Adolescence Recap: 80-20 Thing

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In episode three of “Adolescence“, a significant topic is discussed: What associations does the term “masculine” evoke for you? This conversation takes place seven months following Katie’s passing.

In this installment, the entire story unfolds within a children’s psychiatric center, where the atmosphere is simultaneously vibrant and melancholic. The facility houses boys who have been injured, such as one with radiator burns screaming in distress. The staff appear indifferent towards their jobs they claim to despise, and security personnel are always present. However, an independent psychologist named Briony (played by Erin Doherty) manages to slip Jamie a hot chocolate with sprinkles and half a sandwich during their session, which takes place in a room filled with books, games, and computers. Despite the seemingly comfortable surroundings, for a troubled teenager like Jamie, losing control can only lead to more hardship, as is emphasized later in the narrative.

It soon becomes evident that Jamie has been found guilty of murdering Katie. Briony, who works for Jamie’s family, is visiting him for the fifth time to evaluate him and prepare an “unbiased pre-sentencing report about the offense,” which she explains will be read by the judge to gain insight into his perspective on the charges. She appears to have established a good relationship with him during these visits.

In the initial stages, it appears their bond is thriving between Jamie and Briony. They’re playful together, sharing stories about their grandfathers and their upbringing in high society. However, as Briony starts to probe deeper, Jamie becomes guarded almost immediately. He senses she’s trying to coax a confession out of him regarding his father’s potential faults or mistreatment. While he acknowledges that his dad isn’t fond of the pub and treats his mother decently, he also mentions an incident where he once destroyed a shed while enraged, and seems slightly disheartened when I didn’t shine in sports.

It appears Jamie shares a similar belief with his mother that he’s inept at various things. He expresses that people find him unattractive, and this sentiment seems to be particularly strong among girls. At school, children mock him by tripping and spitting on him, and he doesn’t seem to believe he’s as intelligent as his sister. However, he consistently maintains his innocence regarding the murder of Katie, or more frequently, asserts that he didn’t commit any wrongdoing.

In the television show “Adolescence,” you may have initially perceived Jamie as just an immature boy who made a mistake. However, in this particular episode, he comes across as quite intimidating. At times, his behavior is typical of a teenager, even during his tantrums, which are somewhat childish. But there are instances, such as when he taunts Briony, where he appears to be a fully grown adult. The frequent shifts between these two extremes reflect the challenges of being a teenager. Additionally, it hints at the gap between how Jamie perceives himself and what he believes is the right path for him to follow.

For instance, when Briony begins questioning Jamie about relationships and romantic scenarios, he first becomes anxious, repeatedly querying, “Is it appropriate for us to discuss this?” Yet, she persists, speaking quite straightforwardly, asking Jamie about the boundaries a typical 13- or 14-year-old might have crossed sexually. Although his responses appear reasonable — perhaps going as far as some heavy petting, with the occasional hand venturing beneath clothes on rare occasions — he lies to Briony regarding his own experiences. He quickly retracts his statements, even though he isn’t exposed, eventually confessing that in actuality, he has only seen two photographs of girls from his grade without their shirts.

Immediately, Briony queries if any of the girls is named Katie. Jamie appears surprised by her intuition and confirms that indeed one of them is. It turns out that Katie had sent a photo to Fidget, who she was interested in, but he carelessly broadcasted it on Snapchat among their classmates. Although Jamie seems to understand that Katie might have felt embarrassed about an unwanted image being shared, he also thinks Fidget acted foolishly by spreading the picture without first collecting more photos of other girls first.

In this instance, Jamie appears to be experiencing another outburst that seems sudden. Instead of tossing his cup as usual, he throws his chair this time due to his intense anger. He’s restless and making Briony anxious. Moreover, he’s revealing his genuine thoughts and speaking bluntly, such as “When I did what I did,” only to later shift the blame onto Briony for misinterpreting his words.

Even though it’s reasonable to be upset given Jamie’s circumstances (being in jail, losing control of his life, being forced to relive one terrible moment repeatedly), it’s what follows that reinforces Briony’s opinion about Jamie. After he dismisses the bullying and explains Katie’s emoji-based harassment to Briony, he declares himself as not an incel. Interestingly, he acknowledges some of Andrew Tate’s “manosphere” ideas, such as the “80-20 rule,” or the notion that 80% of women are attracted to just 20% of men. It may appear so in middle or high school when everyone is highly conscious about popularity, perception, and image. But then he calls Katie a “bitch” and says, “I should have killed her, but I didn’t.

Jamie casually remarks to Briony, suggesting that he made a clever move by asking Katie out when she was at her most vulnerable. He explains that he believed Katie, in her weak state, might find him appealing.

Initially, he considered her response as being “mockingly dismissive,” but she was asserting that she wasn’t so desperate back then. To him, it may have felt like a harsh rejection, but considering Katie’s self-worth and independence, it was empowering to imagine the strength she showed by choosing solitude over an unappreciative partner.

He felt she rejected him rudely, but really, she was asserting her worth by not settling for someone who didn’t value her. It takes courage and self-awareness to choose solitude over a wrong relationship.

In this situation, Katie isn’t entirely innocent – Jamie’s behavior when he asked her out was reprehensible, and her subsequent cyberbullying seemed excessive and unwarranted. However, it appears that Jamie doesn’t recognize or condemn his actions. He may harbor self-loathing to some extent, but his hatred for Katie seems stronger. He told Briony that he did bring a knife to confront Katie, intending only to scare her, and praised himself for not physically harming her because “he could have touched any part of her body he wanted to” but didn’t. Essentially, Jamie justifies his actions by saying that most boys would have harmed Katie, but he didn’t, so he considers himself superior, doesn’t he?

With an abrupt ending, that’s where their session concluded. Briony feels she has gathered sufficient information and informs Jamie that she won’t revisit him. This may appear excessively brusque, prompting Jamie to challenge her actions. He questions whether there is mutual affection between them, but Briony remains evasive, either unwilling to deceive or adhering to professional boundaries, choosing not to disclose much about herself.

If there was a time when she felt fondly towards him, perhaps during lunch breaks when she offered sandwiches and shared stories about her grandfather, it’s evident now that those feelings have vanished – this is particularly clear following Jamie’s sudden change of behavior, as he violently collides with the windowpane and screams while being escorted out. Briony weeps, then composes herself, taking deep breaths before gathering her things and departing the room. The path that led Jamie to become a perpetrator wasn’t the result of a single influence or individual, but rather a complex blend of factors over time – such as societal conditioning, misguided messaging about gender roles, family dynamics, societal norms, appropriate emotions, and self-image expectations. In essence, it was a concoction of various elements that culminated into a noxious brew.

Stray Observations

Every time Jamie asks for comfort, an inner mom or people-pleaser in me feels compelled to offer it. For instance, “Tell him you appreciate him, Briony! He’s just a man! What’s the big deal!” or “Be kinder to him, stranger!” However, there are reasons they don’t, which she won’t do, and perhaps that’s one of the lessons I’m picking up from this show too.

As a dedicated cinephile, one of Briony’s poignant queries for Jamie towards the finale was, “Do you truly comprehend the concept of death?” While he may seem to grasp it, I’d also contend that many kids, including myself once upon a time, are largely oblivious. We understand that people or pets vanish, yet we fail to comprehend that it signifies the extinguishing of potential and the pruning of a lineage capable of creating remarkable legacies, nurturing outstanding offspring, and forging lasting friendships. It wasn’t until I encountered the demise of a close companion during my college years that the concept struck a chord deep within me – a resonance that felt uniquely profound. I’m not justifying Jamie’s actions, which were undeniably heinous, but rather empathizing with the challenge of distinguishing between typical narcissistic youthful beliefs and behaviors that border on malice or even sociopathy. To put it simply, I can’t fathom the burden borne by any adult navigating the complexities portrayed in this series as part of their real-life profession.

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2025-03-19 01:55