Stephan Graham has explained the heartbreaking reason why the final scene of Adolescence takes place in Jamie's bedroom.
The series follows 13-year-old schoolboy Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for the murder of a female classmate after being influenced by disturbing online propaganda.
A lot of the intrigue stems from each episode being shot in a single take, which adds to the drama and raw nature of the performances.
As Adolescence continues to dominate Netflix’s Top 10, fans have been deeply moved by the series’ gut-wrenching finale - which Graham has described as one of the most emotional moments of his career.
The first scene features the police raiding Jamie's home as his family watches on in horror.
The young lad is taken from his bed and placed in a police car, as chaos ensues while his family tries to figure out what happened.
The final scene takes place in the same bedroom, but the mood is very different - and this was a creative choice.
At that point, Jamie has decided to plead guilty to the murder, leaving his father, Eddie (played by Graham), devastated.
"We knew that we wanted to end it in that room. We wanted the journey to finish where it began," Graham told Netflix's Tudum.
In the powerful last moments, Eddie apologizes to Jamie’s teddy bear - a symbol of his lost son - as he weeps over the tragedy.
But what truly broke Graham on set was a surprise from director Philip Barantini.
During the final take, Barantini and the Adolescence art department secretly placed personal family photos in Jamie’s wardrobe, just out of camera view.
These photos featured Graham, his real-life wife Hannah Walters (who also serves as an executive producer on the series), and their children, along with a handwritten note that read: “We love you. We’re so proud of you.”
Barantini knew the camera wouldn’t see the photos - but Graham would.
And when Graham glanced over and spotted them, he broke down in real, raw emotion.
"If you watch the scene closely, he looks over to the right-hand side, and he spots the pictures and the notes. It broke him open," Barantini revealed.
"The other takes before that were very different. They were all still incredibly emotional. But that last take, which we used, was real, raw, and unexpected from him as well."
Graham later admitted: "They got me to the core. So the taps just opened up."