Adolescence

The scariest thing about England is the food. Firstly, big shoutout to the casting director, Shaheen Baig. Everyone is applauding each performance in this show, and I plan to as well -- but not without giving her appreciation! Woooo Yeah, <i>Adolescence</i> killed me. This is one of the most powerful, devastating pieces of television in years. It’s not your typical shitty crime drama; it’s a devastating blow of a societal commentary. Spoilers this sentence: I myself fell victim to convincing myself there was a twist in this series. It’s not the shitty crime drama I initially mistook it for -- it’s a gut punch of social commentary. Its "one-shot" camerawork is, at times, very annoying, but I also see the value in its ability to make you feel extremely claustrophobic. There is no time for fucking catharsis. This is a miniseries that is so dependent on good acting, and my god, everyone acted the shit out of this. The third episode alone features some of the best acting I've ever seen. Owen Cooper definitely lives up to the hype and could easily be the next star (I'm very excited to see him in <i>Wuthering Heights</i> next year). Also outstanding in that episode was Erin Doherty. I have never seen someone portray a therapist/psychologist better than she did. It feels impossible to believe she isn’t a working practitioner. I couldn’t talk about the acting without mentioning Stephen Graham’s performance. He was utterly brilliant. The scene in episode four between him and Christine Tremarco was so good. I'll be real and say that I was crying my eyes out. The final scene of the show also had me in shambles. Might take 4-5 business days to recover. This will stick as the biggest surprise TV series of the year, and it's definitely worth your time.