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Netflix viewers have noticed a hidden clue that could have shown Jamie’s guilt in Adolescence even before the story was revealed.
The four-part drama was released on March 13 and quickly shot to the top of the streaming charts.
Adolescence tells the story of Eddie (Stephen Graham), a father who is shocked after his 13-year-old son, Jamie (Owen Cooper), is arrested for allegedly stabbing his classmate, Katie, to death.
Ashley Walters (from Top Boy) plays the lead detective, while Erin Doherty (from A Thousand Blows) portrays the child psychologist who is brought in to evaluate Jamie.
Both critics and viewers have praised the series for being filmed in four continuous shots. It tackles important issues like knife crime against women, misogyny, the harmful impact of the online manosphere, incel ideology, and how teens use coded language—like emojis—to discuss violence.
However, one sharp-eyed fan believes they’ve spotted a clever visual clue in episode one that suggests Jamie’s guilt right from the start.
A TikTok user, @kashi_ibbotson, shared a viral video focusing on the moment when armed police arrest Jamie.
In the video, Jamie is shown holding his hands out, and viewers quickly noticed a tear in the wallpaper behind him that closely resembles a knife blade.
For those watching for the first time, the torn wallpaper might seem insignificant. But for viewers who know the final twist, it carries a deeper meaning.
“This can’t be an accident. The level of detail in this show made it a masterpiece,” Ibbotson wrote in the caption.
She’s not the only one who noticed it. One person commented, “Every detail is perfect in this show,” while another said, “I kept staring at the tear on the wall. It bothered me, but I didn’t connect it! Brilliant!!!”
Someone else linked the subtle wallpaper tear to an emotional moment later in the series, saying, “And the very last scene when the dad is on his bed is like the knife in his back.”
Many viewers have wondered if the TV drama is based on a true story.
Graham, who is also a co-writer, shared that the show was inspired by the 262 people who were stabbed to death in England and Wales between 2023 and 2024, and the heartbreaking impact it had on their families.
“There was an incident where a young boy [allegedly] stabbed a girl. It shocked me,” the 51-year-old said in an interview with Tudum. “It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the reason behind this?’”
“And then it happened again, and again, and again. I really just wanted to bring attention to it and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we reached this point?’” he continued.
As a father himself, Graham wanted Adolescence to be more than just a crime story—it had to feel real.
“We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” he explained.
“Instead, we wanted viewers to look at this family and think, ‘My God, this could be us!’ What’s happening here is the worst nightmare of an ordinary family.”
Feature Image Credit: (CanvaPro) / (Facebook) / GettyImages
