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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Adolescence was a little overblown with sketchy acting?

222 replies

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 14:34

I was interested in it and “enjoyed it”

but I thought it was a bit overblown and some of the acting…. Well, a bit shit really.

i feel like the only person on the planet to think this!

OP posts:
XelaM · 23/03/2025 12:01

Maitri108 · 23/03/2025 11:45

I thought the scene with the therapist was the worst part. Completely unrealistic and hammy.

Show quote history

Yes! I can't understand why people seem to like that episode with the therapist at all. It was the absolutely worst and most unrealistic part of the whole drama (also totally pointless as her line of questioning made no sense).

crumblingschools · 23/03/2025 12:02

@sillyfrilly what did you want to happen? Don’t think it was meant to be a full on exciting drama with twists and turns.

Piggywaspushed · 23/03/2025 14:06

She wasn't a therapist. Her job wasn't to make Jamie understand himself (a recurrent theme) or to heal himself. I can't decide if it's sexist to reduce her job to the lesser paid, 'fluffier' , less scientific job of therapist (no offence to therapists).

lavenderlou · 23/03/2025 14:16

I thought it was well-done. There were certain unrealistic things, like I doubt they would send vans full of armed police to arrest a 13 year old. I'm a primary school teacher in a deprived area and the behaviour of the kids in school wasn't unbelievable to me. The unrealistic thing was having the police officers just allowed to wander round school and into classrooms. No lanyard, no parental consent to speak to kids. It's a TV show at the end of the day though so they have to have some licence.

Thedogscollar · 23/03/2025 14:16

I watched it back to back lastnight.
I was gripped throughout.
The acting was phenomenal, realistic and sensitive.
The way it was filmed made me feel like I was in the room with them.
I enjoyed each episode with ep3 being my favourite. The acting between Jamie and the psychologist was spellbinding.

Ironfloor269 · 23/03/2025 14:20

The actor who played Jamie was shit but Stephen Graham, I thought, was excellent. Jamie looked like he’s been caught shoplifting not guilty of murder!

Original poster
Radish81 · 23/03/2025 14:20

Maitri108 · 23/03/2025 11:45

I thought the scene with the therapist was the worst part. Completely unrealistic and hammy.

Show quote history

It was the best of the bunch but…. It was like watching two strong but prone to going OTT and too theatrical…stage school drama students!

OP posts:
ohyesido · 23/03/2025 14:25

I didn’t love it. I thought the dialogue was good but there was no closure or explanation of why anything happened.

Sportswatchernotplayer · 23/03/2025 14:27

Different format to the usual crime shows.

I enjoyed it.

We all like different things

Maitri108 · 23/03/2025 14:27

Radish81 · 23/03/2025 14:20

It was the best of the bunch but…. It was like watching two strong but prone to going OTT and too theatrical…stage school drama students!

Show quote history

I completely disagree. I found it jarred with the rest of the show.

Original poster
Radish81 · 23/03/2025 14:28

Maitri108 · 23/03/2025 14:27

I completely disagree. I found it jarred with the rest of the show.

Show quote history

Oh when I say “best of the bunch” remember I didn’t think any of the 4 was exactly great!

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 23/03/2025 14:29

The actor who played Jamie was shit

I genuinely think you are the only person I have heard say that.

Maitri108 · 23/03/2025 14:37

Radish81 · 23/03/2025 14:28

Oh when I say “best of the bunch” remember I didn’t think any of the 4 was exactly great!

Show quote history

I think it was like something inserted into the show that didn't add any insight with clunky dialogue.

The major problem I had with it was the lack of history of behavioural problems. This was an opportunity to deep dive into his past and his deviancy.

sweetpickle2 · 23/03/2025 14:43

Everyone is entitled to like and not like what they want, but I think people looking for one big twist or reveal are missing the point. There was no one “reason” Jamie is like he is- he’s a product of a variety of different elements of his fairly everyday life.

Also the posters saying they couldn’t understand why the psychiatrist was scared- really?! A young man who murdered the last woman who pissed him off is standing over and shouting at you and you wouldn’t been a teensy bit shaken? Okay.

BoilingHotand50something · 23/03/2025 14:57

What I have noticed since this started airing, are many posts on social platforms with parents asking about screen time limits, how to better monitor what their kids are doing online, what do other parents do etc. So I feel like it is making people sit up and listen.

I am not a huge Stephen Graham fan but I thought the scenes where the boy was searched and where he saw the CCTV were outstanding.

I agree episode 4 was a bit boring and there were lots of unanswered question but the discomfort I felt at the end made me have a good think about my parenting.

madamweb · 23/03/2025 15:14

I thought the portrayals of the teachers as checked out and ineffectual was pretty disappointing (am not a teacher, but my children have some really great teachers)

I thought it would be more accurate in terms of process given it was trying to be realistic

And the single camera thing may have been innovative etc but it just made me feel a bit seasick

If it had not been on such a relevant topic I would have given up early on

It's got my son asking to watch it with us and chatting about some of the themes though. And anything that encourages people to monitor phone use, talk to their children about these issues and ensure they have a life away from their phones and peer group has to be a good thing.

Porcelainpig · 23/03/2025 15:17

I think it would have been better not doing episodes in one shot as it Lost a lot of depth due to this. I am still enjoying it though, but think it's a missed opportunity.

EmeraldRoulette · 23/03/2025 15:56

Porcelainpig · 23/03/2025 15:17

I think it would have been better not doing episodes in one shot as it Lost a lot of depth due to this. I am still enjoying it though, but think it's a missed opportunity.

Yes

I've just finished watching it. The director was obviously on a mission to use that technique but ironically it lost an awful lot of impact through using it. It's basically not the right drama for this technique.

The third episode was quite good. The final one was absolutely pointless.

I'm glad it's attracted a lot of attention because certainly from looking on here, it's baffling how many posters aren't familiar with any of this, and they have children!

But from the publicity, I thought the major points would have more impact. Actually, they have been completely lost that directing technique and a lot of pointless dialogue.

If the team behind it were trying to raise awareness of these issues, the drama itself hasn't helped, but maybe the publicity has.

unclejoesmintballz · 23/03/2025 17:26

As others have said. This was a story about a close knit family who's son was 'safely' ensconced in his room of a night time and the blame was laid firmly on the influences of the Internet.
So why no concern or questions by anyone at all over him roaming the streets at 10.30pm? Not even a throwaway excuse to his mum who was most likely at home. The inane 'school Disco reminisce' presumably to depict they are a very normal loving couple didn't make up for this and was very tedious.
Oh - and the creepy Paintshop assistant has been in something else too..as a creep 😁

Cocolapew · 23/03/2025 17:27

DH is watching it atm and I'm less impressioned by it than the first time 😄.
He's enjoying it but is baffled by the incel stuff, it's presumed everyone understands what it is.

Justcallmebebes · 23/03/2025 17:29

Agree OP

madamweb · 23/03/2025 18:53

Cocolapew · 23/03/2025 17:27

DH is watching it atm and I'm less impressioned by it than the first time 😄.
He's enjoying it but is baffled by the incel stuff, it's presumed everyone understands what it is.

Yes neither my son (14) not my husband knew what incel meant (in this context, my husband associated it with terrorists).

madamweb · 23/03/2025 18:56

unclejoesmintballz · 23/03/2025 17:26

As others have said. This was a story about a close knit family who's son was 'safely' ensconced in his room of a night time and the blame was laid firmly on the influences of the Internet.
So why no concern or questions by anyone at all over him roaming the streets at 10.30pm? Not even a throwaway excuse to his mum who was most likely at home. The inane 'school Disco reminisce' presumably to depict they are a very normal loving couple didn't make up for this and was very tedious.
Oh - and the creepy Paintshop assistant has been in something else too..as a creep 😁

Agree. Our 14 year olds are safely in bed at that time and if they go out with friends after school they are home by 5 for dinner /hobbies etc. After dinner in nights they don't have hobbies DH spends an hour or two gaming with his son and I either play a board game or watch a documentary with my son or we do something all together.

There were plenty of issues other than phone use going on but they weren't addressed

ItsUpToYou · 23/03/2025 18:58

I think the taking in one shot was what made it feel more real. It was like theatre as opposed to television.

TiarasandEmeralds · 23/03/2025 19:12

I watched a review and the person said the people that didn't like to show and were slating it were mainly Facebook 'boy mums' and white supremacists. Based on some of the comments in this thread like Notaflippinclue's, I can see why the reviewer said that

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