We just finished seeing Adolescence and I can see why people might think this is an odd show, and also, why the tomatometer laps the popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. We as TV viewers are generally conditioned to approach shows like this as a whodunit, and this show upends those expectations. Even toward the end of the second episode, we were still speculating that the murderer might end up being someone else. But that’s not the point of the show at all. The point is to examine the effect of social media, toxic masculinity (or as they say on the show, the “manosphere”), bullying, and the rise of incel culture on society as it relates to teens and the adults around them. They even name-checked Andrew Tate during the show. It was not a black and white show. Nobody was 100% bad or 100% good, not even the angel-faced victim, which some might even find offensive and maybe even victim-blamey. Adolescence was as nuanced an examination of issues along these lines as I have ever seen. But then, I love that kind of show because it tries to get at what makes someone or something tick rather than, again, whodunit. And you’re right about the end. I started getting really verklempt during it.