The alternate endings to Adolescence’s pivotal episode revealed

Netflix’s Adolescence could have looked very different – especially when it came to the pivotal ending of episode two. 

It has now been revealed that a few alternate endings were filmed before the final version made it to screen, with last-minute changes and technical challenges shaping one of the show’s most emotional moments. 

The now-iconic aerial shot – where the camera lifts above the city before landing on Stephen Graham’s character, Eddie, at the murder site – wasn’t part of the original plan.

Instead, the scene was supposed to be much simpler, with a street-level tracking shot. However, cinematographer Matt Lewis had a more ambitious vision. 

Talking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, he revealed that achieving the sweeping drone shot showing Eddie laying flowers for murdered schoolgirl Katie was no easy feat. 

“If it pays off, it’s amazing,” he admitted. “If it doesn’t… we might not have had an episode.” 

Even after the drone shot was captured, a Netflix executive suggested adding Stephen’s character to the final moment, placing him at the crime scene instead of ending on an empty shot. 

Director Philip Barantini said: “Instead of saying, ‘No, we’re not doing that, it’s ridiculous,’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, Matt, Matt, we need to land the drone, we need to try it at least.'” 

© Netflix

“There’s not a lot of room for changes,” added Matt. “Part of me wanted to absolutely freak out. We replaced Wednesday morning’s take with the rehearsal of the landing. 

“The coming down was really tricky because a drone when it’s moving really fast can kind of cut through the wind – and Pontefract is a really windy place. 

© Netflix

“When it slows down and it has to descend, you start to feel that sort of – almost like a leaf falling from a tree – that sort of zig-zag it can create. And we had the issue of the drone had to be controlled on a moving vehicle because the range wasn’t long enough from the school.” 

On the last day of filming, Matt insisted on one final take. When they finally got it, he was overwhelmed with emotion. “That’s when I cried,” he explained. “I knew we had the episode at least.”

Alternative endings

One of the alternative endings was to keep things simple, with the camera staying at street level. 

© Netflix

Another version saw the drone lift off but never land, fading out over the city, while a third option placed Eddie near the school instead of at the murder scene, offering a more subdued ending. 

Ratings

During the first few days of its release on Netflix, Adolescence racked up an impressive 24.3 million views. 

The four-part drama has already earned critical praise and a number of celebrity fans. The series took months of preparation and rehearsals so that all of the filming could be done in one continuous shot.

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© LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

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