‘Adolescence’s’ creators break down emotional turning point in episode 3

Adolescence creators, Stephen Graham and Jack Throne, described how the story came to its emotional turning point in the powerful third episode of the drama.

The Netflix’s original dived deep into the psyche of a troubled young boy accused of a murder he committed, offering an intimate portrait of guilt, rage and the complex emotions of growing up.

In the recent episode of Variety’s Making a Scene, presented by HBO, Graham and Throne broke down the third episode’s intensity which was cinematically captured through a one-shot format.

The episode posed a unique challenge for Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper, the two actors around whom the tense, hour-long scene is crafted around.

As the episode unfolds the viewers witness Jamie’s (Cooper) confession played out mostly through Briony (Doherty) character’s reaction rather than Jamie’s own face.

“What we’re doing is hearing him confess to an extent. And then as soon as he puts the chess piece down, we see it from her point of view,” Graham explained. “We get to watch her thinking what she’s thinking.”

Throne praising Cooper’s skills of bringing the complex character to life, added, "He was brilliant on the first day."

In addition to the breath taking performances, the episode also garnered massive attention online for its one standout prop, the sandwich.

The physical and emotional intimacy of the story was based on this simple object, which held a deeper meaning beyond its surface.

Throne explained, "The sandwich was part of that gift of 'I’m here for you.' And then at the end, she [Doherty’s character] breaks down when she can’t touch this sandwich wrapper because she’s so horrified by what she’s discovered."

Adolescence due to its powerful presentation of complexities and dangers of young age, became the second most-watched series on streaming platform surpassing Stranger Things 4.