Spoilers for all four episodes of Adolescence below.Theres a moment toward the end of the third episode of Adolescence thats unlike anything youve ever seen on television. Up until this point, the new Netflix limited series - consisting of four hour-long single-take episodes - toys with your understanding of right and wrong and dangles in front of you the possibility that the shows 13-year-old protagonist couldnt possibly, despite video evidence, be capable of murder. But in one brief and subtle moment, you know deep down in your soul that he absolutely is. Adolescence follows the dramatic aftermath of a horrific crime: Katie, a teenage girl, has been found stabbed to death in a car park and her classmate Jamie Miller is the prime suspect. Jamie, played in a star-making turn by newcomer Owen Cooper, swears he is innocent from the moment police barge into his bedroom in the shows opening minutes. But slowly, over the course of four taut and gutwrenching episodes, you come to realize not only that Jamie did it, but that of course he did it. Adolescence GalleryThis realization crystallizes near the climax of the shows third hour. Until then weve witnessed Jamies interrogation by police (Episode 1) and his classmates reactions to the murder (Episode 2). Episode 3 is a brilliant two-hander between Jamie and psychologist Briony Ariston, played by The Crowns Erin Doherty, whos come to evaluate Jamie for a final time seven months after the murder. The episode plays out like a game of cat and mouse in which the mouse is already captured and uses every tool in his arsenal - charm, despair, and outright rage - to try and escape. After several violent outbursts in which Jamie cracks his heretofore borderline cherubic facade, Briony finally seems to have him cornered. She presses Jamie on what exactly transpired during the night in question, and we think we slowly - finally - see him break. Briony gets him to admit that he had been bullied by Katie and was enraged by her rejection of his romantic overtures, a perfect motive if there ever was one. But Jamie continues to protest. Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston, in Adolescence. Cr. Courtesy of Ben Blackall/Netflix 2024All I did. All I did was he nervously starts. But then, Jamies sullen face warps into a smile and he laughs. Look at you, he continues, turning his menacing gaze toward Briony. All hopeful like Im gonna say something important. Jamie looks at Briony for an instant, his twisted grin lingering, before putting his mask back on and returning to his version of events. Its in this fleeting moment that the true meaning of the episode and the entire series becomes clear. Previously, the audience was on Jamies side. We believed him when he swore he didnt kill Katie. It must have been some sort of misunderstanding. We believed Jamie because we wanted to. Because it made sense.Because how could a 13-year-old boy stab a girl seven times? But in this moment we comprehend beyond a shadow of a doubt what Jamie is capable of. The scene forces us to realize that all of his pleas and our own unwillingness to believe our own eyes (see the aforementioned video evidence) cant mask the fact that Jamie is a killer.Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, Cr. Courtesy of Netflix 2024Adolescence plays on our well worn perception of what children are capable of. In the premiere episode our first look at Jamie is of him being dragged from his bed, literally wetting himself in fear. Later he openly weeps in front of his father and is forced to undergo a traumatic strip search at the police station. We feel protective of Jamie and convince ourselves that hes innocent. So by the time Episode 3 comes around and it becomes clear that hes guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the real gut punch isnt that Jamie did it - its that wed convinced ourselves that he didnt.Jamies turn in Episode 3 isnt a Primal Fear situation. Theres not an inherently evil monster masked by an angelic little boy until a last-minute twist. Theres just a 13-year-old adolescent with simmering rage whos slowly radicalized by a noxious mix of social media, a warped perception of relationships, and straight-up teenage loneliness. Its difficult for us as an audience to come to grips with, yet it makes perfect sense. Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, Cr. Courtesy of Netflix 2024Im willing to bet Cooper wins an Emmy for his performance in Adolescence. Throw in a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and BAFTA while youre at it because the fact is hes playing multiple intricate characters wrapped in the guise of a single boy. Hes the Jamie we meet at the beginning: a scared little kid whos found himself in an impossible situation. Thats the real Jamie. Then theres the murderer; an entitled almost-man with a short temper whos prone to intimidation. Thats the real Jamie too. The truth is that both sides of Jamie - the frightened kid and the murderous criminal - are real, and thats the horror.