Adolescence

03/24/25 • 51 min

2 Listeners

On a quiet morning, British police raid the home of Jamie Miller and arrest the 13-year-old for murder. The boy proclaims his innocence as he and his parents are put through the whirlwind of the arrest process and questioned about the crime. As investigators look for the weapon and a motive, a psychologist searches for clues into Jamie’s psyche, and what in the unassuming boy’s background might have driven him to kill.

Netflix’s “Adolescence” features newcomer Owen Cooper as Jaime and veteran actor and co-writer Stephen Graham as his father. Each of the four hour-long episodes were filmed in one continuous shot, as the camera follows characters through various rooms, buildings, on car rides, and even across town through the air. The story explores large themes about growing up in the modern world, the effects of crime on the community and family members, and questions who - if anyone - is responsible for making a murderer.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ADOLESCENCE" IN THE LAST 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: hiss-demeanor.

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OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ADOLESCENCE" IN THE LAST 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: hiss-demeanor.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Previous Episode

Devil in the Family

Ruby Franke earned fame and fortune on her YouTube channel highlighting an ideal family life with her husband and six children. But that world crumbled when it was discovered her parenting style was more draconian than the loving image they portrayed on screen. After she fell into the orbit of life coach Jodi Hildebrandt, Ruby became estranged from her husband and older children. But police took notice when Franke's youngest son knocked on the door of Hildebrandt’s neighbor, severely emaciated and covered in duct tape.

From ABC Studios and streaming on Hulu, “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke” explores her journey from influencer to inmate, and Hildebrandt’s sway over the entire family. It includes interviews with her husband and children, and access to 1,000 hours of raw video which foreshadow the abuse to come.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEVIL IN THE FAMILY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Next Episode

CHAOS: The Manson Murders

The 1969 Manson Family killings gripped the nation for their sheer brutality and madness. But left unanswered is exactly how Charles Manson turned a group of hippies into assassins through mere persuasion. The book Helter Skelter says Manson convinced his followers of an impending race war, one they needed to be at the center of. But journalist Tom O’Neill uncovered loose connections between Manson and the head of the CIA’s secret program MK-Ultra. He says the Manson murders read less like a spree killing and more like the LSD-fueled mind control experiments the government had been perfecting.

From Oscar-winner Errol Morris and Netflix comes “CHAOS: The Manson Murders.” The director of “The Thin Blue Line” and “Wormwood” returns to the subject of MK-Ultra, exploring whether it can be blamed for the famous crime spree. Was Manson really a failed musician-turned-cult leader, or did he get help from an infamous Cold War program?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CHAOS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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