DI Bascombe attends Jamie’s school to find out more about him. Here’s our Adolescence episode 2 review.
NB: The following contains spoilers for Adolescence episode 1.
If you’re reading this, I assume you’ve somewhat recovered from the shock of Adolescence episode 1, where we saw the security camera footage of Jamie Miller stabbing Katie, confirming he did exactly what he’s accused of.
Before we move on to discussing episode 2, let’s take a minute to acknowledge the absolutely miraculous performances by Stephen Graham, playing Jamie’s dad, and Owen Cooper as Jamie. Graham has always been a charismatic performer, but the actor finds a completely new gear here. After agreeing to be Jamie’s “appropriate adult”, he’s forced to be in the room as his son is strip searched to see if there are any other marks on him aside from the scratches on his arm, which are likely to be defensive wounds. Director Phillip Barantini holds his camera close to Graham’s face the whole time and later, Eddie asks their assigned solicitor for help, with an ever so slightly trembling voice. “I just don’t wanna get it wrong for me lad,” he admits. Great work by Graham here – not that he’s ever been bad.
Adolescence has a rare kind of boldness to it. Episode 1 establishes the Netflix show as something much more interesting and ambitious than your usual murder mystery show. Episode 2 continues that streak of ambition, and follows DI Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and DS Frank ( Faye Marsay) as they go around Jamie’s school, talking to his classmates in order to find out more about their suspect.
It’s been two days since Jamie was arrested. The police still don’t quite understand Jamie’s motive nor can they locate the murder weapon. The lad is still claiming he didn’t do it and the police need more evidence, but as we’ve already established, Adolescence isn’t strictly about the investigation itself. Instead, it’s a look at the younger generation and what influences them, and how different they are growing up from the previous generations.
Unless you have nothing but great memories from your time at school, episode 2 of Adolescence might prove to be an anxiety-inducing episode. Kids can be horrifically cruel, as the episode proves; Bascombe’s own son Adam attends that same school and he’s brutally teased by the other kids as his dad speaks to the class about Katie’s death. A particularly nasty classmate won’t stop making pig noises, and the teachers are clearly out of their depth with such a horrendous crime now looming large over the kids.
Read more: Adolescence episode 1 review | A horrific crime kicks off Philip Barantini
Jamie’s friends Ryan and Tommy are also at the school. They have minimal information on what’s happening with their friend, but both are understandably nervous. Jamie was alone in following Katie, but murder is something you never think someone you know is actually capable of. Jamie is now famous around the school and no one can stop talking about him. As one character points out, everyone will remember Jamie, but no one will remember Katie.
Episode 2 is slower and less frantic than episode 1. If you’re watching the episodes back to back, the change in pace is quite welcome after the high emotions of the previous episode. The second episode isn’t quite as viscerally effective as the first, but it gives more food for thought as Andrew Tate is name checked and we watch Bascombe be visibly disturbed after speaking to the students. Barantini still navigates the many hallways and rooms of the school with impressive fluidity and Adolescence is proving itself to be one of the best things to come out in 2025 so far.
Read more: Adolescence episode 3 review | The scariest episode yet
All episodes of Adolescence are available on Netflix 13th March.
