Zoe Quinn

The pacing was good, which I personally think is fairly rare these days was much appreciated. I was totally enthralled for the first episode and the camera work was great - the long tracking shots really enhanced the suspense and storytelling. The actors gave some pretty compelling performances too, especially Stephen Graham playing the murderer's dad. I felt like the story lacked focus/narrative as it went on though and characters such as Jade, Ryan, Tommy and Katie herself were overlooked and plot points left dangling in favour of focusing on Jamie, despite the fact that he was only present for 2/4 episodes. I'm curious how an event like this would effect everyone touched by it, not just the murderer and their family. Having said that, episode 4 which looks directly at the impact on the murderer's family was superbly acted and made me feel for anyone who might find themselves in their position. I found it strange upon reflection when I reached the end of the series that Katie was essentially a plot device and there was very little attention given to her/her family's experience of the event. Particularly after one of the main investigating police officers actually made the point that often when a young girl is killed she ceases to be central to the investigation/aftermath whereas the perpetrator becomes the centre of everything. To include this piece of dialogue confused me as that is the exact way the character of Katie was treated by the producers of the show. Overall definitely worth a watch if you're looking for a chilling drama, fantastic performances, amazing camerawork and a compelling story. I do wish there had been less preoccupation with Jamie and his dad and more of an effort to explore the wider impact on the community as the other characters were hardly explored at all. If there were a message to be found I think 'Adolescence' highlighted how we as a society refuse to develop the emotional strength to have tough conversations with our vulnerable loved ones "preferring a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice".