The final version was a last-minute miracle

Netflix’s Adolescence could have ended very differently in episode two, with four alternate endings filmed before the final version made it to the screen. The now-iconic aerial shot, which sees the camera rise above the city before landing on Stephen Graham’s character Eddie at the murder site, was only completed at the last possible moment after a series of technical challenges and last-minute changes.

Originally, the plan was much simpler. The camera was supposed to follow a street-level shot. But cinematographer Matt Lewis said in The Rest Is Entertainment podcast that he had a more ambitious vision—One that involved a drone lifting off, soaring over rooftops, and then descending to reveal Eddie laying flowers for murdered schoolgirl Katie. And getting it right wasn’t easy. High winds nearly ruined the shoot, forcing the team to film three alternative versions in case the drone sequence didn’t work.

Lewis admitted the process was nerve-wracking. “If it pays off, it’s amazing. If it doesn’t… we might not have had an episode.”

Then came a last-minute twist. A Netflix executive suggested adding Stephen Graham’s character to the final moment, placing him at the murder scene instead of ending with an empty shot. Director Philip Barantini was immediately on board. “Instead of saying no, I was like, we need to land the drone, we need to try it at least,” he said.

Pulling it off was far from easy. The drone had to be controlled from a moving car, navigating unpredictable gusts of wind while making a smooth descent. On the very last day of filming, Lewis insisted on one final attempt. When they finally got it, he broke down in tears. “That’s when I cried. I knew we had the episode at least.”

So, what could we have seen instead?

One version kept things simple, with the camera staying at street level and never taking off. Another saw the drone lift off but never land, fading out over the city instead. A third attempt placed Eddie near the school rather than at the crime scene, offering a less dramatic but safer conclusion.

The final take, captured in the last available moment, was the one that made it to air—and it turned out to be the most powerful.

The series has already made history as the first streaming show to top the UK’s weekly TV ratings and has sparked national debate over its themes of incel culture and misogyny. And now, knowing just how close it came to having a completely different ending, that final moment feels even more significant.