With immense one-shot filming, power acting and a harrowing storyline, Adolescence is the show everyone’s talking about at the moment.
And the praise and chatter are undeniably deserved as the Netflix show is absolutely brilliant.
From the pure excellence of Stephen Graham to the tiny little details, there’s so much to unpack in the four-parter.
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One particular part of Adolescence that’s got viewers talking is young Jamie’s (Owen Cooper) meeting with the child psychologist (Erin Doherty). This intense one-on-one scene with the pair was the first episode the breakthrough star filmed, making his on-screen debut in this masterpiece.
During this meeting, Doherty’s character brings the boy half a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, which Cooper admitted was ‘minging’ to drink.
And an expert has explained the fascinating reason why the psychologist, Briony, presented him with the sweet cuppa in the first place.
Psychologist Dannielle Haig says that ‘everything’ that is done during a psychological assessment is ‘deliberate’.
“Small actions can tell you a great deal about a person’s mindset, and this is no exception,” she told Tyla.
“The hot chocolate is a comforting, almost maternal offering. It’s something associated with warmth, safety, and childhood, a stark contrast to the harsh reality of Jamie’s situation.”
She added that by giving the drink to the teen, Briony might ‘be trying to create a sense of familiarity and ease’ and therefore, there could be a better chance that ‘he will open up’.
The seemingly innocent hot chocolate having a purpose is similar to that half of a cheese and pickle sarnie that the psychologist presents at the beginning of their meeting.
"The half-sandwich, particularly the fact that it contains something Jamie dislikes, could be a way of testing his response," Dannielle explained.
"Does he push it away? Does he eat it to be polite? Does he comment on it? These reactions provide insight into his personality. If he simply tolerates it without complaint, it may suggest a history of feeling powerless and being accustomed to having things done to him rather than for him.
"If he refuses it outright, it might indicate defiance or a need to exert control in a situation where he has very little power.
"It’s a clever way of gauging how Jamie sees himself in relation to authority figures and whether he feels able to assert his own needs."
Well, you really can’t deny that this show is brilliant down to the detail as small as a little cup of hot chocolate.
You can watch Adolescence on Netflix now.
Topics: Netflix, Adolescence, Owen Cooper, TV, TV and Film
Jess Battison