If you’ve already watch Adolescence and found yourself emotionally gutted and deeply unsettled, you’re not alone. The short-form Netflix drama, starring Stephen Graham and newcomer Owen Cooper, made an immediate and visceral impact on viewer.
It’s officially the most-watched Netflix limited series ever, racking up a staggering 66.3 million hours in just two weeks. But, there won’t be a second season.
While that news might sting for fans hoping to dive deeper into the aftermath of the story, especially from the perspective of Katie, the classmate Jamie is accused of killing, co-creator Jack Thorne has made it clear: this story was always meant to be contained.
While a guest on This Morning, Thorne said bluntly: “I don’t think we’re the right people to tell Katie’s story. I think there are other makers out there that could tell beautiful dramas about Katie or girls like Katie, and that those shows should be made.”
That’s a refreshing take and it gives the decision not to continue the series a kind of creative integrity that’s rare in the age of endless renewals.
Adolescence is told over four episodes, each shot in a continuous take. That structure forces the viewer to sit in the discomfort of every moment from Jamie’s arrest to the slow implosion of his family. There’s no escape. No edits. Just a raw story.
For Thorne and Graham, expanding the story into Katie’s experience would mean stepping into shoes they don’t feel equipped to fill. “Maybe trying to tell her story would dilute that in some way and maybe we would be inadequate for that task,” Thorne admitted.
He also made it clear that Jamie’s arc is complete: “I don’t think there’s anywhere more we can take Jamie, so I don’t think there is a series two. We’d love to explore the one shot format in another way. We’d love to tell other stories with it, but I don’t think [another series] of Adolescence is quite right for us.”
It’s rare for a hit show to step away at its peak, but Adolescence never felt like it was playing by traditional TV rules. It doesn’t offer closure so much as it demands reflection, and that’s the point.
