The 77th annual Emmy Awards had its usual share of glamour and viral moments, from stunning red carpet looks to controversial money countdowns. But the most memorable of all were the eight Emmys awarded to the Netflix limited series, Adolescence.

Adolescence is a reflection on how life for today’s youth has changed since the  COVID-19 pandemic. Consisting of four episodes all taken in one shot, the show focuses on a 13-year-old boy named Jamie (Owen Cooper) who is arrested as a suspect for the murder of his classmate. The show dives into several topics, including increased knife violence in the U.K. and how misogynistic content impacts the behaviour of young boys on the internet. The show discusses Jamie’s beliefs about women, originating from this misogynistic Red Pill content. 

The use of consecutive one-shot episodes throughout the mini-series immerses the audience in this boy’s mindset. When Jamie’s underlying issues of self-loathing are revealed, he abruptly switches from acting scared to angry and manipulative. With the audience still unsure of Jamie’s innocence, Cooper is able to create sympathy for his character. Acting in a single take requires perfect memorization of lines without making mistakes for an entire hour, a testament to his strong acting skills. 

Cooper won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, making history as the youngest man to win at just 15 years old. Many TV series cast adult actors as teenagers, resulting in a lack of authentic teenage representation. Cooper’s performance as Jamie takes a realistic look at the mindsets of teenage boys with unlimited internet access. Many teens were left on their own during the pandemic, and online media usage dramatically increased. Because Owen Cooper was also a young boy during the pandemic, he can relate to this online childhood culture unlike an older actor. 

The series writer and co-editor Stephen Graham wanted to cast an unknown northern English boy to play Jamie, increasing the impact of Cooper’s win. Cooper said during his acceptance speech: “When I started these drama classes, I didn’t expect to be in the United States, never mind here.” Cooper’s win emphasizes that you do not need to be born with powerful connections or have film credits to your name to become successful in the acting world.

Graham won the categories of Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series, playing Jamie’s father, and Outstanding Limited Series with co-creator Jack Thorne. Actress Erin Doherty, who played Jamie’s psychologist Briony, won Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. 

In the series, Briony attempts to understand Jamie’s mindset, leading him to express a variety of emotions, ranging from arrogance to aggravation. The third episode depicts the last meeting between the accused and his psychologist, creating a sense of exigency in their conversation. The episode begins with her questioning Jamie, which soon turns into a conversation about the stabbing of his classmate Katie. Their final scene shows Briony breaking down into tears after Jamie reveals information about his consumption of disturbing online content. This final scene elicits an emotional response from the audience, grasping the impacts of the Red Pill content that many young boys consume.

The show generated popularity on its own; it became Netflix’s second most-watched English-language series ever. It has been shown across schools in the U.K. as a way to spark conversations with young people about harmful social media use. 

Stephen Graham told the Associated Press that he wanted to focus on the “relatively normal” life of people accused of crimes similar to Jamie’s. Graham said, “We’re all maybe accountable. School. Society. Parents. Community.” 

Hopefully, this recognition can provoke similar action among schools in other countries—especially in North America, where the Emmys are filmed and originate. With 7.4 million people viewing this ceremony, it may guide more people to educate themselves on the extremely relevant issues among youth today that are brought up in the show: Issues that can mean life or death.