Adolescence Episode 3 and 4 Recap: Understanding and Accepting the Pain

If the first two episodes of ‘Adolescence’ cover the shock and grief of young Jamie Miller’s crime, episodes 3 and 4 delve into the hows and whys of his action in a poignant examination that gets right to the heart of the tragedy. The installments feel more heavy and contemplative, bringing a more somber tone to the entire piece that feels wholly necessary and hard to watch at the same time. Episode 3 picks up months after the incident, where we see a professional psychologist try and piece together the young killer’s confused psyche and the reasons that drove him to take the life of his schoolmate. Meanwhile, the final episode is a sobering and emotional glimpse into the Miller family’s plight as they try to understand their role in the grand scheme of things, helpless that their son is so far away from them now. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Briony Attempts to Understand Jamie’s Anger and His Reasons

The third episode kicks straight into gear seven months after Katie’s murder. Jamie is now held at the Standling Secure Training Center, a sort of mental institute for kids who have been involved in difficult situations. Psychologist Briony Ariston enters the facility with the express intention of conducting a session with Jamie. The two have been in conversation with each other for a while, but it is evident that Briony still has unfinished business with him. She brings him some hot chocolate with his favorite toppings and a sandwich for him to enjoy. As soon as they sit down, Briony begins questioning him about a variety of topics, albeit centering on the subject of masculinity. The conversation swings back and forth, with Jamie feeling slightly uncomfortable about the prospect of being tricked by Briony.

Briony asks Jamie several questions about his dad, which clearly agitates him. His defensiveness only increases until he has a major outburst, shouting at Briony for her tactics. A small break is arranged, and the psychologist heads out to get a breather. She watches Jamie on the security footage, trying to glean more through his body language and actions. Back in the room, the two reestablish the protocols of their doctor-client relationship, and Jamie accepts her next round of questioning. They once again talk about the topic of masculinity. Jamie recounts a sexual encounter he had with two girls of his age and how he touched their chests. He also states that they touched his privates. However, it seemingly made him uncomfortable. The young boy is unwilling to divulge more, stating that he believes himself to be “ugly.”

Jamie has another outburst at Briony, angry at the control she is exerting in the room. Once his anger is put in check and he sits down, Briony addresses the crux of the conversation, the social media stuff that happened between Jamie and Katie. She asks him to explain what Katie did to him and what he thought he was doing when he showed up to meet her with the knife. The boy constantly showcases a confused state of mind whenever Briony pronounces Katie as “dead,” almost as if he does not recognize the extent of his actions, which is understandable given his age. Once the answers are out, Briony informs Jamie that this is their final session, which agitates him even more. He tries asking Briony if she thought of him as a “good person” throughout their time. Briony is unable to answer as he is led away. She cries in the empty room before leaving.

The Miller Family are Ridiculed and Ostracized By Their Community

Thirteen months after the incident, Eddie Miller is having his birthday with his wife Amanda and daughter Lisa at the Miller residency. Eddie unpacks a birthday card from Jamie, which contains a portrait of his father drawn by the latter. While there is a slightly upbeat tone in the household, it is destroyed when Lisa informs her father that someone has vandalized his van outside with a slur. He goes out and sees the word “Nonce” graffitied on the side of the plumbing van. He gets some soap water and tries to rub it out instantly, agitating his wife and daughter. The community watches in fascination at the Miller’s antics. Eddie learns that the culprits behind the vandalization are a couple of schoolboys looking to prank him. When the word doesn’t come off, Eddie informs his family that they are heading to Wainwrights to find something that will get the paint off the van.

Lisa is unsure why she has to accompany her parents as well. Eddie explains that after the vandalization, he feels it is dangerous for any of them to stay alone in the house. They get in the car and head out, with Eddie finally managing to calm down a little while he talks with his wife about how they were back in school—unfortunately, the terrible mood returns once the family enters the supermarket to get their own things. Eddie runs into a local shop worker who recognizes him as Jamie’s father. The boy makes a series of insensitive comments that make Eddie highly uncomfortable. He gets his hand on some paint thinner and heads out as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, his daughter and wife are unaware of the stress he is trying to grapple with on all sides.

On the way to the van in the parking lot, Eddie realizes that the young boys who vandalized his car are watching him from a nearby fence hole. He charges them down and catches one of them. He pushes the boy around, asking his reasons for coming after him and his family. The whole incident was their attempt at having some fun at the Miller’s expense. He is disgusted by their behavior, especially considering what he has to put up with. He lets the boy go after threatening him to stay away from him and his family moving forward. Eddie then goes back to the car and throws the fresh paint he bought from the store over his vandalized van. His wife and daughter watch in shock and tears as Eddie has a verbal spat with the mall security. The family backs out of the parking lot in total silence and shock over what transpired.

Eddie and Amanda Come to Grips With Their Inability to Stop Jamie

On the way home, the family receives a call from Jamie, who is still at the Standling Secure Training Center. Jamie wishes his father a happy birthday, although the tone inside the van remains glum and depressed. Eddie tries to pick up a normal conversational tone with Jamie, keeping everything that just happened a secret from the boy. However, he is stunned when Jamie tells him that he has been reflecting a lot over the last few weeks and months and wishes to change his plea to guilty. Eddie is overcome with emotions, and his wife and daughter try to pick up the conversation with Jamie, who is surprised to learn that the call has been on speaker the whole time. He talks with Amanda and Lisa for a short while before cutting the call. Eddie parks the car outside the Miller house and heads inside while Lisa and Amanda take a moment for themselves.

Once inside the house, Amanda breaks down in tears at the uncontrollable factors tearing their family’s peace and tranquility. She heads upstairs to meet up with Eddie, who has changed into a fresh shirt for the family’s movie plans. However, Amanda insists that it is not necessary for them to head out anymore. Although disappointed, Eddie is relieved to learn the news. He and Amanda then start talking about everything that just happened and the conversation with Jamie. It is clear that Eddie is having a hard time expressing everything he is going through, especially with the pain of losing his son and not being able to stop him before he embarked on a destructive path. The mother and father share a poignant moment, reflecting on their parental responsibilities and the guilt they feel over not being there to course-correct Jamie.

Although Eddie and Amanda are aware that they could not have stopped Jamie, they still harbor an immense sense of guilt and remorse for taking their eye off the ball for just a moment. In their own way, they both feel individually guilty about what happened as a result. Eddie is even more stricken with pain that he could not protect Jamie more once he saw the tape in the police station. He admits that maybe Amanda would have fared much better if she went in as Jamie’s appropriate adult rather than him. She reminds him that Jamie has always idolized him. In some ways, she believes that Jamie wanted Eddie to see it because he thought that the latter would always have his back. Now, they can do nothing except wallow in what they could have done to stop it while moving forward the best they can.

The family manages to regain some of their poise as Lisa heads upstairs to inform them that they can have their cinema plans at home. She also tells them that she does not want to move away just because of people’s ostracization, stating that people will eventually find out who they are anywhere they go, and things will keep getting worse. Eddie prepares to join his wife and daughter for movie night and celebrate what is left of his birthday. However, first, he goes into Jamie’s room and takes a moment to himself. He curls up on his son’s bed and finally allows the emotions and grief to overwhelm him as he sobs uncontrollably. The poignant moment shows that, in a way, the Millers have also lost their son, which is going to leave a scar for the rest of time.