Child psychologist Dr Sheila Redfern has offered her thoughts on the chilling third episode of Adolescence, which offers a child insight into the mind of 13-year-old killer Jamie Miller

The hit Netflix series Adolescence is one of the most talked-about shows of 2025 so far. For child psychologists, it’s a particularly fascinating watch.

The four-part series follows the aftermath of Jamie’s sick crime, from the moment he was arrested for the murder of his classmate Katie to the agony and infamy forced upon his struggling family.

Episode three, filmed in one strikingly effective continuous shot, sees clinical psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) meet with Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) at Standing Secure Training Centre. And it’s through this interaction that we get a chilling insight into the teenage killer’s twisted psyche.

Now, a professional psychologist has offered her thoughts on the decisions made by Briony during her final session with Jamie, explaining some of the hidden meanings behind the interaction, which left Netflix viewers shuddering with horror.

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In a piece penned for the Mail Online, Dr Sheila Redfern, PhD, consultant clinical child and adolescent psychologist, reflected on Briony’s choice of outfit – a simple blue shirt and trousers.

Remarking that such outfits require careful consideration, Dr Sheila observed: “Briony has also taken into consideration that she is dealing with a teenager who has issues with sexuality and misogyny.

“Any psychologist in this position wouldn’t want to risk dressing in a way that could be considered sexually provocative; she can’t risk being seen as sexually attractive. She wants to appear professional and show him respect.”

Dr Sheila also picked up on Briony’s positioning of her chair, which she moves increasingly closer to Jamie’s as the intense interview proceeds.

She explained: “Briony starts off by sitting across the table from Jamie, which gives the feel of a formal police interview rather than a session with a psychologist. However, after each of his two outbursts, she moves her chair closer to him.

“It’s only when she’s sitting right next to him that he really opens up to her, revealing his incel (involuntary celibate) ideology – a cyber subculture in which men blame women when they can’t find a romantic partner, legitimising violence against them.”

As noted by Dr Sheila, it’s at this point that Jamie opts to take a bite of the cheese and pickle sandwich Briony has brought him, despite this being a filling the warped schoolboy doesn’t like. She went on to remark that, although Briony sits close to Jamie, she doesn’t initiate direct eye contact, allowing him to more easily open up.

According to Dr Sheila, Briony’s choice to check the CCTV cameras when Jamie is left alone in the room is also telling.

She considered: “I think she is observing how Jamie reacts when she leaves. He has just had a violent and dramatic outburst – how he behaves next is significant.

“If he appears to be getting anxious and angry after she’s left, that could indicate abandonment issues or give some insight into his levels of anxiety. If he is completely oblivious to the fact she has left, that might show he is disengaged with relationships.

“When she returns, he is apologetic – he has clearly already formed an attachment to her and wants her in the room. He’s very childlike – he wants her to be there with him. His reaction shows she clearly matters to him, and he wants to matter to Briony.”

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