With most crime shows, the mystery revolves around who committed the crime. However, in the new hit Netflix series, the viewer knows who is guilty from the first episode. The show opens with police arresting a 13-year-old boy in his family home. The boy, Jacob, is accused of murdering his classmate. When it becomes apparent the police have collected ample evidence to make an arrest, the narrative focuses on why Jacob committed the crime.
Adolescence also differs from typical crime tv shows in that the guilty party has a relatively normal life. Jacob has a stable family life, good friends in school, and is bright for his age. However, it is soon revealed that the victim had been bullying Jacob. Through social media, Jacob had received emasculating comments regarding his sexuality and attractiveness to women.
Social media not only served as a place where Jacob felt bullied. It instilled sexist values in him used to carry out the crime. On the internet, Jacob fell into the world of toxic masculinity, including Andrew Tate’s logic and ideals. This mindset leads Jacob to leave comments on models’ posts sexualizing them. Furthermore, it envelopes his actions and logic. When in need of a trusted adult to guide him through questioning, he chooses his father in lieu of his mother or older sister. In an episode where he meets with a female psychologist, he intimidates her and makes sexist comments. The show does a fantastic job of exploring the problem of hypermasculinity for teenage boys.
Adolescence includes many captivating tidbits that make the show seem more heartfelt. The entire show is shot in one take to capture authentic reactions. Although the show is not based on any one crime, it was inspired by a combination of knife crimes happening in Britain. Hopefully, viewers learn from the show to reduce violence and increase advocacy in the real world.