Adolescence

Adolescence isn’t your typical TV crime drama. Stephen Graham, creator and writer of the hit Netflix miniseries, isn’t asking you to figure out who did it—he’s asking you to consider why. Shot entirely in one continuous take, each episode of this four-part series follows 13-year-old Jamie, a boy accused of murdering a classmate. But Jamie isn’t just a perpetrator. He’s also a child—shaped by patriarchy, misogyny, and unexamined rage. In this episode, hosts Shannon Perez-Darby and Tashmica Torok examine the layered dynamics of Jamie’s story—from his family and peers to the criminal legal system and the court-appointed therapist tasked with assessing him. Together, they explore violence, gender, punishment, and how a child becomes capable of such devastating harm. From incel culture and manosphere influence to the realities of digital parenting, we ask: If children can be radicalized into hate, can they also be guided back into healing? What does accountability look like when the person who caused harm is still developing? And who do we become when we let the carceral system answer those questions for us? "There's a wonderful saying, which is, it takes a village to raise a child. And within that kind of complexity ... it's kind of like, maybe we're all accountable.” – Stephen Graham, Adolescence Creator & Writer This Week’s Pop Culture Homework Watch Adolescence on Netflix Read Black Pill by Elle Reeve Subscribe and listen everywhere you get your podcasts. Come for the pop culture. Stay for the abolition. To learn more, visit: www.popagandapod.com Leave a 5-star review for The Popaganda Podcast, and we might feature it in an upcoming episode! You can also send us love or suggest show topics by emailing us at: [email protected]. Sponsored in part by: The Accountable Communities Consortium Access: Transcript now available on Apple Podcasts Content Warning: The Popaganda Podcast explores the intersections of transformative justice, prison abolition, and pop culture. In this episode, we discuss themes of trauma exploitation, survivorship, and systemic harm, including references to sexual violence and political violence. While we do not delve into graphic details, we invite you to make choices about what feels right for you.