know whether I'm relieved I don't have a son, or absolutely petrified that I have a daughter.
Watched the final episode last night. I really shouldn't have tried to speak to my wife straight afterwards – it came out as a soft blub.
But truly astounding television.
My thoughts of the episodes were
1. Really engaging and totally suited the real time, one shot filming. Gave a great view of the situation as a fly on the wall but I was left feeling that the police were too well prepared between the event at 10pm to be ready to enact a large arrest at 6am whilst having all of the evidence and low level information ready (such as info on his friends and school performance) to prosecute just an hour or so later.
2. Didn't enjoy it at all as it felt too contrived for the one shot technique. Too busy, too much of the same characters appearing in the background in such a large school, too much convenience of locations (such as the climax of the episode just happened to be really near to his car). I also think it focussed too heavily on poor teachers presenting a really negative view of education.
3. Very well acted and very emotional. To me, it felt a bit too over scripted though. It tried to tell too much of a story with the prison staff that I felt was distracting.
4. I'd lost the energy after 2 and 3 so was just willing it to be over. Again, felt a bit over scripted ... I wanted to scream "JUST HAVE YOUR BLOODY BREKKIE!"
Too much convenience of story to make it fit the filming technique for my liking.
Has Stephen Graham ever done anything that is an easy watch?
Top actor, but very edgy.
Good article in the Guardian about the filming of the drone sequence. When I was told it was all one shot (before watching) I was skeptical it might be gimmicky but tbh I didn't even notice it unless you watch for it.
Probably the most impactful thing that I will watch on telly this year. Silent tears running down the faces of both my wife and I by the end of the last episode.
Really good! The one shot thing was amazing in places (episode 3), distracting and unnecessary in others (any car journey), a very challenging and relevant topic, and Jamie was just brilliantly portrayed. Episode 4 was a bit dry to me, I presume because we're not parents and it's late - the rest, fantastic.
Only seen one episode so far but will finish over the weekend. I suspect the remaining three will be just as good, but it did leave me feeling emotionally drained (in a good way).
It might be Netflix but it’s also Warp Films, who have a habit of turning out excellent stuff (the exec producer part owns Fagans pub in Sheffield too for Trivia fans).
I really hope it cleans up at whatever awards it gets put forward for.
Interesting piece on the Beeb with the writer.
BBC News - Adolescence writer calls for 'radical action' not role models
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0egyyq1z47o
It might be Netflix but it’s also Warp Films, who have a habit of turning out excellent stuff (the exec producer part owns Fagans pub in Sheffield too for Trivia fans).
Netflix commissioned and Warp produced I would imagine.
It was very good.
Depressingly, conpiracy theories have almost immediately popped up accusing the writers or race swaping or white washing which the usual culutre war grifters have latched on to. I've no idea what the solution to all this is....
Yeah noticed that today, even though the writers have said it’s not based on a single event.
I must admit I thought it was good but not as brilliant as many have made out. Maybe if I hadn’t seen so much of the hype I’d have found it better. In particular episode 3 wasn’t as good as I was expecting and actually fell a bit short for me in addressing some of the key issues over the boys reasoning for doing it. I actually enjoyed episode 4 more, maybe because as a dad of a teenage boy that hit hardest in terms of how I might feel and cope (not that I have any idea really).
Still much better than most the rubbish on Tv these days.
Rave review from Mark Kermode
I must admit I thought it was good but not as brilliant as many have made out. Maybe if I hadn’t seen so much of the hype I’d have found it better.
Just about what I thought too actually. It was alright.
I was kind of expecting more of a reveal of this emoji stuff and to see what led to what happened. It kind of felt like it left out the whole story of what built up and built up to trigger such an extreme response.
I kept playing back the bit where the lad jumps out of the classroom window and the camera appears to follow, but through the closed part and carry on.
Thought that was very clever. I think I enjoyed the camera work the most out of it once I started to think about the technical challenges involved behind the scenes in doing it.
There wasn't a window, that was (the only?) bit of CGI apparently.
I've watched a few youtube 'explainers': the ending of episode 2 they clip the camera to a drone and then the same camera man gets into a car and drives over to the murder scene to unclip camera for the close up of Stephen Graham, apparently you can seen his car enter the footage as he does so
2 episodes in, brilliant but very uncomfortable at times (it's meant to be I know!) Its gripping stuff, love the one shot camera work too.
Episode 2 reminded me of my secondary school many years ago (was all over the press as one of the 'worse in the country' at the time) Glad I grew up before smartphones became a thing.
Great acting, impressively shot.
But tbh I found it all abit dull, and thoroughly depressing to boot.
I can't remember seeing anything so effective and hard-hitting that didn't rely on one particular scene or imagery for its impact. Brilliant in the way it uses the camera techniques through the episodes.The lad who played Jamie was superb in E3, a new face who can pull that off? And there's the tension Stephen Graham brings to it all, yet you're still feeling for him at the end.
Saw enough last night, very very compelling and watchable but I'm too spineless for anything edgy these days, kind of wandered off to do some stretches before the conclusion.
But as a parent of a seven year old boy (a parent hopelessly addicted to social media I should add) what's the best approach when child wants a smartphone?
Do I just try to slowly wean myself off the phone so he doesn't see me on it all the time, and try to spin a narrative to him about why they're not for kids? Is he really going to get bullied or ostracized at school for not having one?
He's already getting picked on for taking in healthy snacks instead of branded packaged crap so I don't hold out much hope if we send him to school with an old Nokia! 😂
My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.
Didn't really delve into social media aspect on how that would cause the outcome that it did and the boy just seemed to have anger issues (possibly not helped by dads) that could have come out for any reason at any time.
we were expecting a doom and gloom, tense affair that left us feeling sh1te after each episode cos you know, stephen graham? still had that feel after episode 1, but episodes 2 and 3 although well acted didnt really live up to the hype for me.
see how we feel after episode 4 tonight.
Where's the dividing line between 'it's my opinion and can't therefore be wrong' and 'in the light of everyone else's opinion, maybe I'm wrong'
Because I'm prepared on this one to say it's your opinion but you're wrong 😉
Brilliant TV, technically, emotionally and for the subject covered.
My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.
Yes I found it a bit meh too, but each to their own
watch it.Saw enough last night, very very compelling and watchable but I'm too spineless for anything edgy these days, kind of wandered off to do some stretches before the conclusion.
But as a parent of a seven year old boy (a parent hopelessly addicted to social media I should add) what's the best approach when child wants a smartphone?
Do I just try to slowly wean myself off the phone so he doesn't see me on it all the time, and try to spin a narrative to him about why they're not for kids?
has anything made something more appealing to children than being told it’s not for kids? Has anything made something less cool than being what your dad does?
absolutelyIs he really going to get bullied or ostracized at school for not having one?
But don’t think this is all about smartphones - it’s about a culture. A very real culture which definitely does exist in schools up and down the country. If your son is not the one holding the knife, he might be the one who got him the knife thinking he was just going to scare her, or who provides somewhere to hide or a cover story, or a friend of the girl who stands up for her or eggs her on with her posts. Parents are probably not able to stop it - but there are definitely things we can do that feed it, or turn a bling eye to.
if you’ve got the balls to send your kid to school with healthy snacks and consider not giving them a phone - you’ve got the spine to watch a drama that tackles one of the issues you are concerned about.
no - the adverts would ruin the one shot aspect!My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.
Didn't really delve into social media aspect on how that would cause the outcome that it did and the boy just seemed to have anger issues (possibly not helped by dads) that could have come out for any reason at any time.
Perhaps that was part of the message - no matter how much you dig in to the social media stuff you’ll never come up with a genuinely rational explanation. People who are looking to solve the problem by understanding the emoji’s aren’t really understanding the problem. Anyone trying to rationalise it by reference to his dads (on the scale of things relatively minor) anger issues (perhaps contributed to by his own father’s approach to discipline?) hasn’t asked the question why his dad or grandad didn’t go on to become a killer or lives in a bubble where they think this is entirely fiction and stuff like this doesn’t really happen.
I went to school before mobile phones, never mind social media. We didn’t have menosphere and Tait / Fox and other such people plying for our attention but it is entirely believable to me.
hasn’t asked the question why his dad or grandad didn’t go on to become a killer or lives in a bubble where they think this is entirely fiction and stuff like this doesn’t really happen.
Because most people don't so when one person reacts in an extreme way that others don't then you need to work out why that is.
Didn't really delve into social media aspect on how that would cause the outcome that it did and the boy just seemed to have anger issues (possibly not helped by dads) that could have come out for any reason at any time.
it did it covered how he had been influenced by social media, it also covered how his father’s behaviour had also had an effect that was pretty much the whole story arc.
Man, I need to rewatch it, then!
I was kind of expecting more of a reveal of this emoji stuff and to see what led to what happened. It kind of felt like it left out the whole story of what built up and built up to trigger such an extreme response.
IMO that was part of the point?
You're following the detective though the episode and he doesn't have a clue what's going on either with the case or with teenagers in general. And neither will the viewers. I don't think you're supposed to know every intricacy of the plot and it's devices. The Matrix reference for example gives probably the average Millennial viewer their gotcha moment where they get to feel clever and like they've solved the case, then it's snatched away again when the kid has no idea what he's talking about.
I think you were meant to go into it thinking "yea, I'm a progressive liberal, I'm down with gen-Z and understand kids still, I know who Tate is" and then the show systematically dismantles that.
it did it covered how he had been influenced by social media,
Again, not to the extent that caused the outcome. Whatever, I thought it was average and the hype around it is surprising to me.
@thisisnotaspoon has explained it well, it didn’t need to be broken down and explained in simple terms like many crime dramas do. It was covering aspects of society in a real time filming. The officer in charge son had to tell him about the social media influence.
I think you are looking for a rational explanation for irrational behaviour. To me that is kind of the point - 13yr olds are not necessarily rational. Tate and others have found a way to gain attention by playing to that. And, not touched on in the programme, as a society we stopped the normal social interactions during covid and encouraged on-line stuff, which can't have helped any teen/pre-teen form normal relationships.it did it covered how he had been influenced by social media,
Again, not to the extent that caused the outcome. Whatever, I thought it was average and the hype around it is surprising to me.
To me the clever part of the programme was not what was said - it was that they didn't eek it out and spell this stuff out to you. It was left to your own brain to go WTF.
Has Stephen Graham ever done anything that is an easy watch?
Top actor, but very edgy.
Without cheating and going to IMDB, I'm going to throw out "Matilda the Musical" as qualifying as an easy watch 🙂
I think you are looking for a rational explanation for irrational behaviour.
Nope, I just think there could have been many things that triggered that reaction from that boy. In this case it was via social media, in the case on the outburst when in detention or when with the psychologist it was something else.
Without cheating and going to IMDB, I'm going to throw out "Matilda the Musical" as qualifying as an easy watch
Psychological child abuse, bullying in the workplace.... laugh a minute!
For people wanting to explore what’s going on with young men and boys I can recommend this episode of The Today Podcast. Really interesting and thought provoking. I found it much more enlightening than the Adolescence series.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00290bg?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
I enjoyed it, perhaps enjoyed isn't the best word. It was really engaging and demanded some effort from the viewer very uncomfortable watching at times and all the better for that. Whilst I found episode 3 the best and episode 4 the least engaging the standard throughout was very high.
At the end of it, i'm a little on the meh side as well, sorry.
Technically of course it can't be faulted - i mean, absolutely extraordinary - but to my mind it has been at the expense of the telling of the story it wants to tell.
I've just watched the first episode of 'The Walk-In' as a sort of control experiment, as it has ultimately the same didactic intent.
With the constraints the narrative had put upon itself by the manner of its telling, only episode three could have been any different in this regard, and it was as good as it should have been. But most of its impact was implicit not explicit, it really didn't give us much about 'why', and by this stage we are making our own minds up. I'm not suggesting this is a bad thing.
Episode four was an hour that dealt with the consequences for those left behind, impactful but not really anything new. Nothing that really gave anything more about Jamie's motivation, only the revelation that he had probably accepted his culpability.
I'm glad that i watched it, would recommend, will probably watch again to pick up on things i missed, but i'm not convinced it is the paragon it's purported to be.
Nothing that really gave anything more about Jamie's motivation
I don't think they were trying to provide the audience with answers.
The Matrix reference for example gives probably the average Millennial viewer their gotcha moment where they get to feel clever and like they've solved the case, then it's snatched away again when the kid has no idea what he's talking about.
Yeah, I thought that bit was really interesting. As an aside, schools aren’t really like that now, are they?
As an aside, schools aren’t really like that now, are they
Why not - they were more or less like that 40+ years ago when I was there - some shit teachers who had no control (history in Adolescence) some good teachers who taught well and had discipline in the classroom ( maths teacher in Adolescence). Kids rude, setting off fire alarms, giving each other shit etc. and I went to a pretty good ex grammar school
I really enjoyed this series, but (I'm a teacher in a state secondary) that school episode was preposterous.
Ten minutes in and I would have permanently excluded 5 students, sacked two members of staff and put the whole school into special measures...
Police get a school report on the suspect before 7am after the murder at 10pm? Impossible.
Everyone watching films? Last day of term maybe.
NQT turns up late for a class? Never going to happen.
Kids all on their phones? Not anymore, almost all schools have banned them completely. Even before that, the idea they'd be getting then out to film...
If anyone is interested in the technical and acting elements of it the latest episode of the rest is entertainment is worth listening too
Great acting but otherwise incredibly tedious and lacked any point whatsoever in my view.
Watched it over the last few days. Fantastic acting and I love the way it was shot. Other than that it didn't really hit me hard. Just a solid drama with Stephen Graham once again proving he is a phenomenal actor.
As the father of an eleven year old boy and after reading up on the series, I expected it to have more of an impact on me. I must admit I have some concerns about him going to High School and him accessing the internet. He's not got a phone yet and can only use the internet under direct supervision. Doesn't have devices of any sort in his room either. Luckily he doesn't actually want a phone. He says he finds it sad that his school mates would rather look at a screen than look at the world. Can't see that viewpoint surviving the next year or so 😞
lacked any point whatsoever in my view.
No point? You don't think it's a subject that needs mainstream coverage?
could you give us some examples of drama which had more of a point?Great acting but otherwise incredibly tedious and lacked any point whatsoever in my view.
As the father of an eleven year old boy and after reading up on the series, I expected it to have more of an impact on me. I must admit I have some concerns about him going to High School and him accessing the internet.
In that case I’m surprised it didn’t. My 17yr old daughter says it should be essential viewing for everyone going to high school in the 2020s.
I really enjoyed this series, but (I'm a teacher in a state secondary) that school episode was preposterous.
Ten minutes in and I would have permanently excluded 5 students, sacked two members of staff and put the whole school into special measures...
Police get a school report on the suspect before 7am after the murder at 10pm? Impossible.
Everyone watching films? Last day of term maybe.
NQT turns up late for a class? Never going to happen.
Kids all on their phones? Not anymore, almost all schools have banned them completely. Even before that, the idea they'd be getting then out to film...
I'm glad to hear that - for me the school scenes were the most shocking part (apart from the murder, obvs.)
In that case I’m surprised it didn’t. My 17yr old daughter says it should be essential viewing for everyone going to high school in the 2020s.
Why? It is a drama series, specifically made to bring out emotion. I'm simply not impacted by drama in that way. It didn't go into enough detail surrounding the why, motivations, the child's mental state etc. Open to way too much interpretation to be essential, at least in my opinion. If it were a documentary about an actual event I would probably have a different opinion.
My son doesn't have any access to the internet as yet. When he does it'll be strictly controlled. He won't be sat in his room at 13 watching whatever he chooses at all hours. He is also surrounded by good male and female role models.
I'm glad to hear that - for me the school scenes were the most shocking part (apart from the murder, obvs.)
Made for good TV though and that's the point really. Hence why I'm not viewing it in the way some others are. We're all different though so hey ho.
My son doesn't have any access to the internet as yet. When he does it'll be strictly controlled. He won't be sat in his room at 13 watching whatever he chooses at all hours. He is also surrounded by good male and female role models.
Hey Siri - show me someone with no experience of parenting a teenager. More seriously, over-strict parenting can result in a contrary reaction. Secondly, children choose role models; they may not choose the ones you hope for.
Regarding the TV series - it was a work of fiction, not a documentary. Sometimes things work when the viewer has some space to paint their own interpretation.
Thanks for patronising me whilst knowing absolutely **** all about my experience with teenagers. I'm also not a strict parent. Thanks for the unsolicited advice though. I'm also well aware that it was a work of fiction. Some of you on here just can't help yourselves. It's a difference of opinion on a Netflix show FFS.
Overreacting much ?